By KATHY HADLEY
Guest columnist
In Montana, we are fortunate to have access to some of the most iconic public lands in the country. As a lifelong hunter and angler, I rely on these rivers, streams, and forests to pursue my passions. Public lands sustain the Montanan way of life, and we deserve policies that protect them and responsibly manage their use.
Unfortunately, the current federal oil and gas leasing system is broken, and fails to protect these valuable areas while while also harming taxpayers through wasteful policies. The Biden
administration’s recent decision to pause new oil and gas leasing recognizes the value that wildlife and outdoor recreation activities bring to Montana and offers an important opportunity to make
crucial changes to this system. A major problem that this system has perpetuated, especially in Montana, is noncompetitive leasing: a loophole that allows oil and gas companies to lease public
lands for cut-rate prices. In just the last four years, less than half of all proposed acres in Montana sold at a competitive auction; the acres that were not sold then became available to oil and gas
companies for a paltry $1.50 an acre. Not only does this harmful practice waste limited government resources, it also prioritizes public lands for oil and gas rather than conservation or recreation.
The Lewistown Resource Management Plan — a proposal that spanned 650,000 acres of public lands in central Montana — is a prime example of why leasing reform is urgently needed. This plan, which was illegally approved by former BLM Director, William Perry Pendley, opens 95% of the area, one of North America’s most productive big game habitats, to oil and gas leasing, even though it holds little oil potential. Luckily, this plan was tossed by a federal judge. But the underlying policies that made it so dangerous persist. Noncompetitive leasing has surged to record levels in recent years, despite 99 percent of noncompetitive leases never entering development. Montana’s wildlife, land, and thriving outdoor recreation economy suffer when our government cannot
dedicate time and resources to improving habitat and maintaining trails, fishing access sites, and other public land infrastructure.
Fortunately, Sen. Jon Tester has introduced legislation to help reform this broken system, bring transparency back to public lands management, and end the wasteful practice of noncompetitive
leasing. I strongly encourage the Biden administration and Congress to support this desperately needed legislation and protect access to America’s public lands for their multiple uses.
Montanans are ready for this change. According to the recent Conservation in the West poll from Colorado College, seventy percent of Montanans think that oil and gas development on national public lands should be stopped or strictly limited, as opposed to expanded. We know the best way forward is to reform federal leasing and create a better system that protects our prized hunting and fishing grounds.
Montana has very little oil to begin with — there are currently no active drill rigs in the state — so it’s just common-sense to better manage these landscapes so they work for everyone. The Biden administration has taken critical first steps to preserve our precious wildlife areas by halting all new oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters. I encourage the president to continue to listen to Montanans and build on this effort by reviewing and reforming the federal leasing system. Only then can we guarantee that our cherished public lands and wildlife are safeguarded and our time-honored traditions are passed down for generations to come.
Kathy Hadley is the co-founder of Artemis Sportswomen and a board member of the Montana Wildlife Federation. She lives in Deer Lodge.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Guest Editorial 3/11/21