§1345 Coordination and Consultation with Affected State and Local Governments

Summary

Governors and affected local leaders can send advice to the Secretary about how big, when, or where a proposed lease sale should be, or about a proposed development and production plan. A local leader must first give their advice to the Governor. Advice must be sent within sixty days after notice of the lease sale or after getting the plan. The Secretary must accept the Governor’s advice and may accept local advice if, after consulting, it gives a reasonable balance between the national interest and the well-being of the State’s people. The national interest is judged by the desirability of getting oil and gas supplies in a balanced way and by the findings, purposes, and policies of this subchapter. The Secretary must tell the Governor in writing why advice was accepted, rejected, or replaced. That decision is final and cannot by itself cancel a lease sale unless it is found to be arbitrary or capricious. The Secretary may also make cooperative agreements with affected States for things like sharing information (under section 1352), using expertise, helping permit work, joint planning and review, and joint monitoring of onshore and offshore operations.