Oil and Gas

Oil and gas development has major impacts on public health, local budgets, and the natural resources that support livelihoods and quality of life. We help local, tribal, and state officials ensure they have a voice in leasing and development decisions that impact their communities and public lands.

 

BLM Oil and Gas rule

The Interior Department has announced a proposal to overhaul the 2024 Bureau of Land Management Oil and Gas Rule and make major changes to the federal onshore oil and gas program. This proposal would significantly weaken bonding requirements for well cleanup, limit public participation, repeal landowner notification requirements, and eliminate criteria that steers leasing away from sensitive wildlife habitat and cultural sites.

Federal Lease Sales

The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025 dramatically changed the federal oil and gas leasing landscape. HR 1 lowered fees and royalties; reinstated cheap, non-competitive leasing; and mandated quarterly lease sales across nine Western states. Since then, hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands have been put up for sale, often with little potential for energy development.

  • Click here to download a fact sheet about changes to the federal onshore oil and gas leasing program under H.R. 1.

Decoupling policy

Fossil fuel drilling on public lands props up many county and state budgets, but boom-and-bust cycles leave them financially vulnerable when revenues collapse. When things go bust, many local governments struggle to fund roads, schools, and basic public services. “Decoupling” policy solutions invest drilling profits into a permanent federal fund, helping support communities as they transition to a more stable, diversified economy rather than staying dependent on volatile energy markets.

  • Join us on Sept. 3, 2026 at 2:00 pm MT to learn how decoupling policies would help oil and gas-dependent communities build diverse, resilient economies. Register here.

  • The Wilderness Society Bust to Boom: How can communities thrive after oil and gas?

  • Our partners at The Wilderness Society are drafting a decoupling policy that aims to stabilize the funding communities receive from oil, gas, and/or coal revenue from public lands royalties.

    To help them develop an effective, community-informed policy, TWS is conducting one-on-one interviews with elected officials and leaders who can share firsthand perspectives about the economic impacts of extractive industries. If you have a story to tell, please contact jess@westernleaders.org for more information.

bonding programs

Without strong financial assurance (also known as bonding) requirements, oil and gas corporations can walk away from their messes and leave taxpayers holding the bill for cleanup. Some states, including New Mexico and Utah, have recently modernized their bonding programs to make sure companies set aside enough money to cover the cost of plugging and remediating their wells when they’re done producing. This helps prevent well abandonment, holds industry accountable, protects communities and natural resources from orphan well pollution — and can sometimes offer states a safeguard against federal-level rollbacks and bonding rate cuts.

  • Join us on Aug. 12, 2026 at 10:00 am MT to learn how some states have stepped up to modernize their bonding programs and how local governments can support reform. Register here.

Western Leaders Network is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. EIN #82-0625994.