The Interior Department would auction off millions of acres of public land for oil and gas development, according to a draft obtained by The Nation of the department’s strategic plan for the next five years. “It states that the DOI is committed to achieving ‘American energy dominance’ through the exploitation of ‘vast amounts’ of untapped energy reserves on public lands.”
The Nation says the leaked document does not mention climate change or climate science. “The previous plan, covering 2014–18, referred to climate change 46 times and explicitly stated that the department was committed to improving resilience in those communities most directly affected by global warming.” A former Interior official who had a hand in the 2014-18 plan said the draft plan abdicated the department’s responsibility for stewardship of public resources by ignoring climate change.
“The 2018–2022 strategic plan places a premium on facilitating oil and gas development. It calls for speeding up the processing of parcels nominated for oil and gas leasing on public lands,” said The Nation. It calls for a committee to expedite permits for on- and off-shore leasing.