In June 2002, former Solicitor and 9th Circuit nominee William Myers quietly supported a private bill that would have given away public land and mineral resources worth more than a million dollars, over the strenuous objection of the Bureau of Land Management officials responsible for the management of the site. Facing negative publicity for this indefensible giveaway, the Department of Interior reversed its position on Thursday, March 4th, distancing themselves from Myers' support of the legislation. While the Interior Department cites "new facts" that justify their about-face on this issue, several BLM officials confirmed to the LA Times that basic research and consultation with BLM officials would have uncovered these facts in 2002. As CRC's Executive Director Doug Kendall was quoted in the LA Times, "Myers' attempt to give away valuable public lands in this case is another example of how he used his position as Interior solicitor to put the private interests of the industries that paid his bills in private practice over the public's interest."

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