BLM Colorado evaluating oil and gas leasing proposals
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LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public scoping comments on approximately 78,692 acres of public lands proposed for the upcoming September 2019 competitive oil and gas lease sale in Routt, Moffat, Garfield, Rio Blanco, Jackson, Kiowa, Cheyenne, and Weld counties.
Before beginning an environmental analysis, the BLM would like to hear from the public about issues that should be considered. Parcels located within Greater-Sage Grouse habitat will comply with the recent Greater-Sage Grouse Resource Management Plan Amendment. The public scoping period starts today, April 2 and ends April 16, 2019.
Maps, parcel lists, lease stipulations, instructions for submitting comments, and local contact information for the Little Snake, Kremmling, White River, and Royal Gorge field offices are available on the ePlanning website.
Scoping comments will need to be received by April 16, 2019. The next opportunity for the public to provide comment will be a 30 day public review and comment period on draft environmental assessment documents. Comments may be submitted electronically via the ePlanning website and hard copy mail can be sent to the respective field offices.
The State of Colorado receives 48 percent of proceeds from each lease sale, with the remainder going to the U.S. government. In Fiscal Year 2017 oil and gas development on public lands managed by the BLM in Colorado contributed $5 billion to the economy. Statewide 25,219 jobs are tied to oil and gas development on BLM-managed public lands
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your 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.
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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.