Stop the Reconciliation Bill’s Attack on Public Lands

Subject: Stop the Reconciliation Bill’s Attack on Public Lands

I am a conservative outdoor enthusiast, and I’m asking you to oppose the Senate ENR Committee’s proposed reconciliation bill language that is a slap in the face to hunters, fishermen, campers and other outdoor enthusiasts. It will subordinate the interests of sportsmen, other public land users, and even private landowners to oil and gas interests.

This, despite the fact that the United States currently leads the world in oil and gas production—and has for the past 6 years—and is breaking all previous global production records. Why on earth would you want to—especially now—undermine multiple-use management, subverting all other land uses and natural resource values, to give oil and gas companies carte blanche to exploit our public lands and waters as they see fit?

The ENR language would restore speculative leasing, mandate lease sales, take away BLM’s ability to reject a proposed lease, and completely sideline private landowners, hunters and anglers, local officials, and other stakeholders from important land use decisions.

This language also provides a massive subsidy to oil and gas companies at the expense of taxpayers by reducing royalties to bargain basement rates, well below the level paid for off-shore production and production on state lands. How does that make any sense for a bill that is already projected to increase our nation’s debt by more than $3 trillion?

The ENR language is an anathema to basic conservative principles like multiple use management, private property rights, and fiscal responsibility.

Furthermore, this bill stands in defiance of conservative free market principles. When the U.S. oil and gas industry is at record production, any effort to coerce more production risks hurting a U.S. industry that cannot withstand an oil glut, and also risks depleting our future oil and gas reserves.

The clear intent here is to make one exploitive public land use for profit supersede all other public land uses without any regard for hunting, fishing, water supply, wildlife conservation, or taxpayer burden. It’s one big ugly giveaway that will make me and most other Americans poorer.

Please work to get rid of these bad provisions, even if it means voting against this reconciliation bill when it comes to the floor. You have the leverage to force changes, but do you have the will?

Thank you for considering my views.