A president’s administration has leeway on how to approach oil and gas development. The reforms and agency rules an administration implements can greatly influence oil and gas development and its effect on our public lands and environment.

Master leasing plans

The master leasing plan allows the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to add extra rules to protect wildlife, water and other resources before an oil and gas auction occurs.

Off-shore safety reforms

After the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the federal government put in place regulations to prevent a similar disaster under direction of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement. Safety and environmental rules were quickly arranged with the help of experts. The Wilderness Society supports efforts to toughen the regulations of off-shore drilling and to make sure that before drilling occurs, environmental needs and concerns are addressed.

Land reforms

The BLM has put in place a number of reforms since 2009 to make the permit process for oil and gas development more efficient without compromising safety. These amendments include:

• Raising royalty rates on oil and gas leases, which cause oil and gas companies to ensure that they have a need to drill and raise the barrier of entry. It will also raise money for the federal government to help with the deficit.
• Putting another layer of environmental review into place called Lease Parcel Review.

These reforms have led to fewer protests of oil and gas leases, down 12% from 2009 to 2011.