BLM and Southern Ute Indian Tribe Plan for Oil and Gas Development in Southwestern Colorado
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DOLORES, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe are formally initiating a planning process to guide and analyze the future development of tribal trust oil and gas resources within a 110,00-acre planning area located within the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. The anticipated future development would be in the Mancos Shale Formation, an underground rock layer approximately 7,000 feet beneath the surface within the San Juan Basin region.
To initiate the planning process, the BLM and Southern Ute Indian Tribe will host an in‑person public scoping meeting from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Mountain Time on Sept. 24, 2026, at the Sky Ute Casino Resort, Event Center, 14324 US Highway 172 North, Ignacio, CO 81301. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodations to participate.
The planning area that is the subject of the BLM decision-making encompasses approximately 108,000 acres, including 64,000 acres of tribal trust minerals. These tribal trust minerals are minerals that are held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. The project area also contains 42,000 acres of fee minerals that are owned by an individual, company, tribe, or other entity. There are no federal public lands or minerals located within the planning area. BLM’s planning decision will concern the development of the tribal trust minerals within the planning area and the associated environmental effects.
This planning effort represents an important step in supporting the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s long-term management of its trust mineral resources, and fulfillment of the United States’ trust obligations to the tribe. The Bureau of Indian Affairs will serve as a Cooperating Agency.
Comments may be submitted through the “Participate Now” option (preferred) to the BLM National NEPA Register. Comments may also be mailed or delivered to the BLM Tres Rios Field Office, Attn: Ryan Joyner, 29211 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323. Comments must be received by Oct. 9, 2026, which is 15 days after the public meeting. For more information, contact Ryan Joyner at [email protected] or 970-882-7296.
The potential development is expected to boost the local economy, provide jobs, generate income, and increase demand for services. Throughout Colorado, oil and gas operations on BLM-managed public lands boost the state’s economy by $4.2 billion.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.