Chapter 13--EVOLUTION OF ONSHORE OIL AND GAS LEASING POLICY:THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN SECRETARIAL DISCRETION AND LEASE RIGHTS

摘要

Like many other federal regulatory programs, the federal onshore oil and gas leasing program is characterized by an inherent tension between companies, which want certainty and expediency in order to plan their development operations, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which, as the federal land manager, desires a greater degree of flexibility in whether, and when, to issue an oil and gas lease for any particular parcel. This tension has only increased in recent years as environmental organizations have protested numerous parcels identified by BLM to be included in its quarterly lease sales.