| Contacts: | Shannon Borders, Public Affairs Specialist, 970-240-5399 |
BLM Extends Deadline for August 2012 Oil and Gas Lease Sale Comments (04-03-12)
MONTROSE, Colo. –The deadline for providing comments regarding the Bureau of Land Management’s draft Environmental Assessment that evaluates 22 parcels for the August 2012 quarterly oil and gas lease sale has been extended from Apr. 6, 2012, to Apr. 20, 2012.
On Mar. 8, the Uncompahgre Field Office posted the environmental documents that evaluate about 30,000 acres for oil and gas leasing near Paonia, Hotchkiss, Somerset and Crawford. Public input throughout the remainder of the comment period should reference specific parcels and the associated resources on the parcel. The BLM initially accepted scoping comments on the proposed leases from Mar. 7 to Apr. 6.
For more information, links to the documents, maps of the parcels and legal descriptions go to http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/nepa/ufo/august_lease_sale.html. The EA is also available for public review at the Montrose Public Lands Center.
Written comments must be submitted online at http://on.doi.gov/UFOAugustLeaseSale, by mail to BLM, Uncompahgre Field Office, 2465 S. Townsend Ave., Montrose, CO 81401 by or by email to blm_co_ufo_leasing@blm.gov. The BLM cannot guarantee emails sent to BLM accounts outside of this address will be incorporated into the administrative record.
Please note comments and information submitted regarding this project, including email addresses and street addresses of respondents will be available for public review and disclosure. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name, e-mail address, or street address from public view or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by the law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
2465 South Townsend Avenue Montrose, CO 81401