Public Lands and Wild Places

Public lands are being leased for oil and gas development at an ever-increasing pace.  The development of oil and gas creates a spider-web of effects across the landscape:  roads and pipelines create habitat fragmentation; waste pits threaten the health of migratory birds, wildlife and livestock; air pollution from compressors, pumps, and other oilfield equipment diminishes the quality of air; and water is threatened by a number of oil and gas development practices.

• FEDERAL SPLIT ESTATE ISSUES:  Three hundred million acres of subsurface federal minerals are located throughout the United States.  Approximately, 58 million acres of privately owned land overlie these minerals mostly in states west of the Mississippi River.  During the fall of 2007, the federal government will be considering propsals for a federal surface owner protection act.  

• Federal Surface Owner Protecion Act-Title VII of H.R. 3221, "The New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act," includes section 7221 which covers surface owner protections when federal mineral and private land are involved.  The issues being discussed in Congress now include requirements that developers consult with landowners about the placement of roads, pipelines, power lines and noisy compressor stations, or about the disposal of millions of gallons of wastewater.  The current rules on these issues are very weak.  Section 7221 also requires that surface owners be notified in advance of lease sales and informed of activity on leases once they are issued and provides surface owners with an opportunity to comment on plans of operations, participate in bond level determinations and bond release proceedings, and request and participate in on-site inspections.  Similar provisions have been passed by the states of Colorado and New Mexico, and are in place for federal coal and hard rock minerals.  

OGAP works with many citizens and organizations on issues affecting both public and private lands. 

• Coalition for Valle Vidal (New Mexico).  Catch up on news about the Valle Vidal.
• Beartooth Front (Wyoming/Montana).  Read comments on the Beartooth Front Seismic EA (Clark Resource Council and others; Greater Yellowstone Coalition and others).
• Coalition for Otero Mesa (New Mexico)
• Save the HD Mountains (Colorado)

OGAP resources on public lands issues

• LEASE SALE MAPS (prepared by Earthjustice) and general information on federal oil and gas leasing

• Preserving Our Public Lands: A citizen's guide to understanding and participating in oil and gas decisions affecting our public lands

For More Information

Other resources related to oil and gas development on public lands:

• Oil and Gas Accountability Project (Sumi, L). 2004. Oil and Gas at Your Door?  A Landowner's Guide to Oil and Gas. Chapter 2.  Legal and Regulatory Issues.  This chapter provides information on the regulations governing the development of oil and gas on private and public lands. The entire landowner guide is available to be downloaded.
• Morton, P., Weller, C., Thomson, J., Haefele, M. and Culver, N. 2002. Coalbed methane and public wildlands: how much and at what cost?
• Environmental Working Group.  Who Owns the West?  Oil and Gas Leases web site.  This site contains an investigative report on the leasing of federal minerals; interactive maps; state reports; and information on where the leasing has occurred and who owns the leases.
• Links to other organizations that are working to protect public lands from the effects of oil and gas development.