BLM seeks comments on parcels offered in December 2018 oil and gas lease sale
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SALT LAKE CITY — In keeping with the Administration’s goal of strengthening America’s energy independence, the Bureau of Land Management today began a 15-day scoping period for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to evaluate offering approximately 329,826 acres of federal minerals in Utah for oil and gas leasing. The public scoping comment period ends at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 31, 2018.
“The BLM welcomes and encourages public involvement early in the NEPA process, as it is an integral part in our evaluation of the proposed lease parcels,” said Kent Hoffman, Deputy State Director for Lands and Minerals. “The most effective comments will identify issues and concerns specific to the parcels being considered.”
The BLM recently issued new policy instructing state offices to move away from the rotating district lease sale schedule and to now return to offering parcels statewide for each quarterly sale. This will be BLM Utah’s first statewide lease sale under the new guidance.
You can review the parcel list, maps and shape files, as well as submit scoping comments on these parcels at the following BLM ePlanning National NEPA Register project page at: http://go.usa.gov/xUWdx. Scoping comments are most useful when they identify issues relevant to the proposed action or contain new technical or scientific information. Scoping comments will not receive a formal response, but will be evaluated in the BLM decision-making process to identify issues that need to be analyzed and addressed through the NEPA process.
Oil and gas development on BLM-managed lands in Utah contributed $1.7 billion to the economy and supported 9,171 jobs in Fiscal Year 2016. The state of Utah receives about 50 percent of the proceeds of each lease sale. For more information, please contact Sheri Wysong at (801) 539-4067.
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.