Senate Passes Resolution to Overturn Biden-Era North Dakota Land Management Plan
The U.S. Senate today passed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) Joint Resolution of Disapproval to overturn the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Resource Management Plan (RMP) for North Dakota, sending the measure to President Trump for his signature.
The resolution targets the Biden administration’s RMP finalized in August 2024 and adopted in January, which critics say severely restricts energy development on federal lands within the state. The plan prohibits coal leasing on over four million acres – nearly 99 percent of federal coal acreage – and blocks 213,000 acres of fluid mineral acreage. Economic estimates from North Dakota project a loss of $34 million annually in oil and gas royalties and tax revenue if the RMP remains in effect. This decision comes as the U.S. continues to navigate its energy independence and security.
Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) spearheaded the effort, initiating a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review that confirmed the RMP’s eligibility for repeal under the CRA. “The thing that frustrates me the most is that the Bureau of Land Management, like so much of the federal bureaucracy, simply ignores the law because they don’t agree with it,” Cramer stated. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) added, “Our energy producers operate under the highest environmental standards in the world… It makes no sense for the federal government to restrict access to the very resources needed to power this economic opportunity.” For more information on federal land management, visit the Bureau of Land Management website.
The North Dakota Petroleum Council and other industry groups praised the Senate’s action, arguing the original RMP was inconsistent with federal law and harmful to the state’s economy. “We urge Congress to pass this Congressional Review Act and reject federal overreach that would devastate North Dakota’s energy industry,” said Ron Ness, President of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. The resolution will now advance to President Trump’s desk, where officials anticipate a signature, effectively halting the implementation of the Biden-era plan and potentially paving the way for a revised RMP.
