BLM Wyoming proposes to offer 105 parcels in March 2020 oil and gas lease sale
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CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The Bureau of Land Management Wyoming announced today that it plans to offer 105 oil and gas lease parcels totaling about 118,219 acres at its March 2020 quarterly lease sale.
In coordination with the State of Wyoming, the BLM is deferring four whole parcels and a portion of one other because they intersect state-designated big game migration corridors. This is consistent with Secretarial Order 3362 on improving habitat quality in western big game winter range. The BLM reviewed all proposed parcels to ensure leasing them conforms to the 2015 Approved Sage-Grouse Resource Management Plan Amendments for the Rocky Mountain Region, which are currently in effect due to the preliminary injunction of the BLM’s 2019 sage-grouse plan amendments by the U.S. District Court of Idaho.
Today kicks off a 30-day public comment period on the proposed lease sale, which will close Dec. 13, 2019. To comment on the sale or learn more about the parcels analyzed, please visit the BLM’s ePlanning site at https://go.usa.gov/xpYGJ. This site contains the environmental assessment, lists and maps of the parcels, and the stipulations attached to each parcel, as well as an online comment portal. The BLM will review and consider every comment received before preparing a final decision, but specific comments addressing distinct parcels or concerns are most useful.
The BLM is required by statute to hold quarterly oil and gas lease sales when federal land is available for lease. Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources, and it does not authorize drilling. Before any development can begin, the BLM must approve a separate permit based on further analysis of site-specific plans and conditions.
Wyoming is one of the country’s top energy producers on public lands. In 2018, BLM Wyoming raised nearly $117 million through oil and gas lease sales. Nearly half the revenue from each lease sale goes directly to the State of Wyoming and, when leasing results in production, royalties from production are also shared with the state. The revenue supports public education, infrastructure improvements and other state-determined priorities. The remainder of the revenue from onshore oil and gas production on federal lands directly funds the U.S. Treasury.
The BLM manages more than 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.