Eastern States Office of External Affairs
| Contacts: | Bob Gillcash | , 703-440-1704 | , rgillcash@blm.gov |
March Oil and Gas Lease Sale Scheduled at Bureau of Land Management Eastern States Office
SPRINGFIELD, Va. – The Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States (BLM-ES) office will hold a quarterly, competitive oil and gas lease sale on March 21, 2013, at the BLM-ES office located at 7450 Boston Boulevard, Springfield, Virginia. The sale is open to the public. Parking is available. The Public Room at the BLM-ES office will open at 8:00 a.m.; registration begins at 9:00 a.m.; bidding at the oral auction will begin at 10:00 a.m. In the event of inclement weather, registration and bidding will begin two hours later. Please call 703-440-1777 for updated schedules due to weather conditions.
The BLM-ES is offering 63 parcels containing 47,895.34 acres of Federal lands in Louisiana, Michigan and Mississippi. In Louisiana, parcels are offered in Desoto, Bossier, Natchitoches, Red River, Vernon, and Rapides parishes. In Michigan, parcels are offered in Allegan and Roscommon counties. In Mississippi, parcels are offered in Clark, Franklin, Madison, Scott, Amite, and Wilkinson counties.
A sale notice that describes the competitive lease sale, the mineral parcels, and stipulations is available at http://www.blm.gov/es/st/en/prog/minerals/current_sales_and.html. Comments will be received at any time; however, protests must be received before 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, January 22, 2013.
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.