Protecting America’s Public Lands and Waters from Drilling

Photo by Loren Blackford
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of America's last truly wild places and must be preserved. | Photo by Loren Blackford

Public lands and waters should never be threatened by oil and gas drilling. We work to protect these special places from legislative assaults and federal regulatory rollbacks that threaten to open them up to exploitation by the fossil fuel industry.

September 20, 2022

Today, the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee will hold a legislative hearing on the Public Lands and Waters Climate Leadership Act. This bill was introduced last week by Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and other members of the Committee. 

September 7, 2022

Great Falls, MT—Conservation groups and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) yesterday reached a settlement agreement that will prevent new oil and gas drilling on 58,000 acres of public lands in Montana and the Dakotas pending a new analysis of it

September 6, 2022

WASHINGTON, DC — A federal judge in Wyoming

August 11, 2022

Conservation groups and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management have finalized a legal agreement that will prevent new oil and gas leasing across 2.2 million acres of southwestern Colorado until the agency supplements its environmental analysis and releases an amended plan for lands in the area.

25 de julio de 2022

El Servicio Forestal del Departamento de Agricultura inició hoy un acto de emergencia para proteger las secoyas gigantes en un área de 13.000 acres.

July 21, 2022

Today, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources moved forward Laura Daniel-Davis’ nomination to serve as the U.S. Department of the Interior’s assistant secretary for land and minerals management. Her confirmation will now be voted on by the full Senate.

July 20, 2022

Today, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (SENR) will consider several important bills that impact public lands and waters and conservation efforts. Senior Sierra Club policy staff are available to speak about individual bills listed below.

5 de julio de 2022

En una victoria para la protección y conservación de la vida silvestre, una corte federal de distrito restauró hoy una amplia variedad de protecciones de la Ley de Especies en Peligro a cientos de especies y su hábitats.

29 de junio de 2022

Varios grupos climáticos y de conservación presentaron anoche una demanda contra la reanudación por parte de la administración Biden de los arrendamientos de explotación de petróleo y gas en terrenos públicos, los primeros desde que el Presidente suspendió dichos arrendamientos al poco de asumir su mandato.

June 29, 2022

Climate and conservation groups filed a lawsuit today challenging the Biden administration’s resumption of oil and gas leasing on public lands, the first auction since the president paused leasing shortly after taking office.