Earlier this month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that, “in accordance with the direction of the Inflation Reduction Act,” its Nevada state office had released an environmental assessment that was looking at four parcels for a competitive oil and gas lease sale proposal in July. .
The BLM noted that the four parcels are located in Nye County, Nevada, and comprise 4,270 acres. The organization noted that it completed scoping of those parcels by Dec. 21, 2023, and said it is now seeking public comment on the environmental analysis. The public comment period will end on May 4, 2023, BLM noted.
“The most valuable public comments are practical and relevant to the proposed action,” BLM said in a statement posted on its website.
“For example, comments may, within reason, question the accuracy of information, methodology, or assumptions, and then present reasonable alternatives to those already discussed,” the BLM added.
“Comments that contain only opinions and/or preferences, or those that appear similar to other comments will not be specifically addressed in the environmental review process,” the organization continued.
The BLM noted that this lease sale will include updated tax provisions authorized by Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act. Minimum bids for all bid parcels will be $10 per acre, an increase from the $2 per acre minimum bid established in 1987, and royalty rates will be 16.67 percent, up from the previous low of 12.5 percent, the BLM noted.
The organization also stated that rental rates will be $3 per acre for the first two years; $5 per acre for years three through eight; and $15 per acre for years nine and ten. Prior to the Inflation Reduction Act, rental rates were $1.50 per acre for the first five years and $2 per acre for each year thereafter, the BLM noted.
On March 31, the BLM announced that its Montana-Dakotas state office had opened a 30-day public outreach period to receive public input on 68 oil and gas parcels, totaling approximately 25,759 acres, which he said could be included in a September 2023. lease sale program. On the same day, the BLM Wyoming State Office announced that it had issued an Environmental Assessment and Notice of Competitive Sale for a second quarter competitive sale of oil and gas leases. The posting of the notice of sale started a 30-day public protest period that ends May 1, BLM disclosed.
On March 17, the BLM disclosed that its Wyoming state office had opened a 30-day public outreach period to receive public input on 47 oil and gas parcels, totaling 46,327.60 acres, which he said could be included in an upcoming lease sale. On March 10, BLM Wyoming announced it had released an environmental assessment looking at 115 oil and gas parcels, totaling approximately 95,419 acres, for a proposed lease sale to be held in September 2023. The release began a 30-day public comment period, which ended on April 7, the organization explained.
Also on March 10, the BLM’s Eastern States Office revealed that it had released two environmental assessments looking at an oil and gas parcel in Michigan, totaling 40 acres, and three parcels in Louisiana, totaling 88.81 acres, for proposed lease sales that would take place in June 2023. The BLM initiated a 30-day public comment period on environmental assessments, parcels, and possible postponements, which closed on April 9, the organization highlighted.
Again, on March 10, the BLM Montana-Dakotas State Office announced that it had released an environmental assessment looking at 51 parcels, totaling 20,722.22 acres, for a proposed competitive oil sale and gas by June 2023. The release of that environmental assessment started a 30-day public comment period, which ended on April 10, the BLM noted.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people, the organization says on its website.
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