High Desert District
| Contacts: | Serena Baker | |||
| (307) 212-0917 |
BLM Seeking Comment on May 2013 Oil and Gas Lease Parcels Environmental Assessment
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) High Desert District (HDD) is seeking public comment on the environmental assessment (EA) for the May 2013 Notice of Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale parcel offering.
Eighty-one whole or partial parcels will be offered for sale within the boundaries of the HDD which include three parcels managed by the Kemmerer Field Office, eight parcels managed by the Pinedale Field Office, 41 parcels managed by the Rawlins Field Office, and 29 parcels managed by the Rock Springs Field Office. The EA addresses the impacts of offering these 81 parcels and partial parcels for oil and gas leasing.
Initially, 97 lease parcels were nominated and proposed for inclusion in the sale. However, 20 parcels, totaling slightly more than 25,367 acres, are being deferred as they are located within Greater Sage-Grouse core habitat. Moreover, an additional 5,128 acres are being temporarily deferred in the interest of conserving Greater Sage-Grouse. These parcels will be deferred until the Greater Sage-Grouse Resource Management Plan amendment process is completed.
Public comment is an important component of the National Environmental Policy Act process. The public is encouraged to identify and submit issues, concerns, ideas or mitigation opportunities not currently addressed in the EA to help ensure the best possible analysis and plan. Written comments will be accepted until Dec. 2. Comments may be emailed to [email protected] (please list �May 2013 Lease Parcels Comment� in the subject line), faxed to 307-352-0329, or mailed to the Bureau of Land Management, High Desert District Office, May 2013 Lease Parcels Comment, 280 Hwy 191 N., Rock Springs, WY 82901.
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 may 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.
For further information, please contact Tom Foertsch at 307-352-0249. More information on the proposed project can be found at http://blm.gov/qwkd.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
High Desert District 280 Highway 191 N. Rock Springs, WY 82901