Central ND News

At a hearing of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee this week, Senator John Hoeven urged Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Tracy Stone-Manning to adopt a more cooperative approach with property owners, grazers, and energy developers in North Dakota. The senator criticized what he described as overreaching regulations advanced by the Biden administration, which he argued undermine the property rights of North Dakotans and disregard multiple use requirements established by Congress for federal lands.

"Not only do these rules prevent the U.S. from developing its vast, taxpayer-owned oil, gas and coal reserves, but because these resources are often co-located with privately-owned minerals, they restrict the ability of private individuals from accessing their own property. That is essentially a takings without compensation," said Hoeven. "Moreover, these rules ignore the multiple use requirements established by Congress. So, the BLM is not only harming private property rights, but they are violating the law. The agency is acting via executive fiat, not according to any law that was passed, and needs to reverse course."

Hoeven continues to oppose regulations that he believes lock away taxpayer-owned surface acres and energy resources. Concurrently, the senator is sponsoring legislation aimed at providing regulatory relief and promoting greater development of the nation’s oil, gas, and coal resources.