BLM accepting comments on environmental assessment for 45 parcels to be offered in the March 2020 oil and gas lease sale in the BLM Battle Mountain District
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BATTLE MOUNTAIN, NV – In keeping with the Administration’s goal of promoting American energy independence, the Bureau of Land Management will offer 44 parcels (73,271 acres) in the Tonopah Field Office and one parcel (320 acres) in the Mount Lewis Field Office on March 24, 2020, all within Battle Mountain District. This notice initiates a public comment period on associated environmental documents that opens on December 19, 2019 and closes on January 13, 2020. The BLM will hold the lease sale online at www.energynet.com.
The BLM is a key contributor to the Trump Administration’s America-First Energy Plan, an all-of-the-above strategy that includes oil and gas, coal, strategic minerals, and renewable sources such as wind, geothermal, and solar – all of which can be produced on public lands.
Responsible energy development includes thoughtful consideration of parcels nominated for leasing as well as potential resource impacts of decisions to lease. An additional environmental review will take place during processing of an Application for Permit to Drill, when site-specific Conditions of Approval will be placed on the permit in addition to the stipulations attached to the lease.
The EA can be viewed on the BLM NEPA Register website at https://go.usa.gov/xVtcD. Written comments will be accepted until January 13, 2020 and can be submitted online at the NEPA Register site; mailed to the BLM Tonopah Field Office at P.O Box 911, Tonopah, NV 89049; or emailed to: mjennings@blm.gov.
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or questions. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.
The BLM generated a record $1.1 billion from 28 oil and gas lease sales in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. The oil and gas industry on public lands in Nevada contributed $3.1 million in total economic output in FY 2018. Revenues from onshore oil and gas production on federal lands directly fund the U.S. Treasury and state budgets, and they support public education, infrastructure improvements, and other state-determined priorities. Nearly half the bid and rental receipts from lease sales go to the state of Nevada. The state also receives half of the revenue from royalties if oil and gas are developed on the lease.
This comment period complies with the terms of a Preliminary Injunction issued by the U.S. District Court of Idaho in W. Watersheds Project v. BLM (No. 1:18-cv-00187-REB), which required lengthier comment periods on environmental compliance documents associated with parcels that intersect Priority or General Habitat Management Areas for Greater Sage-Grouse.
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The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.