Today’s Land Letter just arrived in my in box, with the following lead story:

1. OIL AND GAS: NPR-A could see new protections under pending Interior management plan

The Interior Department is preparing to develop its first comprehensive management plan for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A), a move environmentalists say could permanently remove large sections of the massive reserve from future energy development. The “integrated activity plan” for NPR-A would take a comprehensive look at the 23.5-million-acre reserve with an eye toward identifying areas suitable for oil and natural gas drilling as well as those areas that should remain off-limits, said Pat Pourchot, special assistant to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for Alaska affairs.

So, we’re only producing oil in deep water because we’re running out of places to look onshore, are we Barry? As I’ve said…