BLM Utah News Releases

BLM Utah to Host Resource Advisory Council Subgroup Conference Call Meeting (Issued 06/18/13)

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:09:23 -0600

The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Utah Resource Advisory Council (RAC) subgroup will host a conference call meeting, Monday, June 24, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. – noon, MST.

The Utah RAC formed a subgroup to review BLM-Utah’s draft three-year strategy for managing National Conservation Lands. In May 2013, the RAC provided the BLM-Utah State Director with recommended changes to the draft strategy, and this meeting is being held to discuss how BLM Utah has incorporated the subgroup’s recommendations into the revised draft strategy.

Those attending the meeting in person should meet at the BLM-Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, Utah, in the Monument Conference Room on the fifth floor at 10:00 a.m. Public participants wishing to listen to the teleconference, orally present material during the teleconference, or submit written material for the subgroup during the meeting should notify Sherry Foot, Special Programs Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101; phone 801-539-4195; or email sfoot@blm.gov no later than 4:30 p.m., Friday, June 21, 2013. A public comment period will take place after the business meeting.

The meeting is open to the public; however, transportation, lodging, and meals are the responsibility of participating individuals. The conference call will be recorded for purposes of minute-taking.

For more information on Resource Advisory Councils, please visit www.blm.gov/ut/st/en.html.

Fire Restrictions to be Implemented in Southwest Utah and Northwest Arizona

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:55:22 -0600

Due to recent dry conditions and high fire danger in southwest Utah and northwest Arizona, Color Country Interagency Fire Managers are implementing Stage 1 fire restrictions beginning Thursday, June 20 at 00:01 a.m. The following describes the restrictions to be implemented by each fire management agency in Color Country.

Unincorporated Privately Owned and State Owned Lands in Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington Counties (UT Division of Foresrty Fire and State Lands): The following acts will be prohibited until further notice:

Setting, building, maintaining, attending or using open fire of any kind, except campfires and charcoal fires within agency approved fire pits and grills provided in developed recreation sites and picnic areas or at permanently improved places of habitation (contact Forestry, Fire and State Lands for further information). Devices fueled by petroleum or LPG products are allowed in all locations.
Smoking except in enclosed vehicle or building, or a developed recreation site or cleared areas of a minimum of three (3) feet in diameter down to mineral soil.
Discharging, or using any kind of fireworks, tracer ammunition or other pyrotechnic devices.
The cutting, welding or grinding of metal in areas of dry vegetation.
Use of exploding targets that are detonated when struck by a projectile such as a bullet.

These restrictions do not apply to incorporated towns and cities. Please contact the local fire agency for any restrictions that may apply.

BLM Seeks Comment on Environmental Assessments for November Oil and Gas Lease Sale (Issued 06/14/13)

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:30:37 -0600

Vernal, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah Green River District is now seeking public comment on two environmental assessments (EAs) analyzing the BLM’s proposal to offer 82 parcels covering 142,947 acres in the Price and Vernal Field Offices at the November 2013 oil and gas lease sale. The EA for the Price Field Office analyzed 75 parcels covering 137,441 acres, and the EA for the Vernal Field Office analyzed seven parcels covering 5,506 acres.

Additional information about the proposed parcels is included in the EAs, which are now available for public review and comment. Electronic copies of the EAs can be found on the Environmental Notification Bulletin Board at: https://www.blm.gov/ut/enbb/index.php; to review the Price EA search for “November 2013 Price Field Office Oil & Gas Lease Sale EA” in the project field; to review the Vernal EA, search for “November 2013 Oil and Gas Lease Sale” in the project field. The Vernal EA can also be downloaded from the following webpage: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning/nepa_.html.

Hard copies can be obtained in person at the Price Field Office: 125 South 600 West, Price, UT or at the Vernal Field Office: 170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT.

The public review and comment period closes at 4:30 p.m. on July 15, 2013. Please note that the most useful comments are those that identify issues relevant to the proposed action or contain new technical or scientific information. Comments which contain only opinions or preferences will not receive a formal response, but may be considered in the BLM decision-making process. Please reference the "November 2013 Oil and Gas Lease Sale" when submitting comments.

Written comments on the Price EA should be mailed or emailed to:

Price Field Office

Attn: Don Stephens

125 South 600 West

Price, UT 84501

blm_ut_pr_mail@blm.gov

Written comments on the Vernal EA should be mailed or emailed to:

Vernal Field Office

Attn: Nate Packer

170 South 500 East

Vernal, UT 84078

BLM_UT_Vernal_Comments@blm.gov

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. The BLM will not consider anonymous comments. All submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.

For further information on the Price Field Office EA, contact Don Stephens at (435)636-3608. For further information on the Vernal Field Office EA, contact Stephanie Howard at (435)781-4469. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individuals. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and messages will be answered during normal business hours.

To learn more about BLM-Utah oil and gas lease sales visit:

http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/energy/oil_and_gas/oil_and_gas_lease.html.

BLM Reopens Comment Period for Proposed Commercial Oil Shale Regulations (Issued 06/13/13)

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:10:41 -0600

WASHINGTON – In order to facilitate greater review by the public and key stakeholders, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced today that it is reopening the public comment period for proposed revisions to its commercial oil shale regulations. Notice of the new 30-day comment period is published in today’s Federal Register. Public comments will now be accepted until July 15, 2013.

On March 27, the BLM published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to revise certain provisions of the commercial oil shale leasing regulations. The proposed revisions are designed to ensure that the royalty system ensures a fair return to the American taxpayer and that adequate measures are in place to protect the environment.

The proposed rule provided a deadline of May 28 to comment on the proposed revisions. The BLM has received requests from several interested parties asking for an extension of the comment period. The parties expressed the need for additional time to conduct a comprehensive review of the proposed revisions and potential impacts.

In February 2011, the Department of the Interior announced that the BLM would take a fresh look at commercial oil shale rules and plans issued under the previous Administration and, if necessary, update them based on the latest research and technologies, to account for expected water demands in the arid West, and to ensure they provide a fair return to the taxpayer.

The proposed rule published in March identifies several options for amending the current royalty rates for commercial oil shale production. The BLM will consider whether a single royalty rate or royalty structures should be set in advance or whether to retain some administrative flexibility to adjust royalty rates when more information is available about costs of production, energy inputs, and impacts associated with various emerging extraction technologies.

Interested parties are requested not to resubmit comments previously submitted to the BLM during the comment period that closed on May 28.

Oil shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock containing kerogen, and is distinct from “shale oil.” The largest known domestic oil shale deposits are in a 16,000-square mile area in the Green River formation in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.

Interior Announces Nearly $400 Million in PILT Payments (Issued 06/13/13)

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:00:39 -0600

Underscores President’s Initiative to Strengthen Rural Communities, Calls on Congress to Extend PILT Program

BLM, Tribes Continue Dialogue on Hydraulic Fracturing Rule (Issued 06/13/13)

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:43:21 -0600

WASHINGTON – Building on the eight outreach sessions held last year with Tribal communities and the 22 formal one-one-one tribal consultations, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has scheduled two additional regional outreach meetings with Tribal representatives to discuss how the Bureau’s proposed hydraulic fracturing rule would strengthen oil and gas operations on Indian trust lands.

The announcement of the meetings – planned for June 18 in Dickinson, ND, and June 20 in Farmington, NM – comes in conjunction with the publication of a revised proposed rule on hydraulic fracturing on public and Indian lands on May 24 in Federal Register.

Following the release of an initial draft proposal in 2012, Interior received extensive feedback, including over 177,000 public comments as well as suggestions from Indian tribes that helped inform the updated draft proposal. The new proposal maintains important safety standards, improves integration with existing state and tribal standards, and increases flexibility for oil and gas operators. The updated draft proposal is subject to a new 90-day public comment period, which ends on August 23, 2013.

“For more than a year, the BLM and many Indian tribes have engaged in a dialogue – both through regional meetings and government-to-government consultation – in which many clear and valid points were made about what a hydraulic fracturing rule needs to do,” said BLM Principal Deputy Director Neil Kornze.

“We believe the revised rule enables us to meet our trust responsibilities for oil and gas development on Indian lands, while recognizing issues such as sovereignty, economic development, and water rights,” Kornze said.

The Indian Mineral Leasing Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, who oversees the BLM, to administer the oil and gas leasing program under regulations specific to Indian trust lands, in an effort to provide the same protections to these lands that are accorded to public lands.

Last year, the BLM held eight separate outreach sessions for Tribal communities in addition to 22 formal one-to-one Tribal consultations.

At this year’s regional meetings, BLM staff will present background information regarding hydraulic fracturing, explain the current provisions of the rule, and how it was revised to address tribal concerns. The program will also include time to answer questions and take suggestions.

The revised rule supports the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above commitment and approach to American energy by expanding domestic oil and gas production in order to further American energy self-reliance, while remaining focused on ensuring safe and responsible development on public and Indian lands.

Approximately 90 percent of wells drilled on Federal and Indian lands use hydraulic fracturing, but the BLM’s current regulations governing hydraulic fracturing operations on public and Indian lands are more than 30 years old and were not written to address modern hydraulic fracturing activities. The revised proposed rule will modernize BLM’s management of hydraulic fracturing operations, and help to establish baseline environmental safeguards for these operations across all public and Indian lands.

The updated draft proposal maintains the three main components of the initial proposal: requiring operators to disclose the chemicals they use in fracturing activities on public lands; improving assurances of well-bore integrity to verify that fluids used during fracturing operations are not contaminating groundwater; and confirming that oil and gas operators have a water management plan in place for handling fluids that flow back to the surface.

Representatives of tribes with interests in oil and gas development are invited to attend one of the following two meetings:

– June 18, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Ramada Grand Dakota Lodge and Conference Center, 532 15th Street West, Dickinson, ND, 58601. Reservations: 800-422-0949 (a limited number of rooms at a conference rate are available).

– June 20, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

San Juan Community College, Computer Science Building Lecture Hall, 4601 College Blvd., Farmington, NM, 87402. Information: Patrick Papich, BLM Farmington Field Office, 505-320-5161.

Temporary Closure of Red Cliffs Recreation Area (Issued 06/13/13)

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:32:26 -0600

June 25-27, 2013

St. George, Utah—The Red Cliffs Recreation Area—a popular fee site managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah in the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area—will be temporarily closed to public visitation June 25–27, 2013.

The three-day closure is required to protect public safety while geotechnical drilling and other tests are completed for upcoming work in the recreation area. During testing, a drill rig and other heavy equipment will be operating along the Red Cliffs Road and in the campground creating a potential safety hazard to visitors. The upcoming work in the recreation area will install vehicle/pedestrian bridges at two low-water crossings on the Red Cliffs Road.

The three-day closure to public visitation applies to:

· the Red Cliffs Road from the entrance gate to the campground;

· the campground and campground loop road; the day use areas within the campground;

· the Red Reef Trail from the campground to the U.S. Forest Service boundary;

· the Silver Reef Trail;

· and the Anasazi Trail.

The White Reef trailhead, which is accessed from the Red Cliffs Road just west of I-15, and the non-motorized trail system in the White Reef area will remain open for public use.

For more information about the temporary closure, please contact the Interagency Visitor Center in St. George at 435-688-3200. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the visitor center during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and callers may leave messages or questions that will be replied to during normal business hours.

Public Invited to Visit New Dinosaur Track Site (Issued 06/11/13)

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:41:24 -0600

Moab, Utah—Interested members of the public are invited to join the BLM-Utah Canyon Country District paleontologist for a tour of the new dinosaur track site in the Mill Canyon area on Friday, June 28, 2013.

Paleontologists and volunteers will be onsite excavating the track surface, and BLM paleontologist ReBecca Hunt-Foster will lead short, interpretive hikes at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. During these walks, participants will learn how paleontologists differentiate between tracks and the dinosaurs that made them, as well as the importance of protecting track sites like the one in Mill Canyon. Please join the BLM for this unique, educational opportunity.

Those interested in joining Dr. Hunt-Foster on one of the hikes, should plan to be at the site a few minutes before the tour is scheduled to begin. From Moab, take Highway 191 north for 15 miles to Mill Canyon Rd. Turn left onto Mill Canyon Rd. and travel approximately one mile to the “Y” intersection of Mill Canyon Rd. and Cotter Mine Rd. Turn left onto Cotter Mine Rd. and continue for another ½ mile to a second parking area.

Participants are reminded that summer temperatures in the Moab area can be extreme and should plan accordingly and bring their own water and sunscreen. Although the hikes are relatively short, walking in the sun and heat may not be enjoyable or advisable for everyone. Although the hikes are very short in duration and distance, participants should be aware of their own skill level and health, and proceed accordingly.

For more information please contact the BLM-Utah Moab Field Office at (435)259-2100.

Bureau of Land Management Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Salt Water Disposal Well (Issued 06/07/13)

Fri, 7 Jun 2013 12:05:42 -0600

Vernal, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah Vernal Field Office is seeking public comment on an environmental assessment (EA) that evaluates drilling a salt water disposal well on an existing well pad.

Under the proposal, Gasco Energy Inc. would drill a well, install two production tanks, and two 10-inch pipelines for 9,691 feet along existing access roads on lands in northeast Utah. If approved, the project would provide for subsurface disposal of water produced as a byproduct from ongoing oil and gas operations in the area.

Additional information about the proposed project is included in the EA. An electronic copy of the EA can be found on the Vernal Field Office website at: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning/nepa_.html

The public review and comment period for this EA closes June 24, 2013. Please note that the most useful comments are those that identify issues relevant to the proposed action or contain new technical or scientific information. Comments which contain only opinions or preferences will not receive a formal response, but may be considered in the BLM decision-making process. Please reference “Gasco Salt Water Disposal Well” when submitting comments.

Written comments should be mailed by June 24, 2013 to:

Bureau of Land Management

Attn: Stephanie Howard

Vernal Field Office

170 South 500 East

Vernal, UT 84078

Comments may also be submitted via email to:

BLM_UT_Vernal_Comments@blm.gov

BLM Utah Continues to Seek Nominations for Vacancies on Resource Advisory Council (Issued 06/07/13)

Fri, 7 Jun 2013 10:43:44 -0600

Public nominations are being accepted for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah Resource Advisory Council (RAC). The BLM will be filling four positions for members whose terms expire on Jan. 12, 2014. Utah residents interested in the management and conservation of public lands have an opportunity to become directly involved through participation on the RAC. The BLM will consider nominations until June 28, 2013.

The BLM RACs are composed of citizens who are chosen for their expertise in natural resources issues to help the BLM carry out its stewardship of 245 million acres of public lands. The Utah RAC consists of 15 members with a keen interest in public land management, including conservationists, ranchers, outdoor recreationists, state and local government officials, Tribal officials, and academics. The diverse membership of the RAC is aimed at achieving the balanced outlook the BLM needs for its multiple-use mission.

“I value the advice given to the BLM by these citizen-based Resource Advisory Councils,” said Juan Palma, BLM-Utah State Director. “The people who use and enjoy BLM-managed lands deserve a formal voice on public land issues. Their input enhances our agency’s ability to administer and conserve these lands for current and future generations of Americans.”

Individuals may nominate themselves or others to serve on the advisory council. Nominees, who must be Utah residents, will be judged on the basis of their training, education, and knowledge of the council’s geographical area. Nominees should also demonstrate a commitment to consensus-building and collaborative decision making. All nominations must be accompanied by: 1) letters of reference from any represented interests or organizations; 2) a completed RAC application form; and 3) any other information that speaks to the nominee's qualifications.

The four positions open on the Utah RAC are in the following categories:

-Two positions in Category One – Public land ranchers and representatives of organizations associated with energy and mineral development, the timber industry, transportation or rights-of-way, off-highway vehicle use, and commercial recreation.

-One position in Category Two – Representatives of nationally or regionally recognized environmental organizations, archaeological and historical organizations, dispersed recreation activities, and wild horse and burro organizations.

-One position in Category Three – Representatives of state, county, or local elected office; representatives and employees of a state agency responsible for the management of natural

resources; representatives of Indian Tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the RAC is organized; representatives and employees of academic institutions who are involved in natural sciences; and the public-at-large.

Fillable application forms are available online at: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/res/resource_advisory.html.

Nominations should be sent by June 28, 2013, to:

Sherry Foot, Special Programs Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101. For more information, please contact Sherry Foot at 801-539-4195; fax: 801-539-4013; email address: sfoot@blm.gov.

Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal hours.

The BLM consults with the Governor’s Office before forwarding its recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior for a final decision.