Sierra Club Statement on Confirmation Hearing for Doug Burgum’s Nomination as Secretary of the Interior

WASHINGTON, D.C. -Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is scheduled to hold hearings on the nomination of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Department of the Interior under Donald Trump.

Burgum has a long history of connections with oil and gas companies, including organizing a fundraising meetingof billionaires to back Trump's third presidential campaign and a close, personal relationship with Harold Hamm, head of the largest private oil firm in the country.

In response, Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club's Lands Protection Program, released the following statement:

"If Doug Burgum got any closer to the oil and gas industry, he'd need to wear a hard hat. From his history as a corporate executive to governor of North Dakota, Burgum has worked to advance the interests of Big Oil CEOs time after time, even organizing the infamous Mar-a-Lago meetup where plutocrats were asked to donate a billion dollars to Trump in exchange for gutting environmental protections. It's clear who would benefit from him running the Department of the Interior.

"For more than a century, our national parks and public lands and waters have been part of what makes us special as a country. The incoming Trump Administration wants to give those lands and waters away to corporate polluters and billionaires. We need to protect every inch of our public lands from corporate interests and polluters so future generations can explore the treasured lands that connect us all."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.