Press Release
Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Improvements to 50 Year-old Regulations Governing Oil and Gas Development on Refuge System Lands
December 2015
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement to update 50 year-old regulations governing the management of non-federal oil and gas development on National Wildlife Refuge System lands. The proposed revisions continue to allow for the responsible extraction of oil and gas, but require closer adherence to industry best management practices – especially with respect to abandoned infrastructure and debris. The regulations will reduce refuge impacts, including habitat loss and degradation, wildlife mortality and displacement, and other risks to ecological integrity.
