| Contacts: | Bob Gillcash | , 703-440-1704 | , rgillcash@blm.gov |
Environmental analyses available for Bureau of Land Management June 2013 sale of oil and gas parcels
SPRINGFIELD, Va.– The Bureau of Land Management Eastern States (BLM ES) office has posted documents responsive to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in advance of oil and gas leasing actions scheduled to occur in June 2013. A quarterly sale of nominated parcels will be held at the BLM ES office in Springfield, Va. on June 20, 2013.
These NEPA documents were written by specialists in the BLM and are site-specific with regard to parcels that will be offered at the June sale. They are now available for public review and comment in accordance with the BLM energy reform policies promulgated in May 2010. Interested persons will find information about how to comment at http://www.blm.gov/es/st/en/prog/minerals/nominated_parcels.html. The sale scheduled for June will offer parcels for oil and gas exploration and development in several eastern states.
Comments must be received before 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, January 31, 2013. For more information about the BLM minerals leasing program, contact Dominica VanKoten, Division of Natural Resources, at (703) 440-1674.
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.