42 USC § 15922 - Consultation regarding oil and gas leasing on public land

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s15922"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 15922 - Consultation regarding oil and gas leasing on public land"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "15922"
section_name: "Consultation regarding oil and gas leasing on public land"
chapter_number: 149
chapter_name: "NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS"
subchapter_number: "III"
subchapter_name: "OIL AND GAS"
part_number: "B"
part_name: "Access to Federal Lands"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 109–58, title III, § 363, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 722.)"
---


# § 15922. Consultation regarding oil and gas leasing on public land

**(a)** **In general** Not later than 180 days after August 8, 2005, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding oil and gas leasing on—

**(1)** public land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior; and

**(2)** National Forest System land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture.

**(b)** **Contents** The memorandum of understanding shall include provisions that—

**(1)** establish administrative procedures and lines of authority that ensure timely processing of—

**(A)** oil and gas lease applications;

**(B)** surface use plans of operation, including steps for processing surface use plans; and

**(C)** applications for permits to drill consistent with applicable timelines;

**(2)** eliminate duplication of effort by providing for coordination of planning and environmental compliance efforts;

**(3)** ensure that lease stipulations are—

**(A)** applied consistently;

**(B)** coordinated between agencies; and

**(C)** only as restrictive as necessary to protect the resource for which the stipulations are applied;

**(4)** establish a joint data retrieval system that is capable of—

**(A)** tracking applications and formal requests made in accordance with procedures of the Federal onshore oil and gas leasing program; and

**(B)** providing information regarding the status of the applications and requests within the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture; and

**(5)** establish a joint geographic information system mapping system for use in—

**(A)** tracking surface resource values to aid in resource management; and

**(B)** processing surface use plans of operation and applications for permits to drill.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 109–58, title III, § 363, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 722.)