Silver State Times

WASHINGTON– On May 16, 2023, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced the bicameral End Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing Act. The bill would update the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) administration of public lands, cut wasteful speculation, and allow lands with low or no oil and gas potential to be reprioritized for better uses, including wildlife habitat preservation, outdoor recreation, grazing, and renewable energy development. 

Under the current broken system, 90 percent of land overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is open to oil and gas development, regardless of actual drilling potential. This misguided approach – which even the Western Energy Alliance has agreed is wasteful – is impeding other activities on public lands like hunting, fishing, tourism, outdoor recreation, and clean energy development.  

“Public lands belong in public hands, not tied up in costly and unproductive fossil fuel speculation,” said Congresswoman Lee. “Over eighty percent of Nevada lands are public lands, with very limited oil and gas resources. Companies are leasing our public lands for pennies on the dollar, ten years at a time. On top of that, precious federal funding and staff time continue to be wasted on leasing proposals that expend far more energy than they actually produce in the Silver State. I’m proud to join Senator Cortez Masto to introduce legislation that promotes better land-use management, protects our outdoor spaces, maximizes government efficiency, and saves your taxpayer dollars.” 

“The BLM is wasting time, money, and resources leasing land to oil and gas companies that we know has little actual potential for development, and my legislation would curb this unnecessary and harmful practice,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This is commonsense legislation that will help us protect our great outdoor spaces in Nevada and across the country.”

This legislation is supported by the following entities and organizations: 

• Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks
• Colorado Fiscal Institute
• Colorado Wildlife Federation
• Conservation Lands Foundation
• Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship
• Dakota Resource Council
• Earthjustice
• Earthworks
• Friends of Nevada Wilderness
• Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO)
• Hispanic Access Foundation
• League of Conservation Voters
• Montana Wildlife Federation (NWF Affiliate)
• National Parks Conservation Association
• National Wildlife Federation
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• Nevada Conservation League (LCV Affiliate)
• Nevada Wildlife Federation (NWF Affiliate)
• Northern Plains Resource Council
• Public Lands Solutions
• Rocky Mountain Wild
• Sierra Club
• Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
• Taxpayers for Common Sense
• The Wilderness Society
• Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
• Trout Unlimited
• Vet Voice Foundation
• Western Colorado Alliance
• Western Organization of Resource Councils
• Wild Montana
• Wilderness Workshop
• Wyoming Outdoor Council

You can find more information about the End Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing Act here. 

As Nevada’s sole member of the House Natural Resources Committee, Congresswoman Lee has been a champion for Nevada public lands. Last year, Congresswoman Lee was one of the first federal lawmakers to call on the Biden Administration to protect Avi Kwa Ame, inviting Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to visit this one-of-a-kind landscape and joining in a tour of the site with Tribal and community leaders. Congresswoman Lee also recently introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to outdoor recreation and long-distance bike trails, which passed out of committee last month.

Original source can be found here.