Geothermal Lease Sale Postponed
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In January 2008 the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Oregon/Washington State Office announced that it would be accepting nominations for a proposed geothermal resources lease sale in June 2008. The BLM has subsequently decided to postpone the geothermal lease sale to later dates. BLM will likely move forward with a lease sale in July 2008 for those parcels located in the Glass Butte area in Lake and Harney Counties. The new date will allow the BLM Districts additional time to review data to ensure completion of the requisite environmental reviews. The U.S. Forest Service has indicated that it will be developing additional environmental analysis in the Newberry Volcanic Area and that a geothermal lease sale could be held in the future. Federal lands are open to geothermal leasing. Public lands are available for leasing only after they have been evaluated through BLM's multiple-use planning process (National Environmental Policy Act and Federal Land Policy and Management Act). Stipulations may be placed on leases to protect other resources through mitigation or restrictions on surface use. Nominations are not automatically placed on a sale when received, and the BLM cannot guarantee that the nominated lands will always be included on a particular sale notice. The BLM will still be accepting nominations for future sales. The parcels must be reviewed for availability and for environmental and cultural concerns prior to being placed on a sale. Sale parcels will normally be configured as requested; however, BLM reserves the right to adjust the parcel size and configuration as needed. Each nomination must be submitted with a nonrefundable filing fee of $100 per nomination plus $0.10 per acre of lands nominated. If a land parcel consists of fractional acreage, please round the land acres up to the nearest whole acre. Additional information regarding geothermal leasing is available on the internet at: blm.gov/or/energy/geothermal/index.phpIf you have questions please contact Ms. Donna Kauffman at (503) 808-6162; or write to the attention of: BLM Oregon/Washington State Office Attn: Ms. Donna Kauffman P.O. Box 2965 Portland, OR 97208
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.