11/20/25
Across the West, significant portions of land are owned and managed by the federal government. Many of those lands contain valuable resources including fuel and nonfuel minerals, timber, and sites for energy development that generate significant revenue through leases and sales. To compensate states and local governments for these nontaxable lands, Congress established revenue-sharing programs that direct a portion of royalty and lease payments back to states and counties. Although they are not discretionary expenditures, funds have at times been delayed, reduced, or diverted by the federal government for budget purposes. In this resolution, Western Governors call on the federal government to fully honor its statutory obligations to share royalty and lease revenues with states, ensure transparency and timely distribution, and provide greater state involvement in decisions affecting these revenues. The resolution also calls for the Department of the Interior to clarify processes that may affect how and when royalties’ payments are reconciled to ensure stable and predictable revenue flows to states. Read, download the resolution.