Park group urges halt to oil and gas leases during pandemic

摘要

The Interior Department should put a stop to all oil and gas leases on public lands as the nation struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, a park advocacy group said yesterday. In a letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks said the leases should be suspended as the oil and gas industry experiences "a historic decline" due to plummeting demand. "Continuing to lease public lands in this environment not only prevents taxpayers from getting fair market value, but it also hinders efforts to manage those lands for other values that benefit the American people and local communities, including outdoor recreation, wildlife conservation, and cultural resources preservation," the coalition said in its letter. "In addition, restrictions on public gatherings and face-to-face interactions, while necessary for health and human safety, impair the ability of the general public, issue experts, and others to weigh in on federal government actions that affect them, including those resulting from oil and gas lease sales," the group said.