BLM December 2008 Lease Sale

WHAT'S ON THIS PAGE

•  Calendar of Important Dates!

•  Sample Protest Letter For you to Use as a Guide to Writing Your Own Letter

•  Information Sheets on 24 Lease Parcel Areas

•  Who to call / write

•  Announcement for November 24th Community Meeting in Moab

•  Maps, maps, maps

•  Useful Reference Documents

•  Proposed Watershed Protection Ordinance for Grand County / City of Moab

•  Articles from the press

• Info on how to file a protest

•  Quotable quotes

•  Useful Links

Click Here to View a Calendar of Events Related to this Issue (Google)

Click here for a Sample Protest letter

Attached is a template of a protest letter.  Please note it requires you to fill in the information that applies to you (your interest) and the specific parcels you are protesting.

Please note that the BLM must receive your protest letter by 4:30 p.m. on December 4th.  The address and fax number are included on the letter. 

We also suggest that you send a copy of your letter to Utah Governor Jon Huntsman (we've included his mailing address at the bottom of the letter.  If you'd like us to hand-deliver your letter to the Governor when we are in Salt Lake on December 3rd, send us a copy of your protest letter (P.O. Box 298, Moab, UT 84532 or email it to:  terry@redrockforests.org).

Red Rock Forests Protest Letter - Hand-delivered 12/4/08

Information Sheets on Lease Parcels

Desolation Canyon Area

Ruby Ranch & Upper Labyrinth Area

1-70 Corridor & Book Cliffs Area

Duma Point Area

Ten Mile Canyon Area

Lower Labyrinth & Mineral Point Area

191 Corridor Area

Bartlett Wash, Tusher Canyon & Courthouse Pasture Area

Thompson Springs Area

Northwest Boundary of Arches National Park Area

Yellow Cat Road and Lost Springs Canyon Area

Amasa Back Area

Northern Hatch Point Area

Southern Hatch Point &  Needles Overlook Area

Books Cliffs, Spruce Canyon WSA & Cottonwood Wash Area

Book Cliffs & Coal Canyon WSA Area

1-70 Corridor & Nash Wash Area

Dome Plateau & Colorado River Corridor Area

Dry Mesa, Cache Valley & Colorado River Corridor Area

Porcupine Rim Area

Sand Flats Recreation Area

Spanish Valley & Cedar Hills Area

Book Cliffs, Grand Valley & I-70 Corridor Area

Kirks Basin Area

Who to Call and Write

Send a Protest letter to the BLM Utah State Office (must be mailed or faxed for receipt by Dec. 4, 2008) urging removal of parcels near or
adjacent to Canyonlands & Arches National Parks and near/adjacent to lands with wilderness qualities and in residential areas.

BLM
Utah State Office
 PO Box 45155
Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0155
FAX 801-539-4237
 

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Call Terry Catlin, who is in charge of BLM's O&G leasing program 801-539-4122

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Call the Moab BLM Office, Shelly Smith, Mgr., 435-259-2100

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Call or write Utah Governor Jon Huntsman
Ask to speak to: Amanda Smith, 801-538-1000
800-705-2464  toll free
801-538-1528 FAX

Utah State Capitol Complex
350 North State Street, Suite 200
PO Box 142220
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-2220
 

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Call or Write Utah Gov. Huntsman's Public Lands Policy Coordination Office
John Harja, Director
801-537-9802 phone
801-537-9226 FAX

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If you are in Utah, call Utah Representative Matheson
speak to: Mike Reberg
801-486-1236
877-677-9743  toll free
 

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Utah Senator Bennett
801-524-5933 - Salt Lake City office
202-224-5444 - Washington DC Office

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Utah Senator Orrin Hatch

801-524-4380 - Salt Lake City office

202-224-5251 - Washington DC Office

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If you live in Grand County, call or email and urge the Council to adopt a resolution sending a protest to BLM & a letter to Gov. Hunstman opposing these leases for the eocnomic and environmental health of Grand County!

council@grand.state.ut.us

435-259-1342

Gene Ciarus, Council Chair
Joette Langianese, Council Vice Chair
Jim Lewis, Council Member

Audrey Graham, Council Member

Jerry McNeely, Council Member

Pat Holyoak, Council Member

Bob Greenberg, Council Member
 

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If you live in Moab, call or email and urge the Council to adopt a resolution sending a protest to BLM & a letter to Gov. Hunstman opposing these leases for the eocnomic and environmental health of Moab!

City Council, 435-259-5121
Gregg Stucki, 435-259-8216

Jeffrey Davis, 435-259-8463

Kyle Bailey, 435-259-6879

Rob Sweeten, 435-259-5465

Sarah Bauman, 435-259-5404

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If you don't live in Utah, use this link to www.congress.org and type in your zip code in the box on the left navigation bar that says "My
Elected Officials."

Maps

There are various versions of maps floating around the cyber-world.  We've posted everything we've seen so far...

Revised Maps Since Removal of Deferred Parcels (posted 12/9):

Revised Moab Area

Revised Bookcliffs Area

Revised Dinosaur National Park Area

Revised Nine Mile Canyon Area

Moab Field Office Parcel Map (Warning - this is a 67.9 MB .pdf file!)

For GIS-Savvy Folks - BLM has also posted updated (12/2) shapefiles/datasets on their website

Nine Mile Canyon Parcels Deferred - BLM Map

Arches NP

Arches NP-over Google Earth

Moab Area Parcels-over Google Earth

Moab parcels

Moab North Draft

Moab South Draft

Canyonlands 1

Canyonlands 2

Cedar Hills

Cedar Hills (w/street labels)

#225 Parcel

Moab parcels with Editorial!

Capitol Reef NP

Dinosaur National Monument

Dinosaur NM-over Google Earth

Desolation & Ninemile Canyons-over Google Earth

Google Earth File of Lease Parcels (requires Google Earth be loaded onto your comptuer)

Useful Documents

BLM General Oil and Gas Leasing Instructions

December 2008 Leasing Proposal (BLM)

December 2008 Sale Notice (BLM)

*** NEW (12/2) *****December 2008 Final Sale List with Erratas (BLM)

*** NEW *** Errata December 2, 2008 - showing list of deferred parcels & modifications- (BLM)

December 2008 Final Sale List (BLM)

December 2008 Stipulations and Notices (BLM)

BLM Documentation of Land Use Conformance and NEPA Adequacy Worksheet for Moab (no date) for December 2008 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale

Split Estate:  Private Surface/Public Minerals - What Does it Mean to You (BLM, 2006)

Split Estate Federal Oil and Gas Leasing and Development Practices: A Report to Congress (BLM, 2006)

U.S. Government Accountability Office:  Oil and Gas Leasing - Interior Could Do More to Encourage Diligent Development (Report No. GAO-09-74)  or 1-page 'Highlights'

Red Rock Forests first met with the City of Moab to suggest that they adopt a watershed protection ordinance to give the City the authority to protect our drinking water (none of the wellheads are actually within the City  limits) from industrial development, including activities like oil and gas.  At the time, we were told that this would likely not become an issue, so it was not pursued by the City.

Since the announcement of the oil and gas lease sale, particularly the issue of Parcel #225, has brought renewed interest in this ordinance. 

As such, Red Rock Forests and the Moab Local Green Party have once again provided this draft ordinance language to the City of Moab and Grand County for consideration.

Click here for ordinance language

News Articles

(most recent listed first)

Columbia Daily Tribune 12/30:  Agency Auctions Off Moral High Ground

Deseret News 12/27:  Oil Drilling possible in wilderness study areas

Salt Lake Tribune Editorial 12/26:  Sold to the Ingenious College Kid with the Paddle

Deseret News 12/26:  Groups Soliciting Funds to Buy BLM Leases

Associated Press 12/24:  Supporters Trying to raise money for drilling bids

Salt Lake Tribune 12/23:  Bogus BLM Bidder:  Cites ethics in scheme to derail drilling

Seattle Post Intelligencer 12/23:  Direct Action Gets the Goods (Amy Goodman)

KSL News 12/23:  Bidder says it was easy to rig government auction (video)

ProPublica 12/23:  Congress to Obama:  Undo Bush's Natural Gas Record

Forbes.com 12/23:  Bidder says it was easy to rig government auction

Democracy Now! 12/22:  Posing as Bidder, Utah Student Disrupts Government Auction of 150,000 acres of wilderness for oil & gas drilling

Grand Junction Free Press 12/22:  Bidder dupes BLM Auction for oil, gas leases

Scientific American 12/22:  How the West's energy boom could threaten drinking water for 1 in 12 Americans

High Country News 12/22:  (Un)clearing the Air: Westerners with breathe the legacy of Bush's BLM

Deseret News 12/21:  Activist defends his lease tactics

Deseret News 12/20:  Protesters can't stop sale of 116 parcels

LA Times 12/20:  Utah oil drilling leases go fast -- fishily fast in some cases, authorities say

Deseret News 12/20:  Activist disrupts BLM Auction by running up bids

YouTube Video 12/19:  Terry Shepherd of Red Rock Forests at the BLM Protest in SLC

YouTube Video 12/19:  Josie Kovash of Red Rock Forests at the BLM Protest in SLC

YouTube Video 12/19:  View the BLM Protest in SLC

YouTube Video 12/19:  Lease Auction in Progress (with Bidder #70 in action)

YouTube VIdeo 12/19:  Lease Auction in Progress

KSL (NBC) 12/19:  Environmentalist causes problem at BLM auction

KUTV (CBS) 12/19:  Fake Bidder could face federal charges

KUTV (CBS) 12/19:  Controversial Sale disrupted by potentially fake bidder

AP 12/19:  BLM Calls off controversial drilling auction
 

AP 12/19:  Oil and Gas Leases in Utah up for auction

LA Times 12/18:  Environmentalists file 11th hour lawsuit to block proposed lease sales in Utah

CNN.com 12/17:  Lawsuit seeks to halt gas and oil drilling in Utah

Fresno Bee 12/17:  Lawsuit seeks to block leases near Utah national parks

Huffington Post 12/17:  Stand Up Against Bush's Giveaway of America's Red Rock Wilderness (Robert Redford)

Salt Lake Tribune 12/17:  Redford part of move to block oil, gas sales with lawsuits

Deseret News 12/17:  BLM Oil and Gas Lease Sale 'Criminal' Redford Says

AOL Video of CBS News Report (featuring Robert Redford & NRDC) on Oil Drilling in Utah

New York Times 12/13:  Op-Ed Guest Column (Timothy Egan) - Final Days Fire Sale

Deseret News 12/13:  BLM releases list of deferrals on oil, gas lease

Salt Lake Tribune 12/13:  BLM backtracks on more drilling leases

Deseret News 12/12:  Activists to Show Opposition to Lease Sale

Salt Lake Tribune 12/11:  Fish fears put more drilling leases under fire

AP Story 12/8:  Groups Press BLM for Nine Mile Canyon Protections

LA Times Op Ed 12/7:   Oil Lays Waste to the West (Terry Tempest Williams)

Deseret News 12/5:  BLM Gets an earful on oil, gas lease sale

International Herald Tribune 12/5:  Groups Protest Drilling-Lease auction in US

Salt Lake Tribune 12/3:  Nine Mile Canyon:  BLM Pulls Back on Drilling Plans

Wyoming Business Report 12/2:  BLM: Parcels near parks, Flaming Gorge off the table

New York Times GreenInc Blog 12/2:  BLM Backpedals on Oil and Gas Leases in Utah

New West Blog 11/30:  Utah Bureau of Land Management Going Forward With Drilling Permit Sale

rushprnews.com 11/28:  Bureau of Land Management Makes a Turkey of  a Deal in Utah

Washington Post 11/28:  U.S. Moves Ahead on Oil, Gas Leases on Public Land

Moab Times Independent 11/27:  BLM Defers Sale of Oil and Gas Leases Near Arches, Canyonlands

Moab Times Independent 11/27:  Moab City to Protest Proposed BLM Oil and Gas Lease Sales

RRF Press Statement 11/26:  Statement from Red Rock Forests on Status of BLM Oil and Gas Leasing Process in Utah and BLM/Park Service Negotiations

Local News 8: Associated Press 11/25:  Park Service asking BLM to back off on drilling

Salt Tribune Tribune 11/26:  BLM backs off plan to issue drilling permits in Utah's redrock country

Desert News 11/26:  BLM pulls lands near parks from sale

LA Times 11/26: Agency backs off from land auctions
 

News Blaze 11/26:  BLM/Park Service Agreement Does Not Solve Problems Posed by Utah Oil & Gas Lease

Salt Lake Tribune Editorial 11/24:  Utah Parks May Yet Escape Drilling

Rachel Moody Show:  Robert Redford Speaks Out

SF Gate Editorial 11/21:  Thin Green Line

American Motorcycle Association News and Notes 11-21-08

North Carolina News & Observer editorial 11-21-08:  While They Can-Why the Urgency to Weaken U.S. Environmental Safeguards?  Because for President Bush's Crew Time is Winding Downs

Moab Times Independent 11/20:  BLM To Defer Spanish Valley Oil, Gas Lease

Salt Lake Tribune 11/19:  BLM Pulls Oil-Gas Lease from Moab Gold Course Property

Salt Lake Tribune 11/16:   Backyard Drilling (Public Forum Letter by Moab Resident)
 

Huffington Post 11/16:  Environmentalists Slam Bush's Parting Proposal as "Fire Sale" for Oil and Gas Industry
 

Salt Lake Tribune 11/14:  Moab Mayor Plans to Protest  BLM's Planned Lease Sale

Washington Post 11/13:  Drilling in Utah:  One Last Gift to the Oil and Gas Industry

Moab Times Independent 11/13:  BLM Proposes Lease Sales Near Arches

Salt Lake Tribune 11/11: BLM Plan to Drill for Oil Shocks Residents

Wall Street Journal 11/11:  New Administration Would Risk Backlash With Gas-Drilling Reversal

Environmental News Service 11/10:  Obama Plans to Overturn Bush Executive Orders

Salt Lake Tribune Editorial 11/10: Obama Looks to Undo Bush Damage

Greenwire 11/10:  OIL & GAS:  Obama to Roll Back Bush Drilling Decisions, Adviser Says

BBC News:  Obama 'to reverse Bush decisions'
 

New York Times 11/10:  Obama Weighs Quick Undoing of Bush Policy

USA Today 11/9:  Obama's Aides Outline Priorities

Salt Lake Tribune 11/9:  Lease Sale Riles Park Service

Salt Lake Tribune 11/8:  BLM, Park Service At Odds Over Drilling Near Utah Parks

New York Times 11/8:  U.S. to Open Public Land Near Parks for Drilling

Northwest Progressive Institute Advocate 11/7: Parting Gifts

Salt Lake Tribune Editorial 11/6:  Bush Legacy-Last Minute Rules Hurt Environment

May I protest BLM’s decision to offer the lands in this notice for lease?

PER THE BLM:  Yes, under regulation 43 CFR 3120.1-3, you may protest the inclusion of a parcel listed in this sale notice.  All protest must meet the following requirements:

•        We must receive a protest no later than close of business on the 15th calendar day [Note:  NOT the 15th day of the month] prior to the date of the sale.  If our office is not open on the 15th calendar day prior to the date of the sale, a protest received on the next day our office is open to the public will be considered timely filed.  The protest must also include any statement of reasons to support the protest.  We will dismiss a late-filed protest or a protest filed without a statement of reasons.
•         A protest must state the interest of the protesting party in the matter.
•        You may file a protest either by mail in hardcopy form or by telefax and must be received in our office by 4:30 pm on December 4, 2008.  You may not file a protest by electronic mail.  A protest filed by fax must be sent to (801) 539-4237.  A protest sent to a fax number other than the fax number identified or a protest filed by electronic mail will be dismissed.
•        If the party signing the protest is doing so on behalf of an association, partnership or corporation, the signing party must reveal the relationship between them.  For example, unless an environmental group authorizes an individual member of its group to act on their behalf, the individual cannot make a protest in the group's name.

If BLM receives a timely protest of a parcel advertised on this Sale Notice, how does it affect bidding on the parcel?

We will announce receipt of any protest at the beginning of the sale.  We will also announce a decision to either withdraw the parcel or proceed with offering it at the sale.

If I am the high bidder at the sale for a protested parcel, when will BLM issue my lease?

We will make every effort to decide the protest within 60 days after the sale.  We will issue no lease for a protested parcel until the State Director makes a decision on the protest.  If the State Director denies the protest, we will issue your lease concurrently with that decision.

Quotes

From the BLM website, explaining their usual (but not this time) protocol in involving National Parks:
"Other locations that we have taken special care in our decisions to lease have been with parcels on BLM managed lands near National Parks. BLM works with the National Park Service during land use planning to obtain input and coordinate regarding leasing of lands adjacent to or near National Park units. Additionally, we coordinate with appropriate Park Service units for each lease sale and provide descriptions of parcels under consideration, consistent with land use planning decisions.  BLM may defer the offering of parcels if they are within key viewsheds of highly visited park locations. If development is proposed on a lease after it is issued, BLM works additionally with the Park Service to mitigate impacts, once a site-specific proposal is received."

From the BLM website, description of increased drilling and leasing activity:
"Production has increased to meet the demands of this region as population has increased. Drilling in the state has also increased from 378 wells drilled in 2002 to nearly 700 wells drilled in 2005."

"Interest in leasing is reflected in the amount of land nominated for lease sales over the past few years. What was typically nominated in a year-long period several years ago is now nominated for a single quarterly lease sale."

From the BLM DNA for the Moab Field Office:
"The Moab Field Office reviewed 72 parcels for the December 2008 competitive oil and gas lease sale.  All 72  parcels were reviewed for land use plan conformance and NEPA adequacy as documented through completion  of a Documentation of Land Use Plan Conformance and NEPA Adequacy (DNA) Worksheet attached to this  Memorandum. During this review one parcel was identified as being closed to leasing.  A total of 71 parcels are  recommended for lease sale."

 

Links

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

SUWA - Maps/Photos

BLM Lease Sale Webpage

Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining

Utah Governor Jon Huntsman

Finding your elected officials