The Department of the Interior issued a much anticipated report on the state of the federal oil & gas leasing and permitting practices on Friday, after a review of onshore and offshore oil & gas programs. Included in the report are a number of recommendations for improving antiquated policies which have previously prioritized the interests of extractive industries over those of the public.

“Western Coloradans have long felt the negative impact of the federal oil & gas leasing program on our climate and communities,” said Andreya Krieves, Western Colorado Alliance’s Board Chair. “With nearly a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions coming from fuels extracted from federal lands, Secretary Haaland and the Biden administration’s report on the leasing system demonstrates their commitment to ensuring that the backbone of the West — our iconic public lands — are responsibly managed for both current and future generations. By eliminating wasteful loopholes and finally updating decades-old policies, the administration can establish a leasing system that fulfills this commitment, generates revenue, and protects American taxpayers. We look now to Congress to make the recommendations outlined in this report a reality.”

The Department’s review of oil & gas development on public lands and waters following Executive Order 14008, and the report reflects input received by the Department from state and local officials, members of Congress, Indigenous Tribes and organizations, as well as from oil & gas industry representatives, conservation groups, labor unions, and the general public. The review also follows years of calls for modernization of the programs from the Government Accountability Office, the Department’s Office of Inspector General, and several congressional committees and members of Congress.

The report also recommends hiking federal royalty rates for oil & gas drilling, which have not been raised for a century. Western Colorado Alliance has long supported such changes to ensure taxpayers are receiving a fair return on public mineral leases.