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LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public scoping comments on approximately 34,252 acres of public lands proposed for the upcoming June 2021 competitive oil and gas lease sale in Las Animas, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt counties.

The BLM’s lease sales are an important element of the Trump Administration's America-First Energy Plan, an all-of-the-above strategy that includes oil and gas, coal, strategic minerals, and renewable sources – all of which can be produced on public lands.

Before beginning an environmental analysis, the BLM would like to hear from the public about issues that should be considered. Maps, parcel lists, lease stipulations, instructions for submitting comments, and local contact information for the Little Snake, Royal Gorge and White River field offices are available online on the BLM ePlanning website at https://go.usa.gov/xABt4.

The State of Colorado receives 48 percent of proceeds from each lease sale, with the remainder going to the U.S. government. In Fiscal Year 2018, oil and gas development on public lands managed by the BLM in Colorado contributed an estimated $6.9 billion to the economy. Statewide, approximately 30,600 jobs are tied to oil and gas development on BLM-managed public lands.

The public scoping period starts today, December 29 and comments will need to be received by January 13, 2021 and may be submitted online on ePlanning. The next opportunity for the public to provide comment will be a 30-day public review and comment period on draft environmental assessment documents.

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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.

-BLM-