---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 15922"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "15922"
heading: "Consultation regarding oil and gas leasing on public land"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/15922"
units:
  - "Chapter 149 — National Energy Policy and Programs"
  - "Subchapter III — Oil and Gas"
  - "Part B — Access to Federal Lands"
---

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

- (a) **In general—** Not later than 180 days after August 8, 2005, the [Secretary](/usc/42/15801.md?p=4) of the Interior and the [Secretary](/usc/42/15801.md?p=4) of Agriculture shall enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding oil and gas leasing on—
  - (1) public land under the jurisdiction of the [Secretary](/usc/42/15801.md?p=4) of the Interior; and
  - (2) National Forest System land under the jurisdiction of the [Secretary](/usc/42/15801.md?p=4) 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](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1); 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](/usc/42/15801.md?p=1) of the Interior and the [Department](/usc/42/15801.md?p=1) 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.

## Source credit

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