The Bureau of Land Management’s finalized rule to reform oil and gas leasing is good news for wildlife, hunters and anglers, and taxpayers. The rule will ensure oil and gas companies pay for the clean-up of toxic spills and abandoned wells by implementing fairer bonding rates. The rule also reinforces congressional reforms that ended the practice of noncompetitive leasing and raised the rates companies are charged for leasing public lands.

“This is a win for wildlife and hunters and anglers. Increased bonding rates ensure that industry — and not taxpayers — pay for the cleanup of the toxic messes left behind after drilling. This ensures that habitat that has been destroyed or degraded can be restored and available to wildlife in the future. The rule also prioritizes oil and gas leasing in areas with high potential for development while ending the practice of noncompetitive leasing that previously allowed drilling on public lands for as little as $1.50 an acre,” said Aaron Kindle, director of sporting advocacy for the National Wildlife Federation. “These reforms have been needed for quite some time and finally position the BLM to better manage our public lands so they can continue to offer vital habitat for wildlife, plentiful sporting opportunities, and  support for rural economies.”