Onshore Government Lands

Why Onshore Government Lands are Important to Meeting the Nation's Energy Needs
The federal government owns more than 657 million acres -- an area almost four times the size of Texas. Roughly 90 percent of this land is scattered across the 12 western states. An estimated 67 percent of the oil and 40 percent of the nation's undiscovered natural gas resources lie beneath government lands. Access to "multiple use" government lands is needed to meet our nation's growing demand for energy.

When Access to Government Lands Really Means No Access
Imagine renting a car without tires or the steering wheel – or renting a house and being allowed to use only the roof. Do you really have a car if you can’t drive it? And what good will it do you to rent a house if you can’t live in it? That is essentially what we’re looking at when we talk about leasing multiple-use government land for oil and natural gas exploration in much of the American West.