Rep. Susie Lee Introduces Bill to Protect Nevada’s Public Lands from Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing

RENO -- The Nevada Wildlife Federation looks forward to working with Rep. Susie Lee to reform the current oil and gas leasing process on our public lands. The outdated federal onshore oil and gas leasing system lets oil and gas companies pursue speculative leasing on public lands that don’t have any actual development potential. This misguided approach, which even industry insiders agree is wasteful, is harming western communities that depend on public lands for other activities, including hunting and fishing, tourism, outdoor recreation, and clean energy development, and wasting taxpayer dollars and scarce government resources.

“There is no logic in leasing public lands with little to no potential for development to speculators for drilling, especially when those lands are home to wildlife habitat and help support outdoor recreation like hunting,” said Russell Kuhlman, Executive Director, Nevada Wildlife Federation. “I applaud Congresswoman Susie Lee’s efforts to put an end to this wasteful practice. Coupled with its companion in the Senate, this bill is just one way to ensure that the federal oil and gas leasing system works better for public lands, wildlife, hunters, and our communities. I encourage her and her colleagues in Congress to continue to work with the Biden administration, as they review the federal oil and gas leasing system, on efforts to advance these important reforms.”

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The Nevada Wildlife Federation is a 501(c)3 and is the oldest statewide conservation organization dedicated to sustaining Nevada’s natural resources for wildlife through conservation, preservation, and education.