2021-0217
INTRODUCED BY: ST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL
MATTHEW JEWELL, PARISH PRESIDENT
RESOLUTION NO.
Title
A resolution in support of resuming Federal Offshore Leasing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Body
WHEREAS, the United States of America Offshore Oil and Gas Program, since its authorization by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), has provided significant energy to help fuel the great economy of America; and,
WHEREAS, the United States of America Offshore Oil and Gas Program, has been very effective in helping America achieve energy security and strengthening our National Security; and,
WHEREAS, the offshore industry and government have collaborated with groups such as the Coastal Conservation Association to create innovative ways to find beneficial cooperation such as the Rigs-to-Reef program, which benefits the recreational fishing community by repurposing obsolete structures of which nearly 600 reefed platforms in the United States Gulf of Mexico are home to almost seven million fish and other critical marine species, enriching marine life; and,
WHEREAS, since its inception the United States of America Offshore Oil and Gas Program is responsible for helping to create hundreds of thousands of jobs with a significant economic impact and has generated hundreds of billions in royalty revenue for the United States Treasury; and,
WHEREAS, the United States Congress in 2020 permanently funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million per year with wide bipartisan support. Relying solely on earnings from federal offshore oil and gas leasing, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has funded more than $4 billion worth of projects since its inception in 1965 for purposes of conservation, recreation, restoration and protection of vital national resources; and,
WHEREAS, since 2006, more than $1 billion, funded exclusively by federal offshore lease revenues, has been disbursed to four Gulf energy-producing states through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act to support coastal conservation and restoration projects; hurricane protection programs; and activities to implement marine coastal or conservation management plans; and,
WHEREAS, in the most recent conservation legislation, the Great American Outdoors Act, the United States Congress set aside up to $1.9 billion a year from federal offshore lease revenues for the next five years to repair facilities and infrastructure in our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and American Indian Schools; and,
WHEREAS, it is important for the funding of these conservation, recreation, restoration and protection efforts that the United States of America Offshore Oil and Gas Program continues; and,
WHEREAS, the United States of America Offshore Oil and Gas Program has been managed in such a way that it is recognized as an environmentally advantaged energy producer with approximately half (53%) of the carbon intensity per barrel of other producing regions worldwide; and,
WHEREAS, United States of America Offshore Energy represents a significant opportunity to help improve the health of our planet due to its low carbon intensity; and,
WHEREAS, President Biden and Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland have caused regularly scheduled lease sales for offshore resources, previously authorized by administrations of both political parties, to be canceled resulting in great uncertainty for the economy, the energy, and the environment of America; and,
WHEREAS, Terry A. Doughty of the United States District Court recently decided in a suit filed by the States of Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and West Virginia that the Executive Branch does not have the legal right to stop leasing Federal territory for Oil and Gas production without approval from Congress; and,
WHEREAS, the future production of these oil and gas resources and consequently the funding of conservation, recreation, restoration and protection and further consequently the denial of environmentally advantaged, low carbon intensity barrels of production as a substitution for higher carbon intensity barrels of production from foreign sources; all will be negatively impacted by the continued cancellation of offshore lease sales.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT WE, THE MEMBERS OF THE ST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL, do hereby petition President Biden and Secretary Haaland to immediately schedule Lease Sales for the Gulf of Mexico, a historic energy producing province, to assist in producing a larger portfolio of some of the planet’s lowest carbon intensity barrels of oil and to assist in producing a larger portfolio of natural gas which can serve the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) worldwide market; all in an effort to restore confidence, generate economic activity, enhance environmental stewardship, create American jobs, and strengthen national and energy security.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to President Biden, Secretary Haaland, members of the United States Congress, the City and Parish governing authorities within the State of Louisiana, the Louisiana Police Jury Association, the Louisiana Municipal Association, and the National Association of Counties.
The foregoing resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows:
And the resolution was declared adopted this day of , 2021, to become effective five (5) days after publication in the Official Journal.
CHAIRMAN:
SECRETARY:
DLVD/PARISH PRESIDENT:
APPROVED: DISAPPROVED:
PARISH PRESIDENT:
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