He called the sales a sign that the administration was moving forward with a comprehensive energy strategy that includes oil, gas, and renewable energy, despite what he said were false claims that the Democratic administration was hindering domestic energy development.

"We believe that our oil- and gas-leasing program is robust, but it is also a program that we have brought back into balance," Salazar said. "But you wouldn't know it if you listened to the untruths coming out of some of the corners of the oil and gas industry."

Specifically, he said some industry trade groups were "behaving like an arm of a political party" - a clear reference to Republicans - with accusations that he said had all the poison of a political campaign.

"Trade groups need to understand that they do not own the nation's public lands. Taxpayers do," he said.

Salazar was responding to complaints in recent weeks from industry groups and Republicans in Congress that the Obama administration has sharply curtailed oil and gas leases on federal lands. A report last week by the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States said the administration was scaring away drillers, who accuse officials of holding up leases after taking auction money from the companies.

Salazar yesterday defended the administration's record, saying 32 onshore lease sales have been held this year, offering more than 2.7 million acres in the West and generating more than $126 million in revenue.

The new leases will be available for parcels in California, Wyoming, Utah, and portions of Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve, a 23 million-acre area on the North Slope set aside by President Warren Harding in 1923 to supply oil to the Navy.

The announcement came just weeks after the government held an auction of public lands in Utah on Nov. 7 that was remarkable for how few parcels were offered or sold.

Kate Zimmerman of the National Wildlife Federation said the industry blamed Salazar for a slowdown in leases that has more to do with the economy than political interference. "While there are not as many leases as issued in 2008, it's also true that the economy is a lot slower and gas storage is at an all-time high," she said.