Release Date: 11/30/21
Contact: Emily Thompson; Em************@pr********.org
Coalition Comments on Oil and Gas Leasing Report
Late last week, The Department of the Interior (DOI) released its report on the Federal Oil and Gas Leasing Program, following a review of onshore and offshore oil and gas programs. The report identifies significant reforms that should be made to restore balance to the programs.
Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, released the following statement:
“The Interior Department’s fossil fuels leasing programs have been the subject of considerable concern. As we’ve seen all across the country, from Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico to Dinosaur National Park in Colorado and Utah, oil and gas leases offered on the doorstep of our country’s beloved national parks threaten wildlife, destroy habitat, compromise air quality, and ruin the dark skies that so many visitors seek to find.
The current federal oil and gas leasing program is a broken and outdated system that requires reform. This report is a step in the right direction, and we support the recommendations to adjust royalty and bonding rates, avoid leasing in areas with low development potential, and prioritize the protection of natural and cultural resources, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation.
We urge Congress to implement these reforms in the Build Back Better Act and place conservation, environmental protections, national parks and public lands, and the interests of the American people above that of the oil and gas industries.”