Swifter

Some states and private landowners are doing a better job than the Interior Department at spurring swifter development of oil and natural gas leases, according to a report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) last Tuesday. While part of this is due to the fact that states and private landowners face fewer restrictions (particularly on the environmental front) than Interior, the agency said states also are more actively providing producers with incentives to encourage rapid development.