Fossil fuel development on federal lands accounts for 24% of all U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. These emissions can be reduced significantly by requiring federal oil and gas development activity to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has authority...

Almost one quarter of all U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions come from fossil fuels extracted from public lands, and these resources are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM has a statutory duty set forth in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) to coordinate...

On January 2, 2022, the Department of the Interior published a notice in the Federal Register seeking Information to Inform Interagency Efforts to Develop the American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas. This letter responds to the Department’s request for information. Our comments focus on...

The Biden Administration’s efforts to expedite a transition to clean energy have prompted calls for permit reform. Clean energy relies heavily upon critical minerals and transitioning to a clean energy economy demands a global increase in mineral production. Some commentators suggest that...

Although a potentially useful climate change mitigation tool, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) efforts in the United States remain mired in demonstration and development. Prior studies suggest numerous reasons for this stagnation. This article empirically assesses those claims. Using an...

This paper empirically evaluates whether Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for oil and natural gas field development projects lead to a significant reduction in environmental impacts. Based on our statistical analysis of projects within a four-state region, we conclude that EIS preparation...

This White Paper is the fourth in a series addressing state efforts to take over federally managed public lands. We argue here that state time and resources would be better spent on collaborative efforts to improve resource management practices. Alternatives to litigation, like that threatened...

This paper reviews Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) completed in conjunction with Resource Management Plan (RMP) revisions completed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming between 2004 and 2014. Based on our review of sixteen EISs for RMP revisions we...