An oil derrick in Nevada's Railroad Valley. One of the few operating wells in Nevada.
By Christian Gerlach, Our Wild America Organizer
Join us on the evening of January 18th at 6pm to discuss the recent oil and gas report from the Department of Interior (DOI) , the first federal oil and gas lease sale of 2022 , and learn about what you can do to help protect Nevada’s Public Lands!
DOI finally released its long-awaited report based on its review of the oil and gas leasing program. It was released on the Friday after Thanksgiving to little coverage from the media. The document assesses the environmental, health and economic impacts of federal oil and gas leasing programs on public lands and offshore waters. It calls for reforms that will provide a fairer return to taxpayers, hold industry accountable for cleanup, and include more input from Tribal, state, and local governments.
The Sierra Club is encouraged by DOI’s recommendations to take overdue steps that would limit the impact of oil and gas leasing on federal lands. But with dangerous heat waves, unprecedented wildfires, and our worst drought in state history, we need urgent action to phase out all fossil fuel extraction on public lands and waters. Fossil fuel extraction on public lands and offshore contribute to nearly a quarter of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions, at a time science calls for at least reducing emissions by half to combat the worst of the climate crisis so action on this front is critical.
Only 9 percent of the 2.6 million acres of federal lands in Nevada offered for oil and gas leasing by the last administration sold competitively, nearly three-quarters of which received only the minimum bid: a measly $2 per acre. Yet, the Biden administration is moving forward with a lease sale in Nevada with 10 parcels in RailRoad Valley offering a little over 10,000 acres of public lands. The lands being offered include prime wildlife habitat for pronghorn, other big game, and local habitat unique to several endangered and threatened aquatic species, such as the RailRoad Valley Springfish. With more than 97 percent of the 872,000 acres in authorized leases in Nevada laying idle, it makes no sense to continue auctioning off more leases to big oil.
Meanwhile, Congress has been advancing legislation - sponsored and cosponsored by many several members of Nevada’s congressional delegation - mirroring much of the DOI’s recommendations. have been recently mirroried in. Specifically: Nevada Senator Cortez-Masto and Congresswoman Susie Lee introduced legislation aimed at ending new leasing on public lands with little to no oil and gas potential. Senator Rosen also introduced legislation aimed at federal oil and gas reform that would update the nation’s outdated public lands royalty system and ensure that taxpayers get fair returns on leases of public lands for oil and gas production. She is also a cosponsor of a bill that would end non-competitive leasing.
There is a lot to celebrate but there is also a lot of work to be done. That is why we invite you to join our meeting on January 18th at 6pm to discuss the recent Department of Interior Report, the first quarter oil and gas lease sale, and what you can do to help protect Nevada’s Public Lands.