Environmental groups told the Bureau of Land Management in a letter this week that Congress’ new interpretation of land-use plans has “raised serious questions” about more than 5,000 oil and gas leases.
The Wilderness Society and five other groups said the leases may violate federal management law, and they’ve asked BLM to halt all oil and gas leasing on federal lands while the matter is sorted out.
“BLM should pause all further leasing and permitting until it takes affirmative steps to ensure compliance with the law and remedy this grave legal uncertainty,” green leaders said in the letter to the BLM acting Director Bill Groffy.
The letter was signed by Alison Flint, senior legal director at The Wilderness Society, as well as officials with the Conservation Lands Foundation, the Western Environmental Law Center, Advocates for the West, Wild Montana and Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
