I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9859 

To direct the Director of the Bureau of Land Management and the Chief 

of the United States Forest Service to conduct a study of onshore 

mineral values and the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to conduct a study of offshore mineral values. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 

Mr. ARRINGTON (for himself, Mr. NEWHOUSE, Mr. DONALDS, Mr. BACON, 

Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota, Mr. MOORE of Utah, and Mr. LAMBORN) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Director of the Bureau of Land Management 

and the Chief of the United States Forest Service to 

conduct a study of onshore mineral values and the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to 

conduct a study of offshore mineral values. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Abundant American 

5 Resources Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE MINERAL VALUE STUD2 IES. 

3 (a) ONSHORE MINERAL STUDY.—Not later than 

4 three years after the date of the enactment of this sec5 tion— 

6 (1) the Director of the Bureau of Land Man7 agement, shall complete (including through a con8 tract with a private entity) a study to determine the 

9 dollar value of liquid, gaseous, locatable, leasable, 

10 and salable minerals present in each covered onshore 

11 area under the jurisdiction of the Director; and 

12 (2) the Chief of the Forest Service, shall com13 plete (including through a contract with a private 

14 entity) a study to determine the dollar value of liq15 uid, gaseous, and locatable minerals present in each 

16 covered onshore area under the jurisdiction of the 

17 Chief. 

18 (b) OFFSHORE MINERAL STUDY.—Not later than 

19 three years after the date of the enactment of this section, 

20 the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

21 shall complete (including through a contract with a private 

22 entity) a study to determine the dollar value of liquid, gas23 eous, and locatable minerals present in each covered off24 shore area under the jurisdiction of the Director. 

25 (c) INCLUDED AND EXCLUDED AREAS.—The studies 

26 required under subsections (a) and (b) shall— 


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1 (1) include co-managed areas; and 

2 (2) exclude— 

3 (A) any unit of the National Park System; 

4 and 

5 (B) any national monument designated as 

6 an area of critical environmental concern before 

7 January 1, 2000; 

8 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

9 (1) the term ‘‘area of critical environmental 

10 concern’’ has the meaning given such term under 

11 section 1610.7–2 of title 43, Code of Federal Regu12 lations; 

13 (2) the term ‘‘co-managed area’’ means an area 

14 that is under the jurisdiction of two or more Federal 

15 agencies; 

16 (3) the term ‘‘covered onshore area’’ means— 

17 (A) a national monument— 

18 (i) that is not a marine national 

19 monument; and 

20 (ii) that was designated after Decem21 ber 31, 1999; 

22 (B) an area of critical environmental con23 cern; and 

24 (C) an area that has been withdrawn 

25 from— 


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1 (i) entry under the general mining 

2 laws; or 

3 (ii) operation of the mineral leasing 

4 and mineral materials laws; 

5 (4) the term ‘‘covered offshore area’’ means— 

6 (A) a marine national monument; 

7 (B) an offshore area that has been with8 drawn from— 

9 (i) entry under the general mining 

10 laws; or 

11 (ii) operation of the mineral leasing 

12 and mineral materials laws; and 

13 (C) an offshore area that is otherwise des14 ignated as an area under moratorium; 

15 (5) the term ‘‘liquid minerals’’ includes crude 

16 oil; and 

17 (6) the term ‘‘gaseous minerals’’ includes nat18 ural gas. 

Æ 


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