Press Releases

On Friday, Representative Vince Fong (CA-20) led a letter with Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Representatives Tom McClintock (CA-05) and David Valadao (CA-22) to applaud the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) decision to rescind the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) and BLM.
 
“It is critical that the 2012 MOU between CalGEM and Bureau of Land Management be rescinded as a vital step toward restoring California’s energy production,” said Congressman Fong. “This decision removes barriers to needed energy production, reduces costs for families, strengthens economic stability, and reaffirms our commitment to American energy dominance. By streamlining permits and restoring the Bureau of Land Management’s authority over federal lands, we can unlock California’s energy potential, support good-paying jobs, and ensure affordable energy for families across our state."
 
“Under Governor Newsom, California has waged a war on oil production, hurting the economy in Kern County and threatening our ability to have affordable and reliable energy,” said Chairman LaMalfa. “Under the 2012 MOU between CalGEM and BLM, the state has been able to obstruct oil and gas production on Federal lands. This is completely unacceptable. Luckily, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum understands how this MOU is an obstacle to achieving energy dominance. I want to thank him for rescinding this MOU and allowing California’s oil and gas business to operate on Federal lands without interference from Governor Newsom.”
 
“Rescinding CalGEM’s memorandum of understanding with BLM is a critical step toward restoring domestic oil production in the Central Valley,” said Congressman Valadao. “Kern County alone has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in local revenue and thousands of good-paying jobs because Sacramento bureaucrats refuse to issue permits in a timely and transparent way. By getting rid of this unnecessary red tape, we can get production back on track, lower energy costs for Valley families, and bring much-needed investment back to our communities.”
 
Background
 
Extraction from BLM land is a significant part of California’s oil production. BLM continues to permit new wells in California; however, CalGEM has asserted that the state must conduct a dual permitting process despite the fact that no statute recognizes their role on federal land. Over the last 15 years, BLM has increasingly granted CalGEM the ability to review, delay, and affect permit applications on federal lands. This was accomplished through informal practices and agreements, not through any statutory changes. As a result, over 100 permits that have been fully approved by BLM languish awaiting CalGEM’s contrived permitting process.
 
Read full text of the letter here.