JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The Biden Administration’s revamped energy development and management policy on public lands, released Friday, did not exactly meet with unbridled enthusiasm from Wyoming.
The “balanced approach” announced by the Department of the Interior (DOI) includes the resuming of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oil and gas leases in 173 parcels on roughly 144,000 acres across nine states—a significant 80% reduction on what was originally proposed.
“How we manage our public lands and waters says everything about what we value as a nation. For too long, the federal oil and gas leasing programs have prioritized the wants of extractive industries above local communities, the natural environment, the impact on our air and water, the needs of Tribal Nations, and, moreover, other uses of our shared public lands,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “Today, we begin to reset how and what we consider to be the highest and best use of Americans’ resources for the benefit of all current and future generations.”
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon called it too little, too late.
“The announcement of an upcoming federal oil and gas lease sale is welcome news, but long overdue,” Gordon said. “While we don’t know the exact number and location of the Wyoming parcels, after 15 months without a lease sale in our state, to learn that royalty rates will be increased and available acreage significantly reduced is hardly cause for unbridled celebration. I am concerned that these changes will have a chilling effect on Wyoming companies as they prepare their bids.”
U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), stated the following:
“After begging American oil and natural gas companies for months to produce more, the Biden administration is still doing all it can to restrict leasing on federal lands. First it was an illegal moratorium imposed at the start of his presidency. Now it’s this proposal to dramatically increase the cost of onshore leases while cutting the acres offered for lease by 80 percent. The president claims he’s doing nothing to limit domestic production, but once again his administration is making American energy more expensive and harder to produce.”
