Tuesday was a significant day for energy development on Forest Service lands in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service finalized revisions to its regulation governing federal oil and gas resources on National Forest System lands. “We are replacing the Biden administration’s bureaucratic delays with American innovation and efficiency,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum during Tuesday’s announcement. “These new rules provide the certainty needed to boost production, slash energy costs, and guarantee our global leadership. By streamlining permitting and cutting bureaucracy, we are lowering costs for families, creating jobs, and securing our nation all while protecting our public lands.” Tuesday’s announcement states that the final rule, now published in the Federal Register, updates and simplifies federal oil and gas leasing procedures, allowing the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to seamlessly coordinate when issuing permits. There are currently 5,154 Federal oil and gas leases covering about 3.8 million acres or about 2 percent of National Forest System lands. Approximately 2,850 of these leases, covering 1.8 million acres across 39 national forests and grasslands, have producing Federal oil or gas wells; however, the footprint of actual operations comprises less than 10 percent of that area. Operating on these leases are 2,901 wells, which in 2022 produced over 48 million barrels of oils which was 1.1 percent of the Nation’s total. It also produced over 167 billion cubic feet of natural gas which is 0.4 percent of the Nation’s total. The production was valued at over $4.5 billion and returned approximately $565 million in royalties to the U.S. Treasury. “It is in the national interest to promote clean and safe development of our Nation’s vast energy resources while preserving the surface resources of national forests and grasslands,” shares Tuesday’s announcement. “To that end, the Forest Service seeks to facilitate the orderly development of Federal oil and gas resources in an environmentally sound manner.” For the entire announcement, visit www.fs.usda.gov.
