Environmental advocates gathered at the Texas State Capitol last week to protest the Texas Senate confirmation of Kelcy Warren to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. Warren has been a controversial choice to the commission ever since Texas Governor Greg Abbott first appointed him.

That’s because Warren is the CEO of Energy Transfer Partners, a Texas-based company that is responsible for the construction of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline, as well as the Trans-Pecos Pipeline, which is set to be built in the Big Bend region.

“How can Parks & Wildlife do its job of conserving our natural and cultural resources when Governor Abbott appoints oil and gas giants like Kelcy Warren to the Commission?,” asked the Sierra Club in a blog post on the subject.

Several Sierra Club representatives, along with others, attended a meeting of the Texas Senate Nominations Committee last week to testify against Warren’s appointment. The committee is expected to vote on the matter on April 20th. If you would like to share your opinions about Warren’s appointment, you can contact your state senator. (And if you don’t know who your representative is, you can find out here). 

You can also follow along with the Sierra Club’s ongoing efforts here>>