BLM seeks public input on White River plan amendment
Contractor selected to prepare associated EIS

Meeker, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management’s White River Field Office has begun to gather input on a proposed amendment to its 1997 Resource Management Plan (RMP) addressing the potential impacts of significant increases in oil and gas development within the 1.5 million acre field office over the next 20 years.

“We are excited to be out in front of emerging resource issues in the Piceance Basin with our land use planning,” said BLM Field Manager Kent Walter. “It is vital that the public and local communities participate in this important effort. We look forward to working with all parties involved”

Improved technology, increased demand and added capacity to move natural gas from the Piceance Basin has created the potential for additional oil and gas development from what was previously identified in the existing White River Field Office RMP. The existing plan anticipated about 1,100 new oil and gas wells over the life of the plan. Current estimates indicate the possibility of between 10,000 and 15,000 new oil and gas wells over the next 20 years.

BLM frequently works with contractors to develop planning documents. Depending on the situation, BLM either funds the contractor themselves or requires the interested party to fund the development of the environmental documents.

This week, BLM selected and approved the contractor (URS Corporation) to prepare the EIS for BLM. “Since future energy development is the major issue requiring a change to the 1997 Plan, BLM has worked with the energy industry to reduce costs to the taxpayers,” said BLM Field Manager Kent Walter.

Seven companies who are proposing new development are providing funds to help BLM complete the EIS. “We appreciate the energy industry’s willingness to step up,” said Walter, “but I want to reassure everyone that this is a BLM document, fully under BLM control.”

Working closely with cooperating agencies, which include state and local government agencies, BLM will make all of the decisions in the land use plan, including how much new oil and gas development will be allowed. BLM, URS and the energy companies have signed a formal agreement that clearly spells out BLM control.

For more information about the planning effort, including the Memorandum of Understanding BLM has signed with industry, which details roles and responsibilities, log on to the White River Field Office website at http://www.co.blm.gov/wrra/index.htm .

In this first opportunity for public comment, called “scoping,” BLM asks the public to help identify issues or concerns and to provide general input on the proposed amendment. The information will be used to prepare the draft RMP Amendment and associated Environmental Impact Statement.

“Public involvement is critical to this planning effort,” Walter said. “During this public scoping phase, we would like to hear general issues and concerns from the public.”

Public scoping meetings will be held in Meeker, Rangely and Rifle later this summer. BLM will accept public scoping comments through July 31, 2006. For further information or to have your name added to a mailing list, contact Jane Peterson, WRFO Oil and Gas EIS Project Manager, at (970) 244-3027 or jane_h_peterson@blm.gov, or log on to http://www.co.blm.gov/wrra/index.htm.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement should be completed by late fall 2007, which will be followed by a 90-day public comment period.

URS, the contractor selected to write the EIS, is an international company with offices in Denver. Among the many environmental documents it has completed for BLM are the Yankee Gulch EIS near Meeker, the RMP Amendment EIS for Las Cruces Fluid Minerals and Development, and the HD Mountain Coalbed Methane Field Development EIS in southwestern Colorado.

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