June 28, 2025
| The Honorable John Thune Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 |
The Honorable Chuck Schumer Democratic Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 |
Re: Oppose Oil and Gas Provisions in Budget Reconciliation
Dear Leader Thune, Leader Schumer, and Members of the Senate,
Our nation’s public lands are irreplaceable. They provide essential habitat, cultural heritage, and invaluable opportunities for conservation, recreation, and research. Yet for decades, unchecked oil and gas development on public lands has occurred at the expense of taxpayers, ecosystems, wildlife, and public health. Now, Congress is trying to advance one of the worst environmental bills in history to tip the scales further in favor of oil and gas development. The Senate Amendment to H.R. 1 doubles down on de facto subsidies and measures that silence the American public about the management of our shared lands and resources. We urge all Senators to vote no on passage.
The harmful language in Section 50101 of this legislation elevates oil and gas leasing above all other land uses, despite 81 percent of Bureau of Land Management (BLM)-administered lands in the West already being open to oil and gas leasing. As organizations committed to protecting America’s public lands, we urge you in the strongest possible terms to oppose these provisions, which include:
● Granting oil and gas companies unrestricted access to over 200 million acres of public land—and millions more of private land with federal minerals—while eliminating the $5-per-acre nomination fee;
● Requiring mandatory quarterly lease sales in nine states: Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Nevada, and Alaska;
● Mandating that 50% of all nominated lands be offered at the next lease sale, and that all nominated parcels be offered within 18 months—regardless of public objections or conflicts with wildlife or cultural resources;
● Slashing the royalty rate to 12.5%, well below what states charge—New Mexico and Texas, for example, collect double that amount on state lands;
● Reinstating noncompetitive leasing, allowing companies to acquire public lands for as little as $1.50 per acre.This legislation would transfer decision-making over public lands to the oil and gas industry, prioritizing corporate profits over local communities, taxpayers, and the environment. Americans want a balanced approach to energy development—one that protects outdoor recreation, wildlife, clean air and water, and the health of local economies.
The Inflation Reduction Act and BLM Oil and Gas Rule reforms modernized the antiquated federal oil and gas program and implemented Government Accountability Office recommendations, giving taxpayers a fair return for the extraction of our public resources, protecting wildlife and cultural resources, and ensuring that oil and gas companies pay for cleaning up their toxic messes. Repealing these critical reforms – which have the overwhelming support of Republicans, Independents, and Democrats from the states where most oil and gas leasing occurs – would hurt American taxpayers.
Research has shown that communities across the West have lost out on billions of dollars due to previously low fiscal rates and minimums. This legislation would reduce the revenue returned to local and state governments for essential services, while giving the fossil fuel industry free rein to lock up vast areas of land via speculative plays — even when there are few or no known oil or gas reserves.
Congress should not advance policies that remove all forms of checks and balances for one of the wealthiest industries when federal onshore oil and gas production and profits are consistently breaking records.
We strongly urge you to reject these shortsighted oil and gas provisions that will fail to deliver meaningful revenue and will cheat taxpayers out of billions. Please oppose this bill and stand with communities across the country who deserve public processes regarding the management of our national public lands and a fair return on energy development.
Sincerely,
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Natural Resources Defense Council Nevada Wildlife FederationNext 100 Coalition Northern Plains Resource Council Northwest Colorado Great Old Broads for Wilderness Ocean Conservation Research Plastic Pollution Coalition Powder River Basin Resource Council Rocky Mountain Wild Sierra Club Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Turtle Island Restoration Network Waterkeeper Alliance Western Colorado Alliance Western Organization of Resource Councils Western Slope Conservation Center Wild Montana The Wilderness Society Wilderness Workshop Wildlife for All Wyoming Outdoor Council |