John,
When you think of the American West, you’re likely to conjure up images of mule deer migrating to mountain areas in summer, pronghorn racing across vast open stretches of terrain, and Rocky Mountain elk bugling in the fall to attract mates. Unfortunately, much of this wildlife habitat is under threat from oil and gas speculators who pay rock-bottom prices to lease land that doesn’t even contain oil or gas. This is not only a bad deal for the American taxpayer, it prevents the land from being managed for conservation, wildlife, and recreation. It’s a lose-lose situation for everyone.
Tell your senator to stand up for wildlife and support legislation to ban oil and gas leasing on low potential lands.
Fortunately, a bill has been introduced in Congress to bring common sense reforms to the management of lands that have virtually no potential for energy development. It would simply require the government to assess the potential for mineral or energy development before lands are leased and would prohibit leases on lands that have low or no development potential.
Tell your senators to support this long-overdue legislation which would stop speculative oil and gas leasing in areas with little or no potential for oil and gas. Rocky Mountain elk, pronghorn, and mule deer are symbols of the proud spirit of the American West. But oil and gas speculators threaten to undermine their habitat by snatching up public lands with leases for lands that have no potential for energy development. Will you join me and take action? Your senators can protect wildlife habitat by putting an end to leasing public lands that have low or no potential for energy development.
Leasing public land that has no oil and gas potential to energy speculators is like leasing grassland prairies to timber companies or desert valleys to commercial fishermen. It simply makes no sense.
Please, take a moment and take action today to stop this egregious practice.
Thank you for all you do for wildlife and the lands and waters they call home.
