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CENTRAL COAST RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN AMENDMENT FOR OIL AND GAS LEASING & DEVELOPMENT

This planning effort fulfills the BLM’s commitment to a court order for the Central Coast Field Office (previously the Hollister Field Office) to prepare a more detailed environmental analysis of oil and gas leasing the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing and other enhanced well stimulation techniques. The land-use management decisions resulting from this planning effort would affect the BLM-managed land in the Central Coast Field Office, including approximately 800,000 acres of subsurface Federal mineral estate in 11 counties, primarily in Fresno, Monterey and San Benito counties, but also including Alameda, Contra Costa, Merced, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Stanislaus counties.

1. Planning Assessment Phase

Completed

Visit the project's BLM NEPA Register page for more information.

2. Notice of Intent

Completed

Visit the project's BLM NEPA Register page for more information.

3. Scoping Phase

Completed

Visit the project's BLM NEPA Register page for more information.

4. Preliminary Alternatives

Completed

Visit the project's BLM NEPA Register page for more information.

5. Draft RMP Notice of Availability

Completed

Visit the project's BLM NEPA Register page for more information.

6. Proposed RMP Notice of Availability

Completed

Visit the project's BLM NEPA Register page for more information.

7. Record of Decision: Notice of Availability

There are 18,229 active oil and gas wells in the 11 counties within the boundaries of the BLM Central Coast Field Office: 110 or roughly 0.6 percent are located on Federal mineral estate. Completion of this proposed RMPA/Final EIS will allow the BLM to resume oil and gas leasing within the planning area, which could result in development of up to 37 new oil and gas wells during the next 20 years, as described in the Reasonably Foreseeable Development scenario.

Under the agency-preferred alternative, Alternative F, approximately 683,000 acres of Federal minerals would be open to oil and gas leasing with Controlled Surface Use stipulations; 42,400 acres of Federal minerals would be open to leasing with No Surface Occupancy; and 67,500 acres of Federal minerals would be closed to leasing in designated wilderness area, wilderness study areas, and national monuments.

Publication of the Federal Register Notice of Availability of the proposed RMPA/Final EIS begins a 30-day protest period and 60-day governor’s consistency review. 

Federal Register Notice to be published October 7, 2019.

News Release published October 4, 2019.