Altogether, 336,000 acres on 256 parcels will be put up for auction to energy companies, encompassing virtually all areas of the state.

But what will be missing in today's lease sale are any parcel offerings in what are classified as wilderness-quality lands.

A decision last August by U.S. District Court Judge Dale Kimball slapped down the BLM's 2003 bid to sell leases in lands that had been identified as Wilderness Inventory Areas during the Clinton administration - ruling that the agency had ignored federal environmental laws and its own wilderness-related findings.

Agency officials say they are steering clear of all WIAs in response.

"None of the areas put on the list were part of the WIAs, and that is because of the Kimball decision," said BLM spokeswoman Adrienne Babbitt. "That's the direction we have from our solicitor at this time."

Steve Bloch, an attorney with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, which filed the lawsuit that led to Kimball's decision, hailed the BLM's policy change. At the same time, he criticized the agency for continuing to offer parcels in what SUWA and other environmental groups deem to be sensitive areas.

"We're quite pleased they're doing this," Bloch said. "But it's still the same pattern. It takes a tremendous amount of public oversight to make this happen."

Of the 414,000 acres originally nominated for sale today, the BLM pulled back 78,000 acres on its own, at the behest of others - seven parcels near Hovenweep National Monument were pulled at the request of the Navajo tribe last week - or because of official protests.

SUWA lodged protests on 39 parcels leading up to the November lease sale. The agency has deferred nine of those.

Among the parcels still in play today, some are located near Golden Spike National Monument, outside of Arches National Park and in the Book Cliffs on the West Tavaputs Plateau.

The National Park Service has stopped short of filing protests, but has written letters requesting the parcels near Arches and Golden Spike be deferred, owing to potential air quality and viewshed issues, respectively. The BLM has declined to do so, but agency officials say the concerns will be addressed.

The state BLM office holds its oil and gas lease sales on a quarterly basis. The agency offered up a record 440,000 acres on 296 parcels during its May sale.

Today's sale will include 111,400 acres in the Salt Lake Field Office, 68,500 acres in Price, 54,100 in Vernal and 31,700 in Fillmore.

jbaird@sltrib.com