Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Interior plans to unnecessarily offer hundreds of thousands of acres for drilling
------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Aerial view of natural gas field in the upper Green River valley, Wyoming; SkyTruth, Flickr ([link removed])

The Inflation Reduction Act included many important reforms ([link removed]) to bring the federal oil and gas leasing system into the 21st century and give taxpayers a fair return in exchange for locking up public lands. After the bill became law, the Bureau of Land Management issued internal guidance laying out how it would lease public lands for oil and gas drilling under the new law. That guidance, which took the form of a series of Instruction Memoranda, was well intentioned and took a very responsible approach to oil and gas leasing.

Unfortunately, the BLM is not following its own guidance ([link removed]) . It has proposed lease sales ([link removed]) covering an entire order of magnitude more acreage than is required under the law. This year, the agency is proposing to offer leases on hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands ([link removed]) that were nominated anonymously and in areas that it knows will likely never produce oil, even though the agency maintains broad discretion over the leasing program and is not required to offer up this land for lease.
Right now, the BLM is considering leasing more than 282,000 acres of public land in the second quarter of this year alone. A new analysis ([link removed]) from the Center for Western Priorities finds that this is at least 261,000 acres more than the new law requires, and many of the acres being considered contravene the agency’s own guidance for lease sales. Fortunately, it is not too late for the Interior Department to change course and bring the upcoming lease sales in line with the letter and intent of the IRA.



** Manchin holds up qualified Interior Department nominee
------------------------------------------------------------

Senator Joe Manchin has indicated he may withhold his support ([link removed]) for Laura Daniel-Davis, who is nominated to serve as assistant secretary of the Interior for land and minerals management. Manchin cited an internal memo ([link removed]) pertaining to offshore rental rates as the cause of his concern. Manchin is in charge of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over Daniel-Davis's nomination.
“It appears that Senator Manchin is looking for any excuse to delay Laura Daniel-Davis’s long-overdue confirmation, and by extension, derail the accomplishments of the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala ([link removed]) . “Senator Manchin knows that Laura Daniel-Davis is exceptionally qualified to serve the American people, which is why more than 100 women ([link removed]) who know and have worked with Laura told the Senate last year to give her a confirmation vote.”
Quick hits


** Cattle country fends off climate villain label
------------------------------------------------------------

E&E News ([link removed])


** Construction starts on Nevada’s Thacker Pass lithium mine
------------------------------------------------------------

Grist ([link removed])


** The Biden administration is getting ready to unnecessarily offer hundreds of thousands of acres of public land to oil and gas companies
------------------------------------------------------------

Westwise ([link removed])


** Records show that EPA sided with polluters in Butte
------------------------------------------------------------

Montana Free Press ([link removed])


** Kerry, Podesta talk climate, permitting reform, LNG at Houston energy conference
------------------------------------------------------------

E&E News ([link removed])


** Colorado congressmen urge Forest Service to delay approval of Uinta Basin Railway
------------------------------------------------------------

Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** Utah legislature passes bill to allow year-round cougar hunting
------------------------------------------------------------

Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])


** These are the 50 most underrated national parks in the U.S.
------------------------------------------------------------

Outside ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” It’s an important place not only because a terrible massacre occurred, but also because it’s a place where people gather, it’s a place for ceremony, for hunting... It’s really hard to be a tribal member and see our homelands destroyed.”
—Michon Eben ([link removed]) , tribal historic preservation officer for the Reno Sparks Indian Colony
Picture this


** @Interior ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
A dynamic vista of colorful rock formations, bristlecone pine groves and lush wildflower meadows awaits all who explore Cedar Breaks National Monument. The high desert landscape is saturated with brilliant colors rising over 10,000 feet above sea level.

Photo by Jon Johannsen

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Copyright © 2023 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.

Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])