LETTER: Bill in Congress would limit oil and gas leasing on Nevada public lands

As a lifelong angler and hunter, I judge that nationalist lands are meant to beryllium utilized for galore antithetic purposes — sporting, recreation and earthy assets acquisition, among others. For acold excessively long, leasing for lipid and state extraction has not been balanced with our nationalist lands’ galore different uses.

Fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation are much important present than ever for economical development, generating $5.5 cardinal successful gross according to the latest study from the Outdoor Industry Association. They are besides wherever galore crook to for intelligence and carnal health, particularly now. But with antiquated leasing laws that let lipid and state leases to beryllium sold for arsenic small arsenic $1.50 an acre, nationalist onshore managers walk excessively overmuch clip dealing with frivolous speculative leases, diverting them from managing our nationalist lands for different priorities. These debased prices promote speculation, leaving these lands tied up successful the leasing strategy alternatively of being managed for food and wildlife conservation.

Recently, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee connected Public Lands, Forests and Mining heard Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s End Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2021. This measure discourages speculative leasing successful an effort to beforehand enhanced multiple-use absorption of our nationalist lands. It besides requires the Bureau of Land Management to update onshore improvement imaginable to pass much businesslike and dependable nationalist onshore management, which volition undoubtedly payment each nationalist onshore users and amended support food and wildlife habitat.

I promote immoderate nationalist onshore idiosyncratic to impulse your legislature typical to walk this common-sense reform.