** Interior oil program is wasteful, outdated, report finds
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Friday, December 10, 2021
Pump jacks in Wyoming, W ([link removed]) yoming Bureau of Land Management ([link removed])

The newest report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that the Interior Department oil and gas leasing program is inefficient and does not maximize benefits ([link removed]) to American taxpayers.

The new GAO report highlights the inefficiency of the noncompetitive leasing and minimum bid systems ([link removed]) , which encourage speculation on public lands while being unlikely to lead to meaningful mineral production or significant revenue. The Bureau of Land management (BLM) is also behind in updating its guidance and fee structure.

Another highlighted inefficiency is the common practice of oil and gas companies nominating leases with incredibly low potential for development. The report confirms ([link removed]) that “BLM does not perform an assessment of the development potential for a [nominated lease] parcel," while also stating ([link removed]) that "Several BLM state officials said . . . that the most attractive federal lands are already leased,” and “remaining federal lands [have] lower development potential.”

The government watchdog made a number of recommendations in the report, aimed at modernizing the outdated system. For example, it recommends that the BLM should consider charging oil and gas companies for nominating public lands for oil sales ([link removed]) , as the agency wastes large amounts of time and money managing proposed leases that never go on to be sold at auction.

The new report aligns with a recent report from the Interior Department ([link removed]) that recommended reforms to the oil program, including higher fees to reduce speculative leasing.


** Everything you wanted to know about gas prices, but were afraid to ask
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In the latest episode of CWP's The Landscape podcast ([link removed]) , Aaron, Kate, and Jesse are joined by Brad Handler of the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines, who explains why gas prices spiked this summer, and what comes next.
Spoiler: high gas prices are driven by a complex global system, and certainly aren't the result of actions taken by the Biden administration.
Quick hits


** Many tribal homes don't have clean water, and the road to getting it is lined with hurdles
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KUNC ([link removed]) | KSUT ([link removed])


** Amid record-breaking drought, Utah has a water dilemma
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High Country News ([link removed])


** For Colorado’s ski industry, reversing climate change is practical, not political as studies find bleak snow forecast
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Opinion: Colorado Sun ([link removed]) [Practical, not political] | Deseret News ([link removed]) [A bleak snow future]


** State economists warn of volatility as oil and gas drives New Mexico's revenue growth
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Carlsbad Current-Argus ([link removed])


** Here's where California really uses its water
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New York Times ([link removed])


** The West sizzled in a November heat wave and snow drought—but storms should be on the way
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Inside Climate News ([link removed]) [A hot, dry November] | Washington Post ([link removed]) [Storms on the way] | Denver Channel ([link removed]) [Storms on the way]


** Utah groups say we aren't doing enough to curb air pollution near national parks
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KUER ([link removed])


** Raft guides, ski lift operators, and thousands of other workers on federal land are set to have a $15 minimum wage starting next year
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Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
Quote of the day
Our water here, it sometimes comes out like the color of the sand."

—Nora Morris, resident of the Navajo community of To'hajiilee, K ([link removed]) UNC ([link removed])
Picture this


** @I ([link removed]) nterior ([link removed])
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Communities deserve a healthy planet for future generations. Interior has joined other federal agencies in the America the Beautiful initiative to conserve, connect, and restore the lands, waters, and wildlife upon which we all depend. Learn more: [link removed] ([link removed])

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