Dear Secretary Salazar: It is our understanding that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently drafting regulations governing the production of oil and natural gas on Federal lands, including lands managed for the benefit of Indian tribes and their members. We further understand that as part of this regulatory process, the BLM is currently undergoing formal tribal consultations on… Read more »

The Obama Administration’s Interior Department is one step closer to imposing new federal regulations on hydraulic fracturing on federal lands—a long standing drilling technique that is necessary to extract oil and natural gas from shale reservoirs. A draft copy of the new regulations, reported last Thursday by Politico, show that the Obama Administration is preparing to add significant… Read more »

Dear Mr. Secretary: Last week, at an event sponsored by Christian Science Monitor, you announced that the Department of the Interior plans to issue rules regarding hydraulic fracturing on federal lands, within a "month or so." In your comments, you also reiterated your belief in transparency and full disclosure regarding hydraulic fracturing. In the spirit of transparency and full… Read more »

Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) sent the following letter to Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar asking him once again to testify before the Committee regarding the Department’s plans to issue rules on hydraulic fracturing on federal lands within the next “month or so.” Chairman Hastings first wrote Secretary Salazar a letter on December 1,… Read more »

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your December 1, 2010, letter regarding my recent forum on hydraulic fracturing on public lands. We brought together this group to discuss a way forward to allow the United States to continue to realize the benefits of oil and gas development in a safe and effective manner. Read the entire letter HERE. Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) sent the following letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar regarding his recent comments that the Interior Department is considering imposing new regulations on hydraulic fracturing on public lands. In the letter, Hastings asks the Secretary to appear before the Natural Resources Committee before implementing… Read more »