The Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office seeks input on assessment for oil and gas lease sale in Kern County
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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office is seeking public comment on an Environmental Assessment for a December 2020 oil and gas lease sale. There are seven parcels totaling approximately 4,330 acres of Federal minerals proposed for lease. All parcels are located in or adjacent to existing oilfields in Kern County.
The BLM is a key contributor to the Trump Administration’s priority for American energy independence through an all-of-the-above strategy that includes oil and gas, strategic minerals and renewable sources such as wind, geothermal and solar – all of which can be found on public lands.
“Oil and gas fields on public lands in California are highly developed with some oilfields having been in production for more than 100 years. The leases being offered are adjacent to the Midway-Sunset Oilfield or within the Kern Front Oilfield in Kern County,” said BLM California State Director Karen Mouritsen.
BLM-managed public lands in California account for less than 10 percent of California’s oil and gas production, with the state managing the remaining 90 percent. The state permits all hydraulic fracturing activities in California, including those on BLM-managed public land.
Revenues from onshore oil and gas production on Federal lands directly fund the U.S. Treasury and state budgets, and support public education, infrastructure improvements and other state-determined priorities. The BLM shares with California roughly 50 percent or between $65 million to $90 million dollars per year of oil and gas royalties collected with the remaining 50 percent being paid to the U.S. Treasury. The BLM estimates the oil and gas industry generates approximately 3,500 jobs and $200 million in economic benefit annually within the Bakersfield Field Office planning area.
To ensure public comment is included in the assessment, please submit written comments by Sept. 25. Comments may be submitted electronically at the project website: https://go.usa.gov/xGxKz, or by mail to the Bakersfield Field Office, Attn: Oil and Gas Lease Sale, 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308. Comments received by other methods will not be accepted.
Before including addresses, phone numbers, email addresses or other personal identifying information in a comment, be aware that the entire comment – including personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While someone may ask the BLM to withhold personal identifying information from public review, the BLM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.
Additional information, including spatial data, can be obtained online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/oil-and-gas/leasing/regional-lease-sales/california. For specific questions, please contact BLM Realty Specialist Nora Dedios at 661-391-6000.
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.