BLM Accepting Comments on Environmental Assessment for December Oil and Gas Lease Sale

The Bureau of Land Management Nevada is opening a 30-day public comment period on its preliminary Environmental Analysis (EA) for a proposed Dec. 10, 2019 oil and gas lease sale. A total of 451 parcels encompassing 777,197 acres located in Lincoln and White Pine counties are proposed for lease. This notice initiates a 30-day public comment period on associated environmental documents that opens Aug. 8 and closes on Sept. 6, 2019.

The BLM is a key contributor to the Trump Administration’s America-First Energy Plan, an all-of-the-above strategy that includes oil and gas, coal, strategic minerals, and renewable sources such as wind, geothermal, and solar – all of which can be produced on public lands.

By statute, the BLM is required to offer quarterly oil and gas lease sales of available federal lands. These lease sales represent parcels that have been through environmental review and public comment. The BLM issues both competitive and non-competitive leases for a 10-year period. A lease is a contract to explore and develop any potential oil and gas. A lease may earn an extension if the lessee establishes production; otherwise the lessee pays an annual rental fee.

Responsible energy development includes thoughtful consideration of parcels nominated for leasing as well as potential resource impacts of decisions to lease. An additional environmental review will take place during processing of an Application for Permit to Drill (APD), when site-specific Conditions of Approval will be placed on the permit in addition to the stipulations attached to the lease.

The BLM generated a record $1.1 billion from 28 oil and gas lease sales in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. The oil and gas industry on public lands in Nevada contributed $3.1 million in total economic output in FY 2019. Revenues from onshore oil and gas production on federal lands directly fund the U.S. Treasury and state budgets, and they support public education, infrastructure improvements, and other state-determined priorities. Nearly half the bid and rental receipts from lease sales go to the state of Nevada. The state also receives half of the revenue from royalties if oil and gas are developed on the lease.

Public Comments

The preliminary EA, maps and attached stipulations can be found at https://go.usa.gov/xyJrr. Public comments must be submitted in writing to the BLM Ely District Office, 702 North Industrial Way, Ely, NV 89301 or faxed to Tiera Arbogast at (775) 289-1910.

Please note that the most useful public comments are substantive and identify issues relevant to the proposed action. These may question, with reasonable basis, the accuracy of information, methodology or assumptions, and present reasonable alternatives other than those analyzed. Comments that contain only opinions or preferences, or comments that are essentially identical to other comments, will not be specifically addressed in the environmental review process.

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your public scoping 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.

For more information, contact BLM Planning and Environmental Coordinator Tiera Arbogast at (775) 289-1800.