Press Release: Threats to Rural Recreation Economies from Poorly Managed Oil and Gas Development
Image: Patrick Hendry
New Whitepaper Highlights Threats to Rural Recreation Economies from Poorly Managed Oil and Gas Development
Outdoor Recreation Experts Call for Continued Protection of Outdoor Recreation from Leasing Impacts, While Members of Congress Push for Indiscriminate Oil and Gas Leasing
Washington, D.C. (Feb. 18, 2025) Today, Public Land Solutions and Outdoor Alliance released a whitepaper emphasizing the need to protect outdoor recreation areas from conflicts with oil and gas leasing. Over the years, ill-considered leasing proposals near places like Zion National Park, Utah’s San Rafael Swell, and Caliente, Nevada have threatened outdoor recreation experiences. In response to these threats, local governments, businesses, and residents have spoken out to defend their recreation resources and economies, demonstrating how much stakeholders and decision-makers across the West depend on revenue flows from recreation assets on their public lands.
Rural communities can balance oil and gas development with outdoor recreation to support their economies. Pollution from oil and gas operations can harm air and water quality, making outdoor activities less enjoyable and damaging the reputation of recreation areas. Careful planning of where to place this infrastructure can help keep outdoor experiences high quality. Another common problem happens when land with little to no oil or gas potential is leased, taking up time and resources that could be better spent on recreation management. When conflicts arise, different groups often have to spend a lot of time and money solving them. This process can be inefficient, expensive, and frustrating. A better approach is to involve a variety of people—such as outdoor recreation groups and industry leaders—before deciding which lands to lease.
The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Oil and Gas Rule finalized in 2024 includes many needed reforms to the onshore oil and gas leasing system that support recreation communities. The rule encourages leasing in areas with existing oil and gas development and away from places that are important for communities and outdoor recreation economies. By carefully considering how oil and gas leasing will affect recreation, outdoor access, frontline community quality of life, and prospects for future economic prosperity, the BLM has been better able to avoid leasing parcels that lead to conflict with sensitive cultural, wildlife, and recreation resources.
“These reforms are supported by a wide range of outdoor recreation and outdoor business groups and companies, and are very important to the ability of public land communities to diversify economically, said Jason Keith, Managing Director of Public Land Solutions. “Our public lands provide incredible opportunities for outdoor recreation, economic vitality, and livability for gateway communities,” said Louis Geltman, Outdoor Alliance Vice President for Policy and Government Relations. “This report makes clear that responsible management—like the recent improvements to BLM’s oil and leasing process, which reflect a more targeted and accountable approach—ensures outdoor recreation will remain accessible and protected while also supporting local communities and economies."
The whitepaper emphasizes the need to retain this approach to protect recreation resources and rural communities that depend on them, and comes at a critical moment as U.S. Senator Steve Daines recently introduced legislation that would require the BLM to offer the vast majority of public lands for leasing, effectively handing over more than 200 million acres of public lands to the oil and gas industry without any regard for the impact on recreation or the concerns of local communities. The language offered by Daines would undermine the multiple-use principle and require that the BLM offer oil and gas leases for sale everywhere, including hiking trails, campgrounds, wildlife habitats, and other recreational areas. This whitepaper offers solutions that protect outdoor recreation experiences, focus oil and gas developments, and ensure that public land communities can diversify their local economies.
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