CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On Tuesday, July 5, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming State Office opened a 30-day public comment period on 13 oil and gas parcels that could be included in a upcoming lease sale in December.
The parcels total 6,604.85 acres and are located in the Cheyenne area of Laramie County.
According to the BLM, the scoping of these parcels was completed in May. The agency is now receiving public input to help complete its review of each parcel to determine if leasing of these parcels conforms with all applicable laws, policies and land use plans. Public comments can impact potential deferral decisions and related environmental analysis.
The BLM said in the announcement that leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources. Before development operations can begin, an operator must submit an application for a permit to drill detailing development plans. The BLM reviews applications for permits to drill, posts them for public review, conducts an environmental analysis and coordinates with state partners and stakeholders.
Recently, the BLM was ordered to reassess its environmental impact statements for 120,000 acres of federal land leased for oil and gas development after two separate lawsuits challenged the sales. On March 22, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper sided with conservation groups and ruled that the agency didn’t provide adequate environmental analysis, or fully explain the impacts future drilling could have on the climate, big game migration and sage grouse. The BLM also used outdated data on drilling when the leases were purchased back in 2022.
The Cheyenne parcels that the BLM is currently analyzing, as well as maps and instructions on how to comment, are available on the BLM’s ePlanning website at: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2031781/510.
The comment period will end on Thursday, August 8.
Information on current and upcoming BLM leases is available through the National Fluid Lease Sale System.
