BLM WORKERS GET CARDS WITH RIGS, RANCHING TO WEAR

The Bureau of Land Management has distributed an unusual new accessory for some of its employees to wear: A card with an image of an oil rig on one side and cattle ranching on the other.

The cards, which feature artwork then- Acting Director Mike Nedd commissioned after President Donald Trump took office, reflect the bureau’s renewed focus on energy and agricultural development on public lands. Under the Obama administration, the BLM had promoted recreation and conservation on public lands.

On the side with the oil rig, the cards state the agency’s mission is to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.” On the other side, above two men riding horses with herding dogs and cattle in the background, BLM says its goal is to “improve accountability to our stakeholders, and deliver better service to our customers.”

The BLM is a sprawling division of the Interior Department that oversees 245 million acres of public land, mostly in the Western United States and Alaska.

While the BLM said wearing the cards was not mandatory, some employees said they felt pressured to do so. The manager of at least one BLM office outside Washington gave a verbal “directive” to its workers to wear the cards, according to a BLM employee who also spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to avoid reprisal.