By Brian Beffort, Toiyabe Chapter Director
On the BLM's September 8 Nevada oil & gas lease sale, 15,445 acres of your public lands were leased to investors. Of these, 10,459 acres (68%) were sold for the minimum bid of $2 per acre. Overall, the parcels sold for an average bid of $4 per acre. In the 12 lease sales that have occured in Nevada during the Trump Administration, 72% of the parcels sold for the minimum bid of $2 per acre.
Bloomberg reports that 10 of the 11 parcels sold on Sept. 8 were purchased by a California-based speculator with ties to Myanmar. It's a good thing that neither exploration nor development of these leases are likely given the low price of oil these days. Most important, the BLM routinely ignore the more important values that exist on your public lands in the state: wildlife habitat for sage grouse, desert tortoise, numerous endemic and threatened fish, as well as hundreds of other species; migration corridors for mule deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and other wildlife; cultural values for Nevada's indigenous tribes; the state's $12.6-billion outdoor recreation economy, and our collective love for our public lands.
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto has introduced two bills to curb oil & gas leasing that harms Nevada and Nevadans:
- The Ruby Mountain Protection Act would halt all leasing for the resource-rich lands surrounding the Ruby Mountains.
- The End Speculative Oil & Gas Leasing Act would halt all leasing that occurs on lands with low oil potential (most of Nevada).
Thank you, Senator Cortez Masto, for placing Nevada's natural beauty and heritage before the profits of the oil & gas industry. We will support passage of these bills this Congress.
Ultimately, our country needs to abandon fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy (a growing priority here in Nevada, thank you NV Legislature and Governor Sisolak!). Until we can achieve that victory, Sierra Club and our conservation partners will watch-dog the industry and stand strong against senseless efforts to profit off our state's natural resources, while the rest of us pay the price in pollution, destroyed habitats and cultural resources, and reduced opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Donate today, and keep Nevada's local Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter working hard for policies that protect our public lands, wildlife, water, and future. It's a lot of work, and we need your help.
