Tester Applauds Cancellation of Final Badger-Two Medicine Leases

(U.S. Senate)-Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after the Interior Department announced the cancellation of the final two oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine:

“Today marks the end of a decades-long journey for the Blackfeet Tribe and outdoor enthusiasts in northwest Montana. The Badger-Two Medicine carries sacred significance and today’s decision guarantees the preservation of this pristine region for generations to come.”

The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service granted 47 oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine in 1982. Two years later, a drilling permit was approved on one of the leases, though drilling was stalled when a moratorium was placed on oil and gas drilling in the area.

The Interior Department cancelled the controversial Solonex oil and gas lease in March, and then Devon Energy voluntarily relinquished 15 oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine in November, which only left active the two leases that were cancelled today.