Recently, the Biden administration continued its attack on fossil fuels across the United States by moving to block thousands of acres of land in New Mexico from future oil drilling and mining activities. The administration claims this is an effort to protect wildlife and Native American land.
According to the Department of the Interior, the proposed ban prevents new mining claims and oil and gas development throughout over 4,000 acres in central New Mexico. If the plan is finalized, such activities will be banned for up to 50 years.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland spoke about the drivers of the initiative, such as apparent calls from the local community to have these lands protected. State director of the Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico, Melanie Barnes, also spoke about the motives behind preventing industrial expansion in the area.
“Today we’re responding to call from Tribes, elected leaders, and community members who want to see these public lands protected,” Haaland stated. “We look forward to hearing more from the public to inform decisions about how activities, like gravel mining, may impact these lands, including the important cultural and natural resources.” Barnes added, “We recognize the importance of the Placitas area, both for Tribal Nations and for the local community who visit and recreate in this area.”
Earlier this year, the Biden administration issued a similar decree for hundreds of square miles of New Mexico land that would be withdrawn from additional oil and gas production for 20 years. The land in question sat on the perimeter of Chaco Culture National Historical Park, considered to be sacred grounds by tribal communities.
“Today marks an important step in fulfilling President Biden’s commitments to Indian Country, by protecting Chaco Canyon, a sacred place that holds deep meaning for the Indigenous peoples whose ancestors have called this place home since time immemorial,” Haaland said in a statement. “I value and appreciate the many Tribal leaders, elected officials, and stakeholders who have persisted in their work to conserve this special area.”
From early on in his presidential campaign, Biden made it clear his administration would take a more hostile approach to domestic energy independence than the Trump administration, even vowing to “end fossil fuels.”
The American Tribune reported on the former President Donald Trump’s domestic energy policies that focused on creating a strong supply of cheap, reliable energy through fossil fuels. According to the article, “Under the Trump administration, “climate change” was removed from its list of national security threats, giving way to more friendly regulation of the domestic oil and gas industry. Trump’s national security strategy emphasized a balance of energy security needed for economic development and the protection of the environment. “
Reverend Franklin Graham weighed in on the former energy independence America once had under Trump. The prominent Christian figure called on Biden to take a different stance toward domestic energy and not rely on other nations.
“I believe we should be using the resources God has given us and striving for energy independence, as we were when President Trump was in office,” Graham stated. “There’s no reason we can’t do this. And I’m all for exploring alternate sources of energy for the future. As Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan said, it is ‘national security suicide’ to be dependent on countries like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia for oil.”
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