September 2, 2021
The Honorable Joe Manchin
Chairman, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Raul Grijalva
Chairman, House Natural Resources Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
CC: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Dear Chairmen Manchin and Grijalva,
We are writing on behalf of over 1,900 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), a non-profit organization composed of retired, former, or current employees of the National Park Service (NPS). The Coalition studies, educates, speaks, and acts for the preservation of America’s National Park System. As a group, we collectively represent over 40,000 years of experience managing and protecting America’s most precious and important natural and historic resources. Among our members are former NPS directors, regional directors, superintendents, resource specialists, rangers, maintenance and administrative staff, and a full array of other former employees, volunteers, and supporters.
We, the undersigned, are writing to request that significant reforms to our onshore oil and gas leasing program are included in your committees’ recommendations under reconciliation. Responsible management of our national parks and public lands requires updates to the leasing program that would help to protect our parks, ensure the health and safety of local communities, promise a fair return to taxpayers, and eliminate waste and fraud in the program.
The $4.7 billion dollars included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 is a vital first step in plugging and cleaning up orphaned oil and gas wells and we are grateful for your committees’ work in actively moving a number of reform bills through regular order. But we believe that several reform proposals that have been considered in one or both of your committees are important priorities that could be included in the current reconciliation proposals moving forward.
Specifically, we believe that proposals updating federal oil and gas bonding standards and minimum bids, rents, and royalty rates; ending non-competitive leasing; and ending the leasing of lands with low or no potential for oil and gas development must form the basis for these important reconciliation priorities.
To ensure that the investments intended under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 are sufficient and federal support is not needed into the future, it is essential that Congress acts to prevent future orphan wells by ensuring that oil and gas companies meet their legal obligation to plug and remediate their wells by updating the outdated bonding requirements placed on oil and gas developers. There are hundreds of these orphan wells located near national parks, placing irreplaceable resources at risk.
The owners of our public lands, the American people, are also receiving far less than state or private owners for the oil and gas extracted on public lands due to inordinately low royalty rates, minimum bids, and rents charged in the federal onshore oil and gas leasing program. The federal onshore royalty rate has not changed since 1920, while rental rates and minimum bids have not been updated since the 1980s.
Finally, a practice of non-competitive leasing on public lands has allowed oil and gas companies to speculatively lease lands for next to nothing, preventing other productive uses such as outdoor recreation, while often not ever developing the land. Congress should act to end the practice of selling leases without a competitive bid. Prioritizing federal leasing on productive lands and away from low or no-potential lands will also help to end speculative leasing.
Updating these pieces of the onshore federal oil and gas leasing system would be a significant step forward in bringing industry into the present. It would help to protect national parks that are located near oil and gas leasing and protect local and frontline communities from health and safety hazards. These measures would also potentially raise billions of dollars in a fair return to taxpayers and would move the industry away from practices that incentivize waste and fraud.
Thank you for your commitment to our parks and public lands and we appreciate your attention to this issue.
Sincerely,
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Executive Council:
| Phillip A. Francis, Chair Maria Burks, Vice Chair Michael Allen Sarah Allen Brenda Barrett Sarah Bransom Russell Galipeau | Rebecca Harriett Don Hellmann Michael Murray Don Neubacher Jim Northup Richard Ring Chris Soller Sheridan Steele |
Coalition Members:
| Malena Kay Vik Alan D. Hollister Alan Scot McElveen Alexander J McMahon Alfred J Poole Alister R. Shanks Allen Bohnert Amy Meyer Amy Vanderbilt Ann Baugh Ann Rasor Anne Cronin Moore Anne Worthington Audrey Faye Calhoun B. J. Griffin B. Riley McClelland Barry T. Sullivan Bill Jackson Bill Pierce BJ Dunn Brian A Hoduski Brian Adams Brian James MacDonald Bruce Douglas McKeeman Carl Hinrichs Carl L. Stapler Carla McConnell Carol A. Clark Charles "Chuck" H. B. Arning Charles A. Bentley Charles Schultheis Cherry Payne Cheryl Schreier Christopher Seymour Chuck Bloomingburg Claudia L Galagan Colin C. Hastie Cordell Roy Craig C. Axtell Crystal Muzik Cynthia Holda Dan Moses Daniel J. Jenner Daniel M OBrien Daniel Taylor Dave Mills David B Shaver David B. Boggs David Barna David C Hartman David D Roberts David Donohue David Given David H Wallace David Holmes David M, Graber David Manski David Nathanson David R. Stuart David Scott Hartwig Dawn Foy Dean Reeder Deb Pfenninger Deborah E Peck Demica Vigil Denis Davis Denis M. Osowski Denis P. Galvin Dennis Burnett Dennis Divoky Denny Huffman Diane E. Banta Dick Falb Dixon Freeland Donald a Falvey Donald Bruce Fladmark Donald Fox Donald L. Jackson Donna Williams Dorothy Ann Davis Douglas Denio Doyle Nelson Dr. Patricia Corry Edward D Carlin Sr Edward Peter Walzer Edward S. Kalbach Edwin A. Hession Elizabeth Snyder Elizabeth Van Zandt Emily Prud'homme Emily Thompson Eric Shane Gottlieb, PhD Frances J. Rutter Fred J Fagergren Gary E. Davis Gary G. Brandow Gene Casey George Alderson George E. Buckingham Gilbert E. Blinn Ginny Rousseau Gregory Gnesios Hal J Grovert J. Douglas Cuillard James Campbell,PhD James L Hummel James M. Brady James P Groton, Jr. James Perkins James Phillip Corless Jane Anderson Janet Wise Janet Wolf Jay Wells Jeff Manley Jeff Maugans Jerry L. Case Jerry Pendleton Jervis D Swannack iii Jim Brandi Jim Poole Joan Anzelmo John E Hunter John Howard John Morris John P. Debo, Jr John Paige John Phillips Ritenour John Reynolds John Richard Erisman John S. Chao John W. Osgood John W. Wade Jonathan B Halpern Joseph H. Finan Judith Hart Julia Thomas McNamee Karen Rehm Katherine C. Ziegenfus Katherine Stevenson Kathleen Clossin Kathryn Sue Brett Keith B Dunbar Kenneth E. Apschnikat Kent Cave Kim E. Sikoryak Kyle Joseph Hudick Larry Lee Hakel Larry N Kilborn Larry Walling Laura Rotegard Laurel Munson Boyers Lawrence A Lang Leon Lamar Folsom Jr Linda Finn Linda Jayne Alick Linda L. West Linda M. Ladd Loretta Neumann Lucy Lawliss Lynda Doucette Lynn D. Jamison Marcia Keener Maria Abonnel Maria Thompson Mark Butler Mark J. Kelleher Mary Anne Richards Mary Dorinda Partsch Mary G Martin Mary Graves Budak Mary Jones Mary Miller Chapman Matthew A. Ross Max W. Old Bear Michael Adlerstein, FAIA Michael D Watson Michael K. Johnson Michael Molling Michael Piraino Michael Rees Michael Sutton Michael Tollefson Mike Wrigley National Parks Conservation Association Neil and Chris Korsmo Nelson Siler Nicholas J Eason Norman Hellmers Pamela Underhill Patricia Ashley Patricia Bentley Patrick Reed Paul B Cole, III Paul Henderson Paul R. Anderson Paulette Mullinax Peter Baril Peter D. Rhyins Peter J. Fitzpatrick Peter K. Nigh Phil Brueck Phil Selleck Phyllis Ellin R. Kurt Rhodenbaugh Randi Smith Rebecca M. Post Rebecca Mills Richard C. Curry Richard D Falb Richard E Wells Richard Ernenwein Richard G Littlefield Richard Martin Richard Wallace Gregory Rick Jones Rick L. Mossman Rick Smith Ries Collier Robert D Dunnagan Robert G Burns Robert Joseph Abrell Robert L. Arnberger Robert P. Martin Robert Valen Roberta Barrows Roberta D'Amico Ronald G. Warfield Ronald Thoman Sam Weddle Sandi Kinzer Sanford P. Rabinowitch Sarah Peskin Scott Chapman Sharon C Miles Sharon Paris Sherry V. Justus Shirley & Robert Clark Stephen Underwood Stephen W. Hastings Steve Bruner Steve Moore Steve Pittleman Steven Harrison Steven Kesselman Sue Consolo-Murphy Sue Jennings Ted Stout Terrence D. Moore Terry Michael Di Mattio Terry Savage Lynn R. Wightman Thomas A. Cherry Thomas Griffiths Thomas L. Habecker Thomas M. Lorig Thomas P. Workman Thomas W. Sweeney Timothy J. Oliverius Todd Bolton Tom Haraden Tom Ribe Tom Vaughan Tonnie Cummings Travis Poulson Vito Spinale Walter J Chavez Wayne T. Jipsen Wendy Poinsot Wendy S Artz William F. Loftus William H. DeBerry William H. Ehorn William J Carroll William M. 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