U.S. public land restoration, conservation and stewardship will become the core responsibilities of Tracy Stone-Manning, nominated by President Joe Biden on Earth Day to become the Bureau of Land Management’s next director.
Stone-Manning has spent her career in public service and conservation. She served as senior advisor for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), supporting the stewardship of lands and waters nationwide. Before joining the federation, Stone-Manning was chief of staff for Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, where she oversaw his cabinet and the state’s 11,000 employees. The position came after her time as director of Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality, where she oversaw the state’s water, air, mining and remediation programs.
NWF’s President and CEO Collin O’Mara said the federation is urging Stone-Manning’s “swift” confirmation by the Senate.
“President Biden absolutely could not have nominated anyone better to lead the restoration, conservation and stewardship of America’s public lands for the benefit of all Americans and wildlife,” O’Mara said. “As a Montanan, an avid hunter and hiker, and a world-class conservation mind, Tracy is uniquely prepared to be the transformational leader our nation needs at the Bureau of Land Management. Just as she has brought visionary leadership to the National Wildlife Federation, Tracy will bring the same collaborative, common-sense and bipartisan approach to running our nation’s largest land management agency.”
Stone-Manning’s father commanded a Navy submarine, bringing her into public service from childhood. She is a backpacker, hunter and singer living in Missoula, Montana. She has been married to writer Richard Manning for 30 years.
“I have been lucky to call Tracy a friend and a colleague,” NWF Director of Sporting Advocacy Aaron Kindle said. “I have seen firsthand her commitment to our vast public lands and to the people who depend on them. She is a pragmatist who will bring balance and fairness back to an agency that is tasked with sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s lands. Hunters and anglers can rest assured that Tracy understands the depths of our issues and will be a leader we can trust to prioritize wildlife habitat restoration, expand hunter and angler access, understand the concerns of the sporting community and work diligently ensure that our public lands will thrive for generations to come.”
Stone-Manning previously served as a regional director and senior advisor to Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) during his first term, focusing on forestry issues. Early in her career, she led a regional conservation group, Clark Fork Coalition, advocating for Superfund cleanups that created thousands of jobs and revitalized a river.
“It has truly been an honor and a pleasure to work with Tracy Stone-Manning over the past three years,” said Marcia Brownlee, program manager for NWF’s Artemis Sportswomen Initiative. “As a hunter, backpacker, birder and conservationist, she has a deep love for the public lands she will now manage. She also has a management style that will be welcomed by not only the employees who work at the Bureau of Land Management, but by members of Congress, industry officials, ranchers, conservation groups and all other stakeholders who live, work and recreate on our public lands. Tracy is a consensus builder and a brilliant big-picture thinker. She will lead our public lands and the people, economies and wildlife that rely on to them into a bright and sustainable future.”
