BLM seeks comments on parcels offered in September 2019 oil and gas lease sale
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SALT LAKE CITY — In keeping with the Administration’s goal of promoting American energy security, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to offer 149 parcels, totaling nearly 183,668 acres on lands managed by the Canyon Country, Color Country, Green River, and West Desert districts at the Sept. 10, 2019 quarterly oil and gas lease sale. This notice initiates a public comment period on the associated environmental documents that ends on July 1, 2019. The BLM will hold the lease sale online at www.energynet.com.
“We encourage public involvement early in this review process; it is an integral part of our evaluation of the proposed lease parcels,” said Kent Hoffman, Deputy State Director for Lands and Minerals. “Comments should identify issues and concerns specific to the parcels being considered.”
This sale includes 45 parcels removed from the March 2019 quarterly lease sale. The BLM removed 26 parcels in order to comply with a Preliminary Injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho in W. Watersheds Project v. BLM, which requires lengthier comment periods on environmental compliance documents associated with parcels that intersect Priority or General Habitat Management Areas for Greater Sage-Grouse. The BLM also decided to conduct additional reviews of the environmental analysis for nineteen parcels in San Juan County and moved them from the March to the September lease sale.
The BLM generated a record $1.1 billion from 28 oil and gas lease sales in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. The oil and gas industry on public lands in Utah contributed $2.6 billion in total economic output and jobs for FY 2017. Revenues from onshore oil and gas production on federal lands directly fund the U.S. Treasury, state budgets and support public education, infrastructure improvements, and other state-determined priorities.
Background
By statute, the BLM is required to offer quarterly oil and gas leases sales of available Federal lands. BLM state offices conduct lease sales quarterly when parcels are available for lease. These lease sales represent parcels that cleared environmental review and public comment. The BLM issues both competitive and non-competitive leases for a 10-year period. The leases are a contract to explore and develop any potential oil and gas. The leases may earn an extension if the lessee establishes production, otherwise they pay annual rentals.
Public Comments
Comments on the environmental documents must be submitted electronically via the BLM Land Use Planning and NEPA Register (ePlanning) at https://bit.ly/2Z5PlYd. Comments must be received by 4:30 pm on July 1, 2019. Any comments received by other methods will not be accepted. Links to the environmental documents, lists and maps of the parcels, and attached stipulations are online at https://bit.ly/2Z5PlYd.
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question with the individual named above. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.
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.