Tracy Stone-Manning, a senior official in President Joe Biden’s administration who spearheaded its aggressive climate agenda, has been named the next president of The Wilderness Society, a prominent environmental organization based in Washington, D.C. Stone-Manning’s appointment will take effect in February, the group announced Tuesday.
Stone-Manning’s tenure as Director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was marked by a decisive pivot away from fossil fuels, implementing measures that curbed oil drilling and coal mining on federal lands while expanding renewable energy projects. On Tuesday, the bureau announced two major decisions: halting new federal coal sales in the resource-rich Wyoming-Montana Powder River Basin and issuing regulations to elevate conservation as a primary use of public lands. Critics argue these moves amounted to an assault on traditional energy industries.
Her controversial nomination in 2021 faced fierce Republican opposition due to her past association with eco-terrorism. As a graduate student in 1989, Stone-Manning was involved in a radical environmental sabotage case. She admitted to sending a letter warning that trees in an Idaho forest had been spiked to disrupt logging operations, a dangerous tactic linked to eco-terrorist activities. While she testified against co-conspirators to avoid prosecution, an investigator accused her of obstructing the investigation.
Senate Democrats confirmed Stone-Manning’s nomination along party lines, dismissing GOP concerns. Her tenure at the BLM saw a dramatic reduction in oil and gas leases, an increase in royalty rates for fossil fuel extraction, and policies prioritizing conservation over traditional land uses such as drilling and grazing.
“This is not a balanced resource management strategy, but an anti-fossil fuel, politically motivated action taken before the door slams on this administration,” said Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. He criticized the coal leasing ban as economically devastating and vowed to work with the state’s congressional delegation to reverse the decision. The coal-rich Powder River Basin, vital to Wyoming and Montana’s economies, has long been a focal point of Republican resistance to Biden’s climate policies.
The energy, mining, and ranching industries, alongside Republican lawmakers, have pledged to dismantle Stone-Manning’s policies as they prepare to take control of Congress following GOP victories in the 2024 elections. President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to dismantle Biden’s climate initiatives, has nominated North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to head the Department of the Interior, signaling a shift back to prioritizing fossil fuel production.
Stone-Manning’s career trajectory—from a senior aide to Montana Democrats to her leadership at the BLM—has underscored deep divisions in U.S. energy and environmental policy. Her critics highlight her eco-terrorism ties as emblematic of a radical agenda, while her supporters hail her as a champion for renewable energy and conservation. As she transitions to lead The Wilderness Society, Stone-Manning remains a polarizing figure whose legacy will likely continue to fuel political and environmental debates.
