Peace Garden News

Senator John Hoeven has expressed concerns following the Biden administration's finalization of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Resource Management Plan (RMP) for North Dakota. The plan restricts leasing on significant areas of potential federal oil, gas, and coal acreage in the state. According to Hoeven, due to split-estate ownership issues where federal minerals often coincide with state or privately-owned minerals under non-federal surface acreage, such policies prevent mineral holders from exercising their property rights and limit energy resource development.

Hoeven has opposed the RMP since its draft release by BLM last year. He urged BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to withdraw the draft RMP to maintain access to taxpayer-owned minerals in North Dakota. Moving forward, Hoeven plans to collaborate with the new Congress and incoming Trump administration, including Doug Burgum as Interior Secretary, to overturn policies like the RMP and enhance access to national energy resources.

"With less than a week to go in office, President Biden continues to rush his onslaught of burdensome regulations across the finish line," said Senator Hoeven. "The BLM’s Resource Management Plan for North Dakota is a prime example of this administration’s efforts to undermine U.S.-produced energy, which is essential to our economic and national security. This policy will lock away vast amounts of energy resources in North Dakota, including minerals held by private individuals and the state. Instead, I will work with my colleagues in the Senate to get Doug Burgum into his role as Interior Secretary as soon as possible so we can start rolling back harmful policies like this and make our nation energy secure once again."