Less regulations and a push to promote America’s energy dominance by the Department of the Interior are hoped to have a positive effect on rural economies. A report from the Department of the Interior shows that seven BLM state offices generated $170.7 million dollars in bonus bids during their third quarter oil and gas lease sales, with over 134,000 acres actually sold. “Oil and gas lease sales on federal land directly support domestic energy production and President Trump’s energy dominance goals for America,” shares Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “These sales provide critical revenue and job growth in rural America. We will continue to work to cut the red tape and improve processes to ensure regulations serve their intended purpose.” The pace of lease sales so far this year has exceeded the total sales in 2016.
