Poll: Idahoans don't want Trump's Bureau of Land Management nominee confirmed, citing public lands

Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman on Jan 28, 2026

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BOISE, Idaho — A majority of Idaho voters oppose the appointment of proposed Bureau of Land Management chief Steve Pearce, and disapprove of his views on public lands and his ties to the oil and gas industry, according to a poll commissioned by a local nonprofit.

Conservation Voters for Idaho, which advocates for pro-conservation and environmental issues in politics, commissioned RABA Research to conduct the poll of 503 Idaho residents ahead of Pearce’s confirmation hearing in the U.S. Senate. A date has not been set for that hearing.

Pearce, a former Republican congressman from New Mexico, has drawn intense scrutiny from conservation, outdoors and environment advocates since President Donald Trump nominated him for the BLM post in November. Groups including The Wilderness Society and Sierra Club have spoken out against his appointment and drawn attention to what they say is a record of anti-public lands sentiment, as well as entanglements with oil and gas companies.

The Bureau of Land Management — the U.S.’s largest land management agency — oversees 245 million acres across the country, including 12 million acres in Idaho, the RABA poll noted to respondents.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they strongly or somewhat disagree with Pearce’s stance on public lands, with 54% in strong disagreement. Just over three-quarters — 76% — said they oppose Pearce’s nomination.

The poll introduced Pearce with references to 2016 legislation he co-sponsored that would have allowed the federal government to dispose of some land, as well as quotes on public lands.

One, from a letter Pearce co-authored in 2012 that was sent to then-Speaker of the House John Boehner over budget concerns, said of public lands: “Over 90% of this land is located in the Western states, and most of it we do not even need.”

The same year, Pearce spoke at a conservative Political Action Conference in Colorado where he said the U.S. must “reverse this trend of public ownership of lands” — another quote included in the poll.

The poll also noted that Pearce ”owns and operates a business that provides services to oil and gas companies” and plans to hand off control of the business to his wife if confirmed. Poll respondents totaled 77% who said they felt that was inappropriate.

The survey asked respondents how they would feel if Idaho’s senators voted to oppose Pearce’s confirmation. Forty-two percent of respondents said they would have a more favorable view of the senators, and 27% said they would have a much more favorable view. Fourteen percent said they would view the senators less favorably if they voted against Pearce.

Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch did not respond to requests for comment on Pearce’s upcoming confirmation and the poll results.

In a news release, Conservation Voters for Idaho called on the lawmakers to stand against Pearce. Executive Director Alexis Pickering acknowledged Crapo and Risch’s opposition to attempts last year to sell off public lands.

“Now they must take a stand again and side with the 76% of Idahoans who want to ensure our public lands remain protected for generations to come by voting against Pearce’s nomination,” Pickering said in the news release.