DICKINSON – The Bureau of Land Management released a resource management plan Tuesday for North Dakota’s public and federal mineral acres that U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., has called burdensome regulation. Hoeven said he will work with the new Congress and incoming Trump administration to rescind the plan.

The plan guides management of about 58,500 acres of public lands and more than 4.1 million acres of federal mineral estate across North Dakota.

According to the BLM, the plan limits development of oil and gas in low-potential areas and new coal leasing to areas within 4 miles of existing mines, providing opportunities for continued resource use while protecting sensitive resources and supporting other uses of public and private land, including recreation and habitat management.

However, a news release from Hoeven’s office stated the plan closes off leasing to vast areas of potential federal oil and gas acreage and a majority of federal coal acreage in the state. Due to split-estate ownership issue in North Dakota, where federal minerals are often co-located with state or privately-owned minerals under non-federal surface acreage, policies like those in BLM’s management plan prevent mineral holders from exercising their property rights and broadly limit the development of energy resources, Hoeven said.

“With less than a week to go in office, President Biden continues to rush his onslaught of burdensome regulations across the finish line,” Hoeven said in the release. “The BLM’s Resource Management Plan for North Dakota is a prime example of this administration’s efforts to undermine U.S.-produced energy, which is essential to our economic and national security. This policy will lock away vast amounts of energy resources in North Dakota, including minerals held by private individuals and the state. Instead, I will work with my colleagues in the Senate to get Doug Burgum into his role as Interior Secretary as soon as possible so we can start rolling back harmful policies like this and make our nation energy secure once again.”

The State of North Dakota filed a protest last September. The finalized management plan blocks leasing on more than 4 million acres, or nearly 99%, of federal coal acreage in North Dakota, and closes off 213,100 acres, or 44%, of federally owned fluid mineral acreage from leasing, according to a news release from Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s office. It also will cost the state an estimated $34 million per year in revenue from oil and gas royalties and taxes and could eliminate more than 12,000 coal-related jobs in the state, the release stated Former Gov. Doug Burgum also filed a final appeal last month, which the BLM denied.

“It’s clear that BLM had no intention of listening to North Dakota and was dead set on imposing this disastrous plan in the waning days of the Biden administration, ignoring our state’s legitimate concerns and unique situation when it comes to mineral ownership,” Armstrong said. “This plan won’t make our state any safer, but it will destabilize our electrical grid, weaken our national security and raise energy costs for consumers in North Dakota and beyond. We will use every tool at our disposal, including working with our congressional delegation and former Gov. Burgum once he’s confirmed as Interior Secretary, to repeal this plan and protect states’ rights.”

The updated management plan replaces the BLM’s 1988 plan.

BLM stated in a news release that the plan establishes a modern framework to balance responsible energy and mineral development with the protection of wildlife habitat, water resources, cultural sites and recreational opportunities. Public and tribal consultation, agency coordination and input from local communities helped the plan, the agency added.