Biden admin moves to ban new oil leases on 1.6 million acres of land

[Elderberry]

WND by Nick Pope 8/5/2023

Part of wider initiative to settle litigation with environmentalist groups

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a Thursday proposal that would ban new oil leasing on about 1.6 million acres of land in Colorado, according to E&E News.

The proposal is part of wider initiative of the federal government to settle litigation with environmentalist groups who have pursued legal challenges against the government’s land use policies, according to E&E News. If finalized, the proposal could decrease the estimated number of oil wells in the affected lands by 600 over the next two decades, according to E&E News.

The proposal would also designate nine zones of BLM-owned land as “areas of critical environmental concern,” amounting to over 100,000 acres in the state, according to E&E News. Colorado is responsible for 4% of U.S. domestic crude oil production and is the fifth largest crude oil-producing state in the country, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

More: https://www.wnd.com/2023/08/biden-admin-moves-ban-new-oil-leases-1-6-million-acres-land/