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The Biden administration's first onshore oil and gas lease sales are over and the results are in. Companies scooped up around 60 percent of 120,000 acres offered in Wyoming and all 521 acres offered in New Mexico, proving the increased royalty rate sought by the Bureau of Land Management in this sale isn't an issue in states with promising oil fields.
Meanwhile, leases offered in states like Colorado, Nevada, and Montana drew barely any interest, proving the BLM was right to remove sensitive public land and land with low oil production potential from this lease sale.
“Shrinking this sale and raising federal royalty rates to align with those levied at the state level shows that the Biden administration is listening to those who are tired of seeing our public lands sold at bargain basement prices,” Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala said. “Now, the administration needs to go beyond these temporary changes with top-to-bottom reform of the oil and gas leasing system. The era of oil and gas companies locking up our public lands while ripping off taxpayers needs to end.”
Just as the onshore lease sales wrapped up, the White House informed the press that it would miss a self imposed deadline yesterday to release a five-year offshore leasing proposal for the outer continental shelf. Interior Communications Director Melissa Schwartz said that plan is still in the works but did not say when to expect it.
Look West summer break
Look West will be on summer break next week. Get out and enjoy your public lands. We'll be back in your inbox on July 11 with more news from around the West. Thanks for reading!
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And let’s say the obvious: The stakes are high. Yet the court today prevents congressionally authorized agency action to curb power plants' carbon dioxide emissions. The court appoints itself—instead of Congress or the expert agency—the decision maker on climate policy. I cannot think of many things more frightening.”
