BLM accepting comments for September oil and gas lease sale
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SANTA FE, N.M. - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico is announcing a two-week public review and comment period for the environmental documents for its Sept. 5, 2019 oil and gas lease sale. Seventeen parcels (4,980 acres) of federal minerals are proposed for lease. The parcels are located in Eddy, Chaves, Lea and McKinley counties, New Mexico; Coal and Major counties, Oklahoma; and Greeley County, Kansas. The review and comment period will run from May 13-24, 2019.
Revenues from onshore oil and gas production on federal lands directly fund the U.S. Treasury, state budgets and support public education, infrastructure improvements, and other state-determined priorities. Forty-eight percent of lease sale revenue goes to the state while the rest goes to the U.S. Treasury. The state also receives half of the revenue from royalties if oil and gas is developed on the lease.
The BLM is a key contributor to the Trump Administration's America-First Energy Plan, which is an all-of-the-above plan 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.
Background
By statute, the BLM is required to offer quarterly oil and gas lease sales of available Federal lands. BLM state offices conduct lease sales quarterly when parcels are available for lease. These lease sales represent parcels that cleared environmental review and public comment. The BLM issues both competitive and noncompetitive leases for a 10-year period. The leases are a contract to explore and develop any potential oil and gas. The leases may earn an extension if the lessee establishes production, otherwise they pay annual rentals.
Public Comments
Public comments will be accepted electronically via the BLM Land Use Planning and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Register (ePlanning). Comments received by other methods will not be accepted. Additional information, including spatial data and exhibits, can be obtained online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/oil-and-gas/leasing/regional-lease-sales/new-mexico. This website will link to ePlanning, where interested individuals and parties can provide written comments.
Please note that the most useful public comments are substantive and identify issues relevant to the proposed action. These may question, with reasonable basis, the accuracy of information, methodology or assumptions, and present reasonable alternatives other than those analyzed. Comments that contain only opinions or preferences, or comments that are essentially identical to other comments, will not be specifically addressed in the environmental review process.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your public scoping comment, you should be aware that your entire comment - including your personal identifying information - may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
For more information, please contact BLM Land Law Examiner Lisa Rivera at (505) 954-2162.
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.