Mar 27, 2017 IPAA Applauds President Trump’s Reversal of the BLM Planning 2.0 Rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representing the independent producers that develop 90 percent of America’s oil and natural gas wells, Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) President and CEO Barry Russell issued the following statement after President Donald Trump signed into law H. J. Res. 44, a resolution by U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) disapproving the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule governing federal land use plans, commonly referred to as the BLM Planning 2.0 rule:
“Long-term business planning and certainty is a critical component to the leasing process for oil and natural gas producers. Without certainty and clarity in the planning process, U.S. consumers and businesses stand to lose out on reliable American energy and the royalties generated from oil and natural gas production on federal lands. The Obama Administration’s BLM Planning 2.0 rule provided no certainty for land users and instead created ambiguity in the planning process. The rule allowed all planning documents to be changed at any moment, which does not provide a set understanding of expectations and long-term planning. This would have substantially increased the planning burden, creating more limitations, more opportunities for litigation, and hindering the BLM from making objective land-use decisions. Individual operators and the industry as a whole would have shouldered the significant and harmful burdens of this flawed rule. IPAA applauds President Trump’s signature repealing this burdensome rule and we look forward to working with the President on additional ways to bring meaningful relief to independent producers and small business job creators across the country.”
In January, IPAA and the Petroleum Association of Wyoming sent a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan in support of H. J. Res. 44. IPAA also issued a statement of support, following the Senate’s use of the Congressional Review Act to repeal the BLM Planning 2.0 rule.
About the Independent Petroleum Association of America
The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) is a national upstream trade association representing thousands of independent oil and natural gas producers and service companies across the United States. Independent producers develop 90 percent of the nation’s oil and natural gas wells. These companies account for 54 percent of America’s oil production, 85 percent of its natural gas production, and support over 2.1 million American jobs. Learn more about IPAA by visiting www.ipaa.org and following @IPAAaccess on Twitter.
