WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) — The U.S. government said it was revising how it plans for oil and gas drilling, and other resource activity so some of the focus was put at the front-end.
The Bureau of Land Management published an updated rule on how it plans activities on public lands. The BLM manages 10 percent of the land and 30 percent of the subsurface minerals in the country.
The agency said it was shifting more of the focus to the front-end of the planning stages so that interested parties could add their voice to the debate early on. The BLM said it takes about 8 years on average to finish a land use plan.
“Too often, by the time we’ve completed a plan, community priorities have evolved and conditions on the ground have changed as well,” BLM Director Neil Kornze said in a statement. “This update to our planning rule allows for a more streamlined process that also increases collaboration and transparency.”
Energy-focused lawmakers and industry groups have expressed concern about federal overreach in land planning. The shale-rich state of North Dakota has stated its frustration with BLM actions, suing the government over regulations for hydraulic fracturing on federal and American Indian lands.
Erik Milito, a director of industry operations for American Petroleum Institute, said it was the federal government that continued to stand in the way of resource development.
“The Bureau of Land Management’s final rule will increase regulatory uncertainty and risk further delays in the land use planning process,” he said.
A June report from the Congressional Research Service found oil and production from federal lands, notably offshore areas, is likely to remain higher than previous decades. The report said simply opening up more areas may not result in the gains the industry narrative perpetuates. The CRS said much of the gains in U.S. production have come from more accessible non-federal lands that are more promising and have a higher rate of return.
For those in the conservation arena, the BLM measures don’t go far enough.
“We remain concerned about the lack of provisions to support imperiled species conservation and climate change adaptation on public land,” Mark Salvo, vice president of landscape conservation for Defenders of Wildlife, said in an emailed statement.