Bureau of Land Management April 2, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado River Valley Field Office (CRVFO), Silt, Colorado, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to undertake NEPA analysis addressing previous decisions to issue 65 leases underlying White River National Forest (WRNF) lands. In 2007, the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) ruled that before including WRNF parcels in an oil and gas lease sale, the BLM must either formally adopt NEPA analysis completed by the WRNF or conduct a NEPA analysis of its own (see Board of Commissioners of Pitkin County, 173 IBLA 173 (2007)). Because the BLM has determined that the WRNF NEPA analysis conducted is no longer adequate, the BLM will conduct its own NEPA analysis through this EIS regarding these previous decisions to lease WRNF lands for oil and gas development. The BLM will determine whether these 65 leases should be voided, reaffirmed, modified with additional or different terms, or subject to additional mitigation measures for site-specific development proposals. By this notice, the CRVFO is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.