BLM seeks comments on parcels offered in November oil and gas lease sale
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The Bureau of Land Management is accepting public comments on its proposal to lease 35 parcels totaling 25,000 acres in the Royal Gorge, Grand Junction, Colorado River Valley and Tres Rios field offices at its Nov. 10, 2016, quarterly oil and gas lease sale.The Royal Gorge Field Office released a preliminary environmental assessment evaluating six parcels in Huerfano, Las Animas, Lincoln and Washington counties; and the Grand Junction Field Office released a preliminary environmental assessment evaluating 24 parcels in Garfield and Mesa counties. Two of the parcels evaluated by the Grand Junction Field Office cross field office boundaries into the Colorado River Valley Field Office.The BLM is also considering offering five parcels in Dolores County. These parcels were previously included in the February 2016 lease sale, but the BLM postponed the sale to allow more time for tribal consultation. The BLM analyzed the area where these parcels are located in the recently released BLM Tres Rios Field Resource Management Plan. The RMP incorporates the best available science to inform the BLM's leasing and other decision making.Each lease, if issued, will contain stipulations and best management practices designed to address air quality and water resources while ensuring safe and environmentally responsible development. As part of leasing reform, the BLM may modify lease stipulations to accommodate site-specific resources.The environmental assessments, lists and maps of the parcels, and the attached stipulations are online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/oil-and-gas/leasing/regional-lease-sales/coloradoWritten comments must be received by June 13, 2016. Comments on the Royal Gorge parcels may be submitted to BLM_CO_RG_Comments@blm.gov; comments on the Grand Junction parcels may be submitted to BLM_CO_NWDist_public_comments@blm.gov; and comments on the Tres Rios parcels may be submitted to BLM_CO_TRFO_2016_lease_sale@blm.gov. The most effective comments refer to a specific parcel and its associated resources.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.The State of Colorado receives 49 percent of the proceeds of each lease sale. In Fiscal_Year 2015, Colorado received approximately $247 million from royalties, rentals and bonus bid payments for all federal minerals, including oil and gas. Statewide, more than 22,900 jobs are tied to mineral and energy development on public lands.
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.