We’ve all daydreamed about winning the lottery and imagined what we’d do with the extra cash—buy a home, retire early, donate to charity, upgrade to the Porsche. But in some areas around the country, winning the lottery doesn’t require a ticket from the local 7-Eleven. Farmers and ranchers in states like North Dakota are sitting on top of winning lottery tickets with the right combination of mineral rights and geology. If a company drills for oil on your private land, royalties from that operation could generate tens of thousands of dollars in monthly income.
Which leads us to the next point – mineral envy. Mineral rights and royalties are not easy to come by, and not every American can own a ranch on top of the Bakken oil field in North Dakota. So where does the “get rich quick” plan come in? Are we simply stuck with mineral envy, and no ability to enjoy the benefits of the resources beneath our feet?
State Senator Edward Walker signs the American Products and Power bus in Billings, MT.
At an American Products and Power bus tour stop in Billings, MT, State Senator Edward Walker set the record straight about mineral envy. Taxpayers own federal and state lands all over the country that contain billions of barrels of oil the vast majority are under lock and key. Senator Walker aptly pointed out that we don’t need to feel mineral envy—we simply need to change government policies that prevent we the people from developing our own natural resources.
The benefits of increased domestic energy production may not reach every American in the form of a royalty check, but we all win the lottery when drivers can afford to fill the gas tank, families can pay their monthly bills, and when the country experiences economic growth. Tell Washington that we need to unlock American energy on federal lands and unleash economic growth by signing the American Products and Power petition here.