Public Lands

Western Energy Alliance believes in the principle of multiple use of non-park, non-wilderness public lands. Our advocacy over many years has consistently stressed the importance of a balance among productive uses on federal lands that include oil, natural gas, timber, mining, recreation, wildlife protection, and conservation.

As the trade association that represents a region where a majority of the lands are federal, we’re the recognized leader in the industry for public lands issues. We actively engage in the land use planning process for all major producing basins in the West. We’re also actively engaged in court defending federal leasing on appropriately designated public lands. We’re currently involved in multiple lawsuits supporting federal leasing. We’re also engaged in court over federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing and methane emissions on public lands.

Oil and natural gas development also offers a solution for balancing productive uses of public lands with conservation. We’re proud that our industry provides 95% of the funding available under the Great American Outdoors Act. The law directs $2.8 billion in revenues annually from energy development on non-park, non-wilderness public lands and waters into national parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands to fund conservation. We worked to get it passed because the law provides an appropriate balance between responsible energy development and preserving treasured public spaces.