The New Mexico Oil and Gas Association provided the Center for Public Integrity the
following statement for this article:

The New Mexico Oil and Gas Association represents more than 1,000 members, accounting for
95% of oil and natural gas produced in the state. NMOGA and our members are dedicated to
supporting safe and responsible energy production while maintaining critical state funding that
impacts the lives of every New Mexican.
 
NMOGA and our members regularly work with state and federal regulatory agencies to ensure
compliance with the law and to see that issues are addressed collaboratively. More than half of
New Mexico’s oil and natural gas production takes place on federal lands, making federal
regulatory agencies a critical component of energy production and New Mexico. Simply put, the
success of BLM in performing their job is integral to the success of oil and natural gas
production in New Mexico. NMOGA and our members have a vested interest in how BLM
performs its work, and it only makes sense that producers, as their largest customers, would work
collaboratively. NMOGA and member companies have a long history of working with both the
BLM New Mexico office and Carlsbad Field Office on issues of critical importance, including
endangered species protections; environmental matters; parks and natural resources; cultural and
archeological matters; and surface and groundwater protection. This strong working relationship
has helped us ensure that as New Mexico’s stature grows among oil and natural gas producers,
we’re taking responsible steps to prevent impacts to the environment, wildlife, and cultural
treasures.
We’ve supported reasonable efforts to eliminate redundancies and duplication through the use of
categorical exclusions. This is a prudent step that would allow BLM to be more effective and
timely in processing applications and permits, while still complying with and meeting all
requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. NMOGA and our members have also provided
BLM with additional funds to support desperately-needed staff and technology resources in the
Carlsbad Field Office. When the previous administration in Washington failed to support local
BLM offices, NMOGA and our members voluntarily donated additional funds to assist the office
in more effectively and efficiently performing their duties, and to bring them closer to meeting
their statutory obligation to process permits in 30 days. Some permits take more than a year to
finalize, which is ineffective for taxpayers and a drain on BLM resources.
NMOGA’s donation to BLM followed applicable U.S. Department of the Interior guidelines and
was reviewed and determined acceptable by the department before it went into effect. These
types of public-private partnerships are regularly lauded by politicians and policymakers across
the political spectrum, and this partnership should serve as a model for leveraging private
solutions and resources to address driving greater efficiencies and effectiveness in public policy
implementation and administration.
On the other hand, activist groups and their political allies regularly throw roadblocks and
protests in the way of maximizing New Mexico’s energy potential. Rather than seek partnership,
they engage in risky brinksmanship, which threatens jobs for New Mexico communities and
revenue for our state’s schools, roads, and healthcare.