(BISMARCK, ND) – The State of North Dakota is filing a lawsuit against an agency run by its former leader.
Attorney General Drew Wrigley says the state has filed the lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), run by the Department of Interior under former North Dakota Governor and current Secretary Doug Burgum, concerning BLM’s amendments to the state’s Resource Management Plan (RMP). The plan is a comprehensive land use plan that dictates how federally-owned lands and minerals are developed.
In addition to severely restricting the future development of oil and gas resources across the State, the rule also categorically prohibits the development of all federally owned coal outside of a 4-mile radius surrounding current lease boundaries – blocking any development of over 90% of the known federal coal deposits in North Dakota.
“The long-term negative impacts of this rule on traditional energy development in North Dakota, and on private mineral owners, cannot be overstated,” Wrigley said. “BLM had the gall to claim that this rule change was the product of ‘collaboration.’ Absolute nonsense. The Biden Administration ignored the State’s strenuous objections at every turn, and then cranked out this monstrosity in their final week, violating several of their own regulations in the process. The new rule is unlawful, and it epitomizes everything that was wrong with the Biden Administration’s approach to crafting regulations that impact energy development.”
The suit is filed in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota – Western Division.
