Hoeven: BLM Finalizes Restrictive, Overreaching Resource Management Plan for North Dakota

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the Biden administration finalized the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Resource Management Plan (RMP) for North Dakota, which closes off leasing to vast areas of potential federal oil and gas acreage and a majority of federal coal acreage in the state. Further, due to split-estate ownership issue in North Dakota, where federal minerals are often co-located with state or privately-owned minerals under non-federal surface acreage, policies like the RMP prevent mineral holders from exercising their property rights and broadly limit the development of energy resources.
Hoeven has been pushing back on the RMP since the draft was first issued by BLM last year. To this end, Hoeven pressedBLM Director Tracy Stone-ManningandInterior Secretary Deb Haalandto rescind the draft RMP and preserve access to taxpayer-owned minerals in the state. The senator will now work with the new Congress and incoming Trump administration, including Doug Burgum in his role as Interior Secretary, to reverse harmful policies like the RMP and unlock the potential of the nation’s vast energy resources, including the abundant taxpayer-owned oil, gas and coal reserves.
“With less than a week to go in office, President Biden continues to rush his onslaught of burdensome regulations across the finish line,”said Senator Hoeven. “The BLM’s Resource Management Plan for North Dakota is a prime example of this administration’s efforts to undermine U.S.-produced energy, which is essential to our economic and national security. This policy will lock away vast amounts of energy resources in North Dakota, including minerals held by private individuals and the state. Instead, I will work with my colleagues in the Senate to get Doug Burgum into his role as Interior Secretary as soon as possible so we can start rolling back harmful policies like this and make our nation energy secure once again.”
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