On the recordMay 16, 2013
This month, the United States Bureau of Land Management indefinitely canceled all oil and natural gas leases in California. This includes 1,278 acres of prime oil and natural gas land in Kern and Fresno Counties located in my district--California 21. This land is part of the Monterey shale formation located in the Central Valley. The Monterey shale contains two-thirds of our country's shale oil reserves, the equivalent of 15.4 billion barrels of oil. If tapped, it could generate half a million jobs and generate $4.5 billion in revenue. This would have a significant impact on my district, which has faced chronic unemployment for years. However, citing sequestration, BLM is suspending all future lease sales in California. This decision was made despite the fact that these leases provide significant revenue for the Federal Government. This is just another example of the administration using sequestration to further their environmental policy agenda at the expense of American families. BLM's efforts to prevent energy development are depriving my constituents of quality jobs and increasing energy prices for hardworking families across the country. It is unacceptable that BLM is halting lease auctions in regions that have been used for oil and gas development for over a century. ____________________
