North Dakota Delegation Emphasizes Need for BLM to Change Draft Resource Management Plan

BISMARCK - U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) and U.S. Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) penned a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding the draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the state of North Dakota.

These plans, as established by the BLM, serve as a guide for managing the agency's land and resources. The State of North Dakota and several industry groups, including the North Dakota Petroleum Council and the Lignite Energy Council, provided comments to the BLM expressing numerous concerns with BLM's preferred plan. As drafted, the plan would cut off access to coal and oil reserves under federal ownership, cutting state revenues and potential energy development. The North Dakota delegation's letter requests revisions to the draft RMP to ensure access to energy reserves and the resulting economic activity.

"As you know, the BLM has authority for the oversight and administration of over 245 million acres of land and 700 million acres of subsurface minerals nationwide. The disparity in surface and subsurface acres is on full display within North Dakota where the BLM manages only 58,500 acres of surface compared to over 4 million acres of coal, 489,300 acres of fluid minerals, and 362,600 acres of other minerals at the subsurface level," the delegation wrote. "Unlike large continuous tracts of federal lands more common in the Western United States, federal subsurface acres in North Dakota are scattered and intermingled with state and privately-owned minerals. When federal agencies like the BLM impose restrictions, they inevitably dilute or cut off the development of resources not under their control. More than anything, federal preemption of state and private rights is our central concern with the draft RMP."

"If implemented, the BLM's new RMP will effectively remove large tracts of intertwined private, state, federal, and Indian minerals from production. As a consequence, North Dakota and the nation will be denied access to vital energy reserves and corresponding economic activity," the delegation continued. "Economic data provided by the state of North Dakota in its comments estimates the state will be deprived of $34 million annually in royalties and tax revenue if this RMP is implemented. This is for oil and gas alone and does not include coal production or royalties to private mineral owners."

Click here for the letter.