Why We Oppose This Nomination:
Doug Burgum has been nominated to be Secretary of the Interior.
The Department of the Interior manages about 500 million acres of public lands and coastal waters across the nation, including about 68 percent of the land in Utah. Mr. Burgum will hold power over decisions for leasing for oil and gas drilling on public lands and given his financial ties to oil and gas companies, we are concerned he will prioritize his relationships with fossil fuel companies and short-term financial gains to “drill, drill, drill” to lower energy prices over the long-term well-being of citizens. He has acted as the liaison between the Trump campaign and oil & gas companies and there will likely be immense pressure to lease many of Utah’s beloved public lands at the expense of our health and economy.
While lower energy prices seem enticing, the cost will be too high. With increased reliance on fossil fuels, we sacrifice our air quality, energy diversity & resilience, landscapes, outdoor recreation economy, and the health of our citizens.
We are also concerned that Mr. Burgum will reverse many of the important conservation gains made in recent years. The historically and culturally significant lands included in the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments should be preserved, rather than opening up those pristine lands to resource extraction and development. We should also be advocating to continue the work of the Bureau of Land Management to conserve natural spaces, in addition to the other multiple uses for which we access public lands.