Please join us in thanking Senator John Hickenlooper! Here’s why: Our nation’s public lands, clean air, and clean water support local economies, outdoor recreation, and precious wildlife habitat. Yet, this outdoor legacy is put at risk by a decades-old backdoor practice known as noncompetitive leasing, which allows speculators to scoop up lands in backroom deals for just $1.50/acre, and hold onto those leases for up to ten years, even if they never go into production. This widespread practice encourages speculation and diverts resources away from other uses for our public lands, like outdoor recreation. Noncompetitive leasing is a prime example of government inefficiency that wastes time and taxpayer resources — that could go towards important projects like improving wildlife habitat or trail maintenance, instead of a confusing process that doesn’t benefit the American public or our public lands.

Yesterday, Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) introduced — with Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) as cosponsors — the Competitive Onshore Mineral Policy via Eliminating Taxpayer-Enabled Speculation (COMPETES) Act, a commonsense, good-government bill that will end this harmful and wasteful practice, creating a more streamlined, efficient leasing system by requiring all oil & gas lease sales on public lands to be issued through a fair competitive process, instead of through the backdoor.  

Now, as we act to turn this bill into law, let’s take this opportunity to let Sen. Hickenlooper know that we appreciate his efforts to protect our public lands from speculative investors, and tell him that we support legislation that will put people before profits. Click the button below to thank Senator Hickenlooper today!