Agency seeks public input on proposals for upcoming September 2020 competitive oil and gas lease sale
BLM Colorado evaluating oil and gas leasing proposals. (Credit: skeeze from Pixabay)
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public scoping comments on approximately 67,244 acres of public lands proposed for the upcoming September 2020 competitive oil and gas lease sale in Jackson, Las Animas, Rio Blanco, and Weld counties. The public scoping period starts today, March 31 and ends April 14, 2020.
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 Kremmling, Royal Gorge, and White River field offices are available online on the BLM ePlanning website.
Scoping comments will need to be received by April 14, 2020 and may be submitted online at https://go.usa.gov/xvaqs. The next opportunity for the public to provide comment will be a 30-day public review and comment period on draft environmental assessment documents.
The State of Colorado receives 48 percent of proceeds from each lease sale, with the remainder going to the U.S. government. In 2018, BLM Colorado sold 103 parcels totaling 67,980 acres for a total of $5,750,756 including rentals and fees. 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.
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.
Source: Company Press Release