Southwest Resource Advisory Council Oil and Gas Sub-group to meet Feb. 11
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MONTROSE, Colo.—The Bureau of Land Management’s Southwest Resource Advisory Council Oil and Gas sub-group will meet Thursday, Feb. 11, at the La Plata County Fairgrounds in Durango at 10 a.m. and at the Mancos High School Gym in Mancos at 6 p.m. This is the second meeting where the sub-group will discuss issues related to oil and gas leasing and development of federal minerals in western La Plata and eastern Montezuma counties.
The agendas for both meetings are the same in order to provide the public with the opportunity to receive the same information at either session. The meetings begin with a presentation where the BLM provides a general overview of the federal oil and gas development process and a discussion regarding the decisions, such as the application of no surface occupancy, controlled surface use and timing limitation oil and gas lease stipulations that were made in the 2015 Tres Rios Field Office Resource Management Plan. The meetings also include discussions amongst the sub-group regarding federal oil and gas leasing and development issues, and each meeting concludes with a public comment period.
To better facilitate the meetings, the public is invited to register with the BLM to provide comments by sending an email to sborders@blm.gov by Wednesday, Feb. 10. Speakers should also submit a written copy of their statements at the meetings for inclusion in the administrative record. The public comment periods will begin at 11:30 a.m. in Durango and at 7:30 p.m. in Mancos. Depending on the number of speakers, the sub-group may limit the time for each comment. Written comments can also be sent to blm_co_trfo_oilandgas@blm.gov. To learn more about the Oil and Gas sub-group, go to http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/nepa/TRFO_NEPA/TRFOMLP.html.
The Southwest RAC is one of three advisory councils to the BLM Colorado. Composed of 15 members appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, individuals serving in each RAC represent diverse public land interests, ranging from environmental to local government to commercial activity. The Oil and Gas Sub-Group is comprised of three RAC members and it was created to facilitate public information and engagement regarding oil and gas development in southwest Colorado. For more information on the Southwest RAC, go to http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Resources/racs/swrac.html.
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.