The Interior Department today held a virtual public forum on the federal oil and gas program that included panels with representatives from indigenous communities, industry, organizations focused on the environment and equity, labor, academia.
In her opening remarks, Interior Sec. Deb Haaland said that while fossil fuels “will continue to play a major role in America for years to come…too often, the extraction of resources has been rushed to meet the false urgency of political timetables, rather than with careful consideration of the impacts to the environment and future generations of Americans.”
Haaland added that “we must manage our lands, waters, and resources not just across fiscal years, but across generations,” and said that the pause “gives us space to look at the federal fossil fuel programs that haven’t been meaningfully examined or modernized in decades.” She also said that “[i]t’s exciting that energy companies are innovating to tackle climate change and stay globally competitive.”
Feedback received at the forum will be considered in the developed of an interim report expected this summer that includes initial findings on the federal oil and gas program as well as next steps and recommendations for improved stewardship of U.S. lands and waters, job creation, and an equitable energy future.
