Leasing is not primarily driven by any given administration or the policies of an administration, but by market demand. We are a nation powered by energy. BLM is mandated by law to manage public lands for multiple use, which includes oil and gas exploration and development.
Extensive public involvement occurs in land-use planning, specifically in preparing resource management plans. In the land-use planning process, decisions are made regarding which areas are open to leasing and which are closed. This process requires close coordination with local and state elected officials.
Under the Mineral Leasing Act and the Federal Onshore Oil & Gas Leasing Reform Act, companies are allowed to nominate parcels of land for leasing. BLM analyzes all nominated parcels for special circumstances that would require special constraints to protect other resources such as wildlife, endangered species, archaeology and cultural properties, or would prevent them from being leased, such as the presence of a wilderness study area, national park or other legal prohibition.
There are a multitude of laws, regulations and procedures which must be followed by both BLM and the industry before, during and after leasing. A complex process of review and consultation is completed prior to leasing.
Much of what we see in recent court decisions is that the BLM is being called on what might be considered "technicalities" or "process missteps," as opposed to the substantive resource management aspects of our decisions.
BLM strives to do a thorough analysis on all nominated parcels prior to releasing them for sale. In fact, nearly 50 percent of all parcels nominated fall out in the process and are not offered.
A lease does not convey an unlimited right to explore or develop oil or gas resources. In fact, for a variety of reasons, many leases run their term without any surface-disturbing activities. Leases are subject to terms and stipulations designed to minimize the impacts of development and reclaim the land when finished.
Standard lease terms require that the lessee conduct operations in a way that minimizes adverse impacts to the land, air, water, cultural, biological and visual values. Additional lease stipulations are applied in environmentally sensitive areas.
All of the lease terms are disclosed to the public and to potential lessees prior to lease sales. The result of all this is that only about 1 percent of the public lands are occupied by oil and gas facilities. Using today's management practices, even in developed well fields only about 5 percent of the surface is occupied during production.
The management of our public lands and resources is as challenging as the nation's citizenry is diverse. Three hundred million people use energy daily in this country and public lands provide an integral piece of the base that supplies that fundamental need.
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* SELMA SIERRA is BLM's Utah director.
