Biden Administration to Resume Oil, Gas Leasing on Federal Land
April 16, 2022 | District of Columbia
The Biden administration announced Friday it would resume leasing sales for oil and gas drilling on federal land, while also sharply reducing the acreage available for leases, and charging higher royalties on the oil and gas produced.
The Interior Department said roughly 144,000 acres would soon be available through oil/gas lease sales, an apparent 80% reduction from the land that had been under previous evaluation for leasing.
In a series of Friday tweets, Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland wrote:
“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. 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,” she added.
The American Exploration and Production Council, which represents independent producers, in a statement said the Biden administration should do more…. (Excerpt from Newsmax)
