| Contacts: | Donna Hummel=505.954.2018 |
Comment Period Extended for Draft Secretarial Order Revising Rules for Co-Development of Oil and Gas and Potash Resources in Southeast New Mexico
Santa Fe, NM – The Department of the Interior has granted a 15-day extension of the public comment period for the draft Secretarial Order to promote orderly and safe development of oil and gas and potash resources in southeast New Mexico. The request for additional time was made by Senators Udall and Bingaman to allow the State of New Mexico, affected counties, affected companies, and citizens to consider the implications of the proposed secretarial guidance and to formulate substantive and meaningful comments for the Secretary to consider in a final rule.
The public comment period will now close on Friday, August 31, 2012 and no further extensions will be granted.
The draft secretarial Order and original 30-day comment period was announced by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on July 12, 2012. Public comment on the draft order is encouraged so that all comments can be considered in the final rule, which is expected to be completed later this year.
Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
• E-mail: therrell@blm.gov;
• Fax: 505-954-2115; or
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management
New Mexico State Office
301 Dinosaur Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87508
For further information, please contact Tony Herrell, Deputy State Director, Mineral Resources; telephone 505-954-2222; address 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508; e-mail: therrell@blm.gov.
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.