Across the West -- in places like the Four Corners -- the landscape is illuminated by plumes of flame as drilling companies burn and waste natural gas on our public lands.

This “flaring” is much more than just an eyesore. It’s wasted energy and revenue -- and it’s happening on public lands that we own as taxpayers. And that’s not even to mention other forms of natural gas waste, like leaks and intentional venting of gas that pollutes our air.

In a single year, enough energy is wasted through natural gas leaks, flaring and venting on public and tribal lands to meet the needs of half the homes in Colorado.

Worse, a regulatory loophole allows drilling companies to avoid paying royalties on the natural gas they waste. Each year, Americans are losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. That’s money that could fund schools, build new roads, and repair our aging infrastructure.

In Colorado alone, taxpayers are missing out on $7.9 million in natural gas royalties every year.

Westerners are fed up. Venting, flaring, and leaking of natural gas are causing an increase in asthma and toxic pollution. Home heating prices strain budgets. And with increasing violence and instability across the Middle East, it’s more important than ever that we protect our domestic energy resources for Americans.

It’s time to end natural gas waste on our public and tribal lands. Ask our leaders to end the waste once and for all.