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In the Bureau of Land Management's August and September lease sales, a Myanmar-born artist, poet, and missionary spent over $1 million to buy nearly half of the offered parcels across six Western states. Levi Sap Nei Thang has no history of energy development and is not backed by investors. She now owns 108 federal leases and 124 state leases, giving her the exclusive development rights for the next ten years.
Thang's buying spree illustrates the broken oil and gas leasing system, as well as the flaws of holding lease sales during a global pandemic that has depressed oil prices. With low demand and prices, Thang bought thousands of acres of leases, shortchanging taxpayers and locking in energy development on these lands for the next decade. Landon Newell with Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance said, "the [Bureau of Land Management] sold these leases to a single company, with no known oil and gas experience, and generally at rock bottom prices. Even if you accepted the Trump administration’s devotion to fossil fuel development, and ignored its devastating impacts to the planet, these leasing decisions stand out as outlandish."
Road to 30: National Parks
Tomorrow, join Senator Tom Udall, National Park Service Chief Climate Scientist Dr. Patrick Gonzalez, National Parks Conservation Association, and the Center for Western Priorities for a virtual discussion of the impacts of climate change in national parks, how parks can serve as conservation hubs to connect larger landscapes, and the bold vision to protect 30 percent of America’s lands and water by 2030. RSVP here, and learn more information at Roadto30.org.
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The court ruling makes it pretty clear that many of the activities Mr. Pendley directed are invalid. Secretary Bernhardt can and should take stock of this situation to address the latest problems caused by Mr. Pendley's invalid decisions or make plans to continue his string of court losses.”
