Federal Onshore Extractive Energy Leasing

May 8, 2025 The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced a policy designed to expedite the oil and gas leasing process on public lands. The memorandum explained that BLM will complete parcel review and offer parcels in an oil and gas lease sale within a six-month timeframe from the start of scoping until the lease. In its policy update, BLM explained that parcel reviews and NEPA reviews will be conducted simultaneously, which marks a departure from the practice of NEPA review following the parcel review.

April 10, 2025 DOI announced that it would not require the BLM to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for 3,224 oil and gas leases sold in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. At the end of the Biden administration, BLM issued a notice indicating that intended to prepare an EIS to provide an analysis of the potential environmental impacts from these leases. The Biden administration’s decision to review the environmental analyses responded, in part, to various challenges made to the BLM’s leasing decisions. WildEarth Guardians v. BLM, No. 19-cv-00505 (D.N.M), No. 20-2146 (10th Cir.); WildEarth Guardians v. Bernhardt, No. 16-cv-01724 (D.D.C.); WildEarth Guardians v. Bernhardt, No. 20-cv-00056 (D.D.C.); WildEarth Guardians v. Bernhardt, No. 21-cv-00175 (D.D.C); WildEarth Guardians v. Bernhardt, No. 21-cv-00004 (D. Mont). The Trump administration remains bound by National Environmental Policy Act requirements.

April 8, 2025 President Trump issued an executive order, Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 14241, declaring coal production “a national priority” and directing various agencies to study barriers to coal production.

April 1, 2025 The DOI and the BLM issued a request for comment on a draft environmental assessment for a proposed emergency lease for coal mining. The lease would open up approximately 1,350 acres of federal land in North Dakota with about 24 million tons of coal. 90 FR 14454.

April 2025 Federal district courts extended the stay on litigation challenging BLM’s Conservation and Landscape Health Rule for 60 days. State of Utah et al. v. Haaland et al., No. 2:24-cv-00438 (D. Utah); State of North Dakota et al. v. DOI et al., No. 1:24-cv-00124 (D.N.D.); State of Alaska v. DOI et al., No. 3:24-cv-00161 (D. Ala.); American Farm Bureau Federation et al v. DOI et al., No. 2:24-cv-00665 (D. Utah).

March 27, 2025 DOI announced that it generated over $39 million from oil and gas lease sales in the first quarter of 2025.

March 13, 2025 DOI announced that it had approved a 16-year extension of Spring Creek Mine’s operations, enabling the production of about 40 million additional tons of coal.

March 6, 2025 The Wyoming federal district court granted the government’s motion to hold the litigation challenging the Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process Rule in abeyance as the Rule could be amended or rescinded by the Trump administration. The court’s order directed DOI to file a status report on May 1, 2025, and every 60 days thereafter. Western Energy Alliance et al. v. DOI et al., No. 2:24-cv-00100 (D. Wyo.).

Feb. 20, 2025 The federal government filed a motion to hold litigation challenging the Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process Rule in abeyance. On Feb. 25, conservation groups submitted their opposition to the federal respondents’ motion. Western Energy Alliance et al. v. DOI et al., No. 2:24-cv-00100 (D. Wyo.).

Feb. 4, 2025 Plaintiff organizations challenged BLM’s approval of 29 new drilling permits for oil and gas wells on public lands in the San Joaquin Valley. The plaintiffs allege that BLM approved permits without analyzing the cumulative pollution impacts of the wells and despite an ongoing challenge to BLM’s drilling permit review process. Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management, No. 1:25-cv-00140 (E.D. Cal.); Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management, No. 1:23-cv-00938 (E.D. Cal).

Feb. 2, 2025 Environmental organizations challenged actions taken by FWS and National Marine Fisheries Service in reviewing and approving a large open-pit gold mine on federal public lands. Plaintiffs brought claims under FLPMA, NEPA, APA, and other statutes. Save the South Fork Salmon v. U.S. Forest Service, No. 1:25-cv-00086 (D. Idaho).

Feb. 2025 Federal district courts granted several unopposed federal government motions to stay litigation challenging BLM’s Conservation and Landscape Health Rule in a number of cases. The federal government requested to stay the proceedings for sixty days to allow new administration officials to evaluate the litigation and determine how they wish to proceed. State of Utah et al. v. Haaland et al., No. 2:24-cv-00438 (D. Utah); State of North Dakota et al. v. DOI et al., No. 1:24-cv-00124 (D.N.D.); State of Alaska v. DOI et al., No. 3:24-cv-00161 (D. Ala.). 

Feb. 3, 2025 Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued Secretary’s Order No. 3418, directing DOI to take steps to suspend, revise, or rescind a number of regulations, including the Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process Rule, Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, and the Management and Protection of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Rule. Secretary Burgum also directed DOI to take actions that would offer more parcels of public land for oil and gas leasing.

Feb. 1, 2025 BLM issued leases for 17 oil and gas parcels totaling 6,259 acres in New Mexico. The land is around New Mexico’s Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The leases were sold at auction in 2019.

Jan. 22, 2025 BLM held an oil and gas lease sale covering 1,324 acres in Montana and North Dakota. The agency received 255 bids for the 13 parcels, and the sale brought in over $11 million.

Jan. 20, 2025 President Trump issued EO 14154, titled “Unleashing American Energy,” which directed executive agencies to review and remove regulations that the administration believes are burdening domestic energy production.

Jan. 17, 2025 The Navajo Nation filed a complaint challenging a 2023 BLM Order that withdrew certain land around the Chaco Culture National Historical Park from new oil and gas leasing. The Navajo Nation v. United States et al., No. 1:25-cv-00055 (D.N.M.).

Dec. 11, 2024 Wyoming and Montana filed a complaint challenging the BLM’s 2024 decision ending new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin. State of Wyoming et al v. DOI et al., No. 1:24-cv-00257 (D. Wyo.). Similar challenges to the BLM’s decision were also filed in separate cases. Navajo Transitional Energy Company et al. v. DOI et al., No. 1:24-cv-00265 (D. Wyo.); Westmoreland Mining Holdings LLC et al v. DOI et al., No. 2:25-cv-00033 (D. Wyo.).

June 18, 2024 Various industry groups and states filed complaints in federal district courts various districts, challenging BLM’s Conservation and Landscape Health Rule. The plaintiffs allege that in promulgating the rule, BLM violated NEPA, the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act, and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. They also maintain that the rule unlawfully changed Congress’ goals for public lands management as mandated by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). State of Utah et al v. Haaland et al., No. 2:24-cv-00438 (D. Utah); American Farm Bureau Federation et al. v. DOI, No. 2:24-cv-00136 (D. Utah); State of North Dakota et al v. DOI et al., No. 1:24-cv-00124 (D.N.D.); State of Alaska v. DOI et al., No. 3:24-cv-00161 (D. Alaska).

May 15, 2024 Industry groups filed a petition in the District of Wyoming arguing that the Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process Rule is “procedurally deficient, arbitrary and capricious, and contrary to law” and asking the court to vacate the rule. Western Energy Alliance et al. v. DOI et al., No. 2:24-cv-00100 (D. Wyo.).

May 9, 2024 BLM finalized the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, which the agency says will “advance [the agency’s] multiple use and sustained yield mission by prioritizing the health and resilience of ecosystems across public lands.”

May 7, 2024 The DOI issued a final rule governing the management and protection of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). The rule limits oil and gas leasing and industrial development in areas known for their wildlife habitats, sets out guidelines for development in covered areas that better protect subsistence resources, and requires BLM to consider Indigenous Knowledge when evaluating resources for designation.

April 12, 2024 BLM finalized the Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process Rule. The final rule implements leasing provisions of the IRA by increasing royalty rates, rentals, and minimum bids and updating that agency’s interpretation of its multiple-use mandate. For background on the IRA’s onshore leasing provisions, see Potential Impacts of the IRA’s Leasing Provisions by Sarah Hart (JD ‘24). 

July 24, 2023 BLM proposed the Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process Rule, which would revise the federal onshore oil and gas leasing royalty rates, rentals, minimum bids, and bonding requirements. The agency wrote that these proposed updates reflect the IRA’s leasing provisions and BLM’s multiple-use and sustained-yield mandate. For more on the IRA’s onshore leasing provisions, see Sarah Hart’s paper. 

April 3, 2023 BLM proposed the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule that would establish a new framework for BLM’s “multiple use and sustained yield” mission. The proposal clarifies that conservation is a use of federal land “on par with” mineral extraction and other uses. 

Nov. 21, 2022 BLM issued updated guidance on implementing the IRA’s changes to the onshore oil and gas leasing program.

Oct. 6, 2022 BLM announced it will hold onshore oil and gas lease sales in accordance with the IRA. 

Aug. 17-18 2022  The 5th Circuit vacated the preliminary injunction that blocked the Biden administration’s pause on new oil and gas leases and remands the case for additional proceedings. Louisiana v. Biden, No. 21-30505 (5th Cir.). Next day, the Western District of Louisiana issued a permanent injunction blocking President Biden’s pause on new oil and gas leases in the thirteen plaintiff states. Louisiana v. Biden, No. 2:21-CV-00778 (W.D. La.).

Aug. 16, 2022 President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. The IRA raises minimum rates and adds new fees for onshore oil and gas lease auctions. Read more about these requirements.

June 29, 2022 For the first time during the Biden administration, BLM held lease sales for oil and gas drilling on federal lands, citing the preliminary injunction that stopped the Biden administration’s pause on lease sales. The auctions cover 173 parcels in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Utah.

April 18, 2022 BLM published final environmental assessments and sale notices for June 2022 lease sales. The final sale notices reduced the acreage of land available for leasing on public lands by 80% and increased royalty rates.

Nov. 26, 2021 DOI issued a report reviewing the federal oil and gas leasing process and making recommendations for reform. The report found, among other things, that the current system does not give taxpayers fair returns and does not fully account for environmental harm, and that the current system encourages speculation by and decreases competition among oil companies. 

Aug. 24, 2021 DOI announced that it will continue to prepare lease sales during the appeal process. 

June 15, 2021 A federal judge in the Western District of Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction blocking President Biden’s pause on oil and gas lease sales. Louisiana v. Biden, No. 2:21-CV-00778 (W.D. La.).

Jan. 27, 2021 President Biden signed EO 14008 that pauses all offshore and onshore oil and gas leasing pending a comprehensive review of the leasing and permitting program. It also revokes Trump’s EO 13795.

Jan. 20, 2021 President Biden revoked the Trump Executive Order 13783, which directed federal agencies to streamline the oil and gas leasing process and suspend, revise, or rescind regulations that burdened the development of domestic energy resources. DOI suspended all onshore oil and gas leasing for a 60-day period.

Mar. 12, 2019 Congress passed and the President signed the Natural Resources Management Act (NMRA), which expands federal wilderness and conservation areas and withdraws certain conservation areas from mining. The NMRA permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which provides funds for federal and state conservation efforts. The LWCF is primarily funded from royalties on lease sales of federal offshore lands for oil and gas production.

Oct. 2018 BLM removed more than a million acres of land from auction in response to the US District Court for the District of Idaho’s preliminary injunction.

September 5-6, 2018 BLM lease sales in New Mexico take in nearly $1 billion in revenue, a record. In 2017, BLM as a whole took in only $360 million in revenue.

Jan. 31, 2018 BLM issued Instruction Memorandum No. 2018-034 which eliminated the use of Obama-era master leasing plans (MLPs) in favor of prior resource management plans (RMPs). MLPs were intended to reduce conflict on public lands where competing interests often want to utilize resources on the same parcel. RMPs are developed at the field office or state and focus primarily on oil and gas development. The Instruction Memorandum also reduces the time available to oppose proposed lease sales and allows for the use of Determination of NEPA Adequacy (DNA) in lieu of an environmental impact assessment.

Oct. 24, 2017 The Department of Interior issued its final report pursuant to Executive Order 13783 documenting regulations that may burden domestic energy production and steps the DOI has taken or plans to take to reduce the regulatory burden.

July 6, 2017 Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke issued Secretarial Order 3354 which directed BLM to more regularly hold oil and gas lease sales and to make its permitting process more efficient.

Mar. 28-29, 2017 President Trump issued Executive Order 13783 which directed executive agencies to review and revise regulations that burden domestic energy production. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke issued Secretarial Order 3349 which directs the DOI to review and revise regulations that burden domestic energy production in line with EO 13783.

Jan. 28, 2013 BLM issued Instruction Memorandum No. 2013-101 which further incorporated MLPs into BLM’s lease planning process.

May 17, 2010 BLM issued Instruction Memorandum No. 2010-117, which introduced the concept of a master lease plan (MLP) aimed at coordinating environmental, recreational, historical, and other interests when conducting oil and gas leasing on federal and Indian lands.