BLM News Release
The BLM recently announced that parcels 11 and 12 located within the Sand Flats Special Recreation Management Area near Moab, Utah will not be included in the June 2020 competitive oil and gas lease sale. To provide certainty to the public, the BLM is sharing this information with the public prior to issuing the June competitive oil and gas lease sale environmental assessment (EA). The BLM has not yet offered any parcels for the June 2020 lease sale.
“We understand that the public has concerns about two of the parcels that were considered during the internal review period,” said Moab Field Manager Nicollee Gaddis-Wyatt. “After careful consideration and analysis over the last two months, those parcels will not be included in the proposed June oil and gas lease sale.”
During the internal review and consultation periods, the BLM may decide whether to include certain parcels in a lease sale that the public has submitted as informal expressions of interest. The June oil and gas lease sale EA will identify which parcels may be offered in the competitive lease sale, as well as potential impacts, and help the public to make informed comments. The BLM plans to issue the EA for public review and comment during the week of Feb. 23, 2020.
Acting Canyon Country District Manager Brian Quigley shared, “Recreation access is a priority of ours—as well as responsible energy development—and both provide important economic benefits to Utah. As a resident, recreator and manager of public lands in Moab, I understand the public’s concerns.”
Nicollee added, “We are committed to supporting recreation and protecting natural resources in the Moab Field Office and to listening to our neighbors and representatives in the local communities. We have successfully co-managed the Sand Flats Special Recreation Management Area with Grand County since 1994 and we value that enduring relationship. We are also proud to manage a mountain biking trail system that is internationally renowned and enjoyed by many.”
The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, and the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987 require the BLM to conduct quarterly, competitive oil and gas lease sales in Utah.