The Bureau of Land Management Wyoming State Office plans to offer 383 parcels totaling about 483,017 acres in an oil and gas lease sale the week of March 15th, 2021. This includes 285 parcels nominated for the March sale as well as 141 parcels totaling about 244,086 acres that the BLM deferred from lease sales earlier this year because they overlap Greater Sage-Grouse priority habitat.
We analyzed 426 nominated parcels for inclusion in this sale and plan to defer 43 of them until we can resolve associated resource conflicts.
The BLM meticulously reviewed the proposed parcels and determined leasing each of them conforms to all applicable policies and land use plans. All parcels will include appropriate protections and stipulations, such as seasonal timing limitations and controlled surface use to protect sage-grouse habitat and other important natural resources.
Today kicks off a 30-day public comment period on the lease sale’s environmental assessment. To provide feedback or learn more about the proposal, please visit our ePlanning site here, where you can access our analysis of potential impacts from the sale, lists and maps of the proposed parcels and the stipulations attached to each, and an online comment portal. The BLM will review and consider all input we receive before reaching a final decision, but specific comments addressing distinct parcels or resource concerns are the most helpful.
Wyoming is one of the country’s top energy producers on public lands. In 2018, BLM Wyoming raised nearly $117 million through oil and gas lease sales. About half the revenue from each lease sale goes directly to the State of Wyoming and, when leasing results in production, the state also receives about half the resulting royalties. This revenue from leasing and development funds the U.S. Treasury as well as important local priorities including public education, infrastructure, and other state and local priorities.