Push for organized phasedown of oil, gas leasing on public lands turns to RMP legal fights

Under settlement agreements with environmental groups and Colorado, the Bureau of Land Management is taking another look at that the Uncompahgre Resource Management Plan, which guides the management and use of nearly a million acres of public lands and mineral estate in western Colorado. Among the amendments it is considering to the Trump-era plan are alternatives that would reduce the number of acres open to oil and gas leasing. Melissa Hornbein, senior attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center, joined the podcast to discuss the RMP amendment process, including how it came about and what environmental groups want to see happen. She also gave her take on how the interests of the oil and gas industry are weighed against conservation goals and what a change in administration could mean for the RMP process. Stick around for Binish Azhar with the Market Minute, a look at near-term oil market drivers.