DENVER – The National Wildlife Federation welcomed the End Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing Act, sponsored by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Representative Susie Lee (D-Nev.), which will stop oil and gas speculators from leasing public lands that have little or no potential for energy development but have big potential for wildlife habitat conservation.

“This is common sense legislation is long overdue. For too long, energy speculators have taken advantage of an outdated leasing system that allowed them to scoop up leases for ridiculously low prices on land with virtually no potential to produce oil and gas,” said Bailey Brennan, public lands attorney at the National Wildlife Federation. “Speculative leasing on low potential lands wastes government time and money that could be better spent on managing our public lands for other purposes, including conservation and recreation. We applaud Senator Cortez Masto and Representative Lee for protecting the public interest on our public lands.”

“There is no reason why oil and gas companies should dictate how our public lands are managed, especially when those lands have no potential for oil and gas development,” said Russell Kuhlman, executive director of the Nevada Wildlife Federation. “This bill is a long overdue fix that would put an end to the harmful practice of speculative leasing and modernize our leasing system so that it works once again for the communities and wildlife who depend on our nation’s public lands.” 

“Speculative leasing is a destructive practice that allows oil and gas companies to tie up public lands with little to no potential for development in long-term leases. Speculative leasing not only wastes important government resources, but it also hinders public access to the great outdoors, threatens cultural landmarks, and puts critical wildlife habitats in harm's way," said Camilla Simon, executive director of Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting and the Outdoors (HECHO). “This bill will finally put an end to speculative leasing and put public lands back into the hands of the people.”

Millions of acres of public land are leased each year that have almost no potential for energy development.  Sometimes those leases are sold for as little as $1.50 an acre. Local communities depend on the balanced, multiple use of public lands for hunting, fishing, camping and many other outdoor recreation opportunities. Passage of this bill would allow the Bureau of Land Management to manage public lands for all Americans and not just the oil and gas industry.

Last year the National Wildlife Federation released a report showing that between 2012 and 2020, the Bureau of Land Management leased five million acres that had little potential for oil and gas development but that overlapped valuable fish and wildlife habitat.