The Home Office announced on Friday that it would resume the sale of oil and gas leases on federal land from next week. OIL EXECUTIVE IS AMAZED BY DEMOCRATS “GAME OF RESPONSIBILITY” AT GAS PRICES: THIS IS “WHAT THEY REQUESTED” The Land Management Bureau will begin issuing final environmental assessments and sale notices Monday for future oil and gas projects and will offer for lease “about 173 acres of approximately 144,000 acres, an 80% reduction from the original area,” BLM said. A pump from Wintershall DEA extracts crude oil in an old oil field. (AP Photo / Martin Meissner) The move comes as President Biden faces rising gasoline prices and rising inflation, each of which could prove politically disastrous. Biden had said during the campaign that he wanted to end such leases and moratorium them on the first day of his presidency. The administration tried to emphasize that it was trying to reopen the drilling responsibly. “How we manage our public lands and waters says it all about what we value as a nation,” Home Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “For too long, federal oil and gas leasing programs have prioritized the needs of the extractive industries over local communities, the natural environment, the impact on our air and water, the needs of tribal nations and, in addition, other uses of our common public land “. Home Secretary Deb Haland speaks during a White House press conference in Washington. On Tuesday 22 June 2021. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci) The department said the Office of Land Management “assessed potentially available and eligible land” in Alabama, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. During his first week in power, Biden signed executive decree to temporarily suspend new oil and gas leases on public land and offshore water for drilling and franking. President Biden speaks at the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo / Patrick Semansky) In a statement to Fox News about the decision, the American Petroleum Institute expressed concern that the move would add “new obstacles to increasing energy production.” “US energy resources are the envy of the world and a long-term strategic asset that strengthens our national security and fuels our economy,” said Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president of political, economic and regulatory affairs for the API. “We are pleased to see the Home Office finally announce the resumption of the overdue land lease program required by law, but we are concerned that this action adds new obstacles to increasing energy production, including the removal of some of the most important . “ CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION “In an age of high energy costs, these changes to long-term fair and reasonable lease terms could further discourage investment in oil and gas on federal land,” Macchiarola added. “We look forward to seeing the additional details of the lease proposal.” Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and Tyler Kendall contributed to this report.
