DOI – Environmental and Energy Law Program

Latest

Regulatory Tracker

Federal Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program

The Department of the Interior proposed a new 5-year program for offshore oil and gas lease sales that will cover 1.3 billion acres. The administration also rolled out a schedule for additional offshore oil and gas lease sales to implement provisions in the OBBBA.

April 3, 2026

Regulatory Tracker

Endangered Species Act Regulations

Trump administration issued its first proposed rollback to ESA and issued a rare exemption in the Gulf of Mexico that faces litigation.

March 31, 2026

Regulatory Tracker

Federal Onshore Extractive Energy Leasing

President Trump directed agencies to review and remove regulations that the administration believes burden domestic energy production. BLM has begun the process of offering expanded areas for leasing and expedited lease reviews.

March 31, 2026

Regulatory Tracker

Deep Sea Mining

Following the April 2025 executive order Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have taken steps to facilitate commercial deep sea critical minerals mining.

March 18, 2026

Regulatory Tracker

Oil and Gas Development in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve

The Bureau of Land Management replaced the 2024 rule regulating management of the NPR-A with the prior rule, promulgated in 1977, and approved a new Integrated Activity Plan, reopening almost 82% of the reserve to oil and gas leasing.

March 18, 2026

Federal Environmental Justice Tracker

Agencies Significantly Narrowed NEPA Requirements, Changes Effective Immediately

February 24, 2026

Regulatory Tracker

NEPA — Department of the Interior

DOI last updated its NEPA rules in 2008. In April, DOI released “alternative arrangements for NEPA compliance,” outlining a novel process for certain energy projects to circumvent existing environmental review procedures.

February 24, 2026

Regulatory Tracker

BLM Methane Waste Prevention Rule

In 2024, BLM released a final rule to reduce the waste of natural gas from oil and gas operations on federal and Tribal land. In Nov. 2025, BLM announced it will delay enforcement of portions of the rule that had been scheduled to take effect Dec. 2025. Other portions of the rule remain in effect and BLM is considering revisions.

February 23, 2026

Federal Environmental Justice Tracker

OSMRE Finalized Rule Reverting Ten-Day Notice Process to 2020 Framework

February 19, 2026