New Law Forces Quarterly Drilling Leases Across the West

A newly passed federal law is set to dramatically expand oil and gas industry access to more than 200 million acres of public land. The law mandates lease sales every three months across nine Western states, plus additional sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Western Arctic over the next decade, while stripping federal land managers of the ability to deny leases even where there are clear conflicts with wildlife, recreation, or cultural sites. In practice, this means drilling could move forward near a favorite hiking trail, fishing spot, or national park — with little the BLM can do to stop it.