Public meetings on existing White River National Forest leases next week
Organization
Media Contact:
SILT, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management is hosting three public meetings next week to provide information and accept public comments on a Draft Environmental Impact Statement that analyzes 65 existing oil and gas leases on the White River National Forest, including leases in the Thompson Divide area.
The meetings run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. They begin with a 45-minute open house in which various BLM specialists will be available to answer questions with the public one-on-one. A brief presentation will begin at 4:45 p.m., followed by a question and answer session. The BLM will begin taking oral comments at about 5:15 p.m.
The meetings will be held at the following dates and locations:
- Dec. 14, Glenwood Springs Community Center, 100 Wulfson Rd, Glenwood Springs
- Dec. 15, DeBeque Elementary School, 730 Minter Ave, DeBeque
- Dec. 16, Roaring Fork High School, 2270 Hwy 133, Carbondale
The EIS presents five alternatives, ranging from no changes to the existing leases to canceling them in their entirety. The final alternative the BLM ultimately selects may incorporate components of two or more of the alternatives presented in the Draft EIS.
“The meetings serve two purposes,” said BLM Colorado River Valley Field Manager Karl Mendonca. “We want to help the public understand what is in the Draft so that they can provide more effective comments, and we want to provide an opportunity to people wishing to give us their comments verbally.”
Written comments on the Draft will be accepted at the meeting and through January 8, 2016. Comments may be e-mailed to WRNFleases@blm.gov; faxed to 970-876-9090; or mailed to BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office, Attn: WRNF Leases, 2300 River Frontage Road, Silt, CO 81652.
Additional information about the EIS is available at: the BLM website.
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 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.