October 30, 2026 - 9:00 pm

How many times does the federal government have to auction the same public land for oil and gas leasing before it gets the message that nobody has a legitimate interest in it? Apparently, at least three times.

On Sept. 16, the Bureau of Land Management offered 14 parcels of Nevada public land, roughly 20,600 acres, for oil and gas development. Not one parcel received a single bid.

Rather than taking the hint, the Trump administration — prompted by a ridiculous new requirement that Congress put in place last year — doubled down, holding a “replacement” sale of the same unwanted parcels just two weeks after oil and gas companies declined to bid on them. The result? Again, not a single competitive bid. Shocking, I know.

And the absurdity doesn’t stop there. The very next day, a company came out of the woodwork and purchased nearly 6,000 acres of the lands over-the-counter, for no bid at all.…