Biden administration is resuming oil and gas leases on federal lands

The Department of Interior will resume the sale of oil and gas leases on federal land beginning last week, on Friday.

On Monday, the Bureau of Land Management will begin issuing final environmental assessments and sale notifications for prospective oil and gas projects.

It will be offering for lease “about 173 parcels on roughly 144,000 acres, an 80% reduction from the land originally nominated,” according to the BLM.

The action comes as President Biden grapples with rising gasoline prices and skyrocketing inflation, both of which have the potential to be politically disastrous.

During the campaign, Biden stated that he wants to put an end to such leases and impose a moratorium on them on the first day of his presidency.

The administration made a point of emphasizing that it was attempting to restore drilling in a responsible manner.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement, “How we manage our public lands and waters says everything about what we value as a nation.”

Further, he added, “For too long, the federal oil and gas leasing programs have prioritized the wants of extractive industries above local communities, the natural environment, the impact on our air and water, the needs of Tribal Nations, and, moreover, other uses of our shared public lands.”

The Bureau of Land Management “evaluated potentially accessible and qualifying land” in Alabama, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming, according to the government.

Biden signed an executive order suspending new oil and gas leases on public lands and offshore waters for drilling and fracking during his first week in office.

The American Petroleum Institute expressed its concern, “U.S. energy resources are the envy of the world and a long-term strategic asset that strengthens our national security and fuels our economy.”

Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president of policy, economics, and regulatory affairs for API, said, “We are pleased to see the Interior Department finally announce a restart to the long-delayed onshore leasing program required under the law, but we are concerned that this action adds new barriers to increasing energy production, including removing some of the most significant parcels.”

He added. “We look forward to seeing the additional details of the leasing proposal.