Barrasso Grills Secretary Haaland on Public Land Policies

May 2, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In today's Energy and Natural Resources hearing, ranking member John Barrasso (R-WY), defended Wyoming's communities, economy, and public lands during his exchange with Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Barrasso addressed the draft Rock Springs Resource Management Plan, the finalized Public Lands Rule, and oil and natural gas leasing in Wyoming.

When discussing the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan, Barrasso asked Secretary Haaland:

"The Rock Springs Resource Management Plan would, among other things… prohibit oil and natural gas exploration on more than two million acres. It would ban trona production on over two million acres. It would severely restrict all surface uses of 1.6 million acres. The governor, congressional delegation, state legislature, county commissioners in Wyoming, local communities, all strongly oppose this plan by your department.

"I just want to know how can the Department be a good partner to Wyoming if it ignores the opposition from the people who are most affected by this plan?"

He also stated that, "this proposed plan is a stake to the heart of the Wyoming economy. The Department needs to listen more to the people of Wyoming..."

Click here to watch Barrasso's exchange with Secretary Haaland on the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan.

Barrasso also highlighted the hypocrisy of the Bureau of Land Management's Public Lands Rule which undermines multiple-use on public lands across the West.

"Another rule, called the Public Lands Rule, that's going to turn decades of multiple-use mandate on its head. You just said you're for a lot of these things, but that rule isn't. It's going to allow third parties to lease public lands to block the productive use of the land.

"We're not talking about National Parks, we're not talking about Wildlife Refuges, we're not talking about wilderness. These are lands that Congress has specifically made available for grazing, as you mentioned, for energy, for mineral production, for recreation. I mean the three big parts of the Wyoming economy - agriculture, energy, tourism - so I don't know how non-use of land qualifies as the productive use of land. Could you explain that to me?"

Click here to watch Barrasso's exchange with Secretary Haaland on the final Public Lands Rule.

Lastly, Barrasso asked for Secretary Haaland's commitment to issue leases to the winning bidders of its December 2020 onshore oil and gas lease sale.

"In one other area, the Bureau of Land Management has yet to issue leases to the winning bidders of its December 2020 onshore oil and gas leases. These were paid for; $7 million went to the treasury. The government took the money. The law says the leases must be issued in 60 days. When do you plan to issue these leases to the winning bidders who paid for the leases back three years ago?

In response to Secretary Haaland's answer Barrasso said, "That's not the question. The question is, leases have been sold, money's been paid, $7 million taken in, and you're supposed to put out the lease in 60 days. They handed you the wrong paper to read the wrong answer. You had three and a half years to issue the leases. Will you commit to issuing them in the next 30 days?"

Click here to watch Barrasso's exchange with Secretary Haaland on onshore oil and natural gas leasing.

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