04.30.21

Hoeven Outlines Impact of Administration's Oil & Gas Moratorium to BLM Deputy Director

Senator Stresses Loss of Good-Paying Jobs, Revenues to State, Local & Tribal Governments, Impact on State & Private Mineral Owners

WASHINGTON – At a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this week, Senator John Hoeven outlined to Nada Culver, Deputy Director of Policy and Programs at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the impact of the Biden administration’s oil and gas leasing moratorium on the country’s economic and national security, as well as revenues for federal, state, local and tribal governments. 

“Locking away taxpayer-owned energy reserves costs our nation good-paying jobs and limits the ability of states, counties and tribes to invest in important priorities, including infrastructure, education, health care and others,” said Hoeven. “Moreover, due to the mixing of federal, state and private mineral interests in states like North Dakota, this moratorium prevents individuals and states from developing the minerals they own, even when there is no federal surface acres present. This infringes on personal property rights, expands the economic harm of the administration’s energy agenda beyond federal land and increases our dependence on Russia, Saudi Arabia and other nations with lower environmental standards. We should instead be developing these resources here at home, using the latest and greatest technology to do it with better environmental stewardship and fewer emissions.” 

This week’s hearing comes as the latest in Hoeven’s efforts to ensure access to federal lands for multiple use, including for energy and infrastructure development. To this end, Hoeven has repeatedly raised this issue with Biden administration officials, including Interior Secretary Debra Haaland and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. The senator’s efforts also include:

  • Working to maintain the operation of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).
    • Hoeven recently hand-delivered to President Biden letters from Three Affiliated Tribes Chairman Mark Fox and North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, emphasizing the need to keep DAPL operational while the Army Corps of Engineers completes its court-ordered review.
    • The senator has also repeatedly spoken with Army Corps Chief LTG Scott Spellmon to help ensure the federal court allows adequate time for tribal and state consultation and to help prevent a shutdown of DAPL.
  • Pressing the Interior Secretary for answers on the administration’s oil and gas moratorium and questioned limitations placed on public participation in a recent virtual forum on the matter.
    • Hoeven also helped introduce legislation to prohibit the administration from issuing moratoria on leasing and permitting for energy and mineral resources on federal lands.
  • Introducing his BLM Mineral Spacing Act in the 116th Congress. The senator’s bill would waive the requirement for a federal permit when less than 50 percent of subsurface minerals are owned or held in trust by the federal government and there is no federal surface land. 
  • Helping introduce legislation, along with Senator Cramer and Congressman Armstrong, to authorize the continued construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline following President Biden’s decision to revoke the cross-border operation permit.

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