BLM Wyoming posts sale notice for February 2019 supplementary oil and gas lease sale
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CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Today the Bureau of Land Management Wyoming released a Notice of Competitive Lease Sale announcing a supplementary sale slated for Feb. 25-March 1, 2019. The BLM proposes to offer 568 parcels totaling about 768,942 acres in an online auction on www.energynet.com.
BLM Wyoming originally planned to offer these parcels earlier this month at its fourth-quarter lease sale. In order to comply with a recent District Court of Idaho order [W. Watersheds Project v. Zinke, No. 1:18-cv-00187-REB, 2018 U.S. Dist. (D. Idaho Sept. 21, 2018)], the BLM extended the public comment period for parcels in identified Greater sage-grouse habitat. The BLM deferred seven additional parcels from the sale at the request of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, citing concerns for the Red Desert to Hoback mule deer migration corridor.
Publication of this sale notice kicks off a 30-day protest period, which will close at 4 p.m. on Jan. 22, 2019. You can review the sale notice, environmental documents and more information on our review and input process at https://go.usa.gov/xExGK.
Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas. Before beginning operations on a lease, an operator must submit an application that details its plans for development. At that time, the BLM will analyze the proposal in coordination with our partners and stakeholders, including the State of Wyoming. Through this process, we foster domestic energy development that supports local communities and healthy, productive landscapes.
Wyoming is one of the country’s top energy producers on public lands, generating more than $1.2 billion in 2017 from mineral revenues alone. The State of Wyoming receives about half of each lease sale’s revenues, which it uses to support roads, schools and other local infrastructure priorities.
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.