Background and office
Stevan “Steve” Pearce, a former U.S. representative from New Mexico, was confirmed as director of the Bureau of Land Management in May 2026. BLM administers federal public lands and reviews applications for rights-of-way and other land uses.
At his February 2026 Senate confirmation hearing, Pearce acknowledged that current law does not permit broad-scale federal land sales through unilateral BLM action.
Land development and financial disclosures
ProPublica reported that Pearce's publicly available disclosure listed financial interests in several technology companies and in Titan Development, a real-estate business involved in land acquisition for data centers. His filing lists an interest in Titan Development Real Estate Fund II. ProPublica reported that he had agreed to divest many technology holdings but not Titan; a reported retained interest does not establish participation in a particular land decision.
BLM told ProPublica that Pearce complies with applicable ethics requirements and that disclosed assets should not be conflated with a proven conflict.
Agency approvals and oversight
BLM approved the 88.5-acre Townsite Data Center project near Boulder City in June 2026. On September 1, the Interior Board of Land Appeals stayed the approval, finding the appellants likely to prevail on the environmental review issue. This was a preliminary order, not a final merits judgment against Pearce.
Senator Martin Heinrich requested the agency's legal rationales, project-by-project applicants, acreage, environmental-review plans and potential sites by November 20, 2026.
Original sources and reporting
- ProPublica: officials' disclosures and responses
- ProPublica: Pearce financial-disclosure record
- Senate: Pearce confirmation commitments
- BLM: Townsite approval
- Interior appeals board: September 1 stay
- Senate: Heinrich's November 6 inquiry
Evidence limits: A financial disclosure documents a holding, not improper participation in a government decision. A proposal does not establish an approval. Sources are dated and may change.