For Immediate Release: May 2, 2025
Contact: Doug Gordon | do**@***************es.com
House Committee On Natural Resources Reconciliation Bill Will Endanger Public Lands
Coalition To Protect America’s National Parks Urges Committee To Reject Bill That Prioritizes The Interests Of Oil and Gas Industry Over the Interest Of Taxpayers
In response to bill language put out by the House Committee on Natural Resources for their portion of the reconciliation package, Emily Thompson, Executive Director of theCoalition to Protect America’s National Parks, issued the following statement:
“This bill, if passed by Congress, would endanger public lands throughout the country. It elevates the interests of the oil and gas industry over the interests of the American taxpayer by prioritizing drilling on public lands over the long-term conservation of our shared natural and cultural resource heritage.
“It reduces fees and royalties paid by the industry for the privilege of drilling on federal lands; reduces environmental review requirements and opportunities for public comment; and precludes judicial review of many of the decisions that will be made under the provisions of the bill.”
“The bill would allow agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to proceed with leasing based on grossly outdated and often inadequate land use plans. It would also eliminate meaningful environmental review and public participation out of the entire decision-making process for oil and gas development on public lands – from land use planning to leasing or permitting – potentially impacting national parks, habitat, and irreplaceable natural and cultural resources. If this bill passed, BLM would be required to lease anytime the industry nominates land and would have no discretion to defer proposed leases or add any new measures to protect water, wildlife, and irreplaceable resources.”
“Selling off our public lands is shameful and wrong. The Committee should reject this bill and work to protect and expand our public lands, not gut them.”
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The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization made up of over 4,100 members, all of whom are current, former, and retired employees or volunteers of the National Park Service (NPS). Together, they have accumulated over 50,000 years of experience caring for America’s most valuable natural and cultural resources. Our members include former NPS directors, deputy and regional directors, superintendents, park rangers (both law enforcement and interpretive), maintenance and administrative professionals, and many other dedicated career professionals.