Don Banks, the BLM's state chief of external affairs, said Tuesday that the agency was "deferring" the two parcels near the eastern boundary of the park in the Needles District for further evaluation. The BLM previously withdrew two other parcels near Canyonlands at the Park Service's request.
"In talking further with the Park Service, we're unsure whether there are concerns with all four parcels, or just portions of the parcels," Banks said. "So there are lingering questions that we need more time to focus on."
The gas and oil lease sale is scheduled for Aug. 16. Altogether, the BLM will offer 118,035 acres on 83 parcels scattered across the state. The leases near Canyonlands were four out of 50 parcels - about 80,000 acres - the agency withdrew from the sale.
Tony Schetzsle, superintendent for the National Park Service's Southeast Utah Group, formally objected to the BLM putting the four parcels up for auction. He was relieved by the agency's decision.
"We just want the opportunity to be engaged," said Schetzsle, who oversees Canyonlands and Arches national parks. "We are not anti-drilling. We are pro-park. And we are simply looking for compatible ways in which our respective goals can be accomplished."
Schetzsle says a longer evaluation period may reveal ways in which the parcels can be explored and developed for energy without the Canyonlands views being compromised.
Not everyone was happy with the withdrawal of the leases. San Juan County officials say the BLM is ignoring its own land-use plans and costing the state and county potential revenue in the process.
"We're disappointed they pulled them back because they should be leased under the current resource management plan," said San Juan County deputy attorney Walter Bird. "We're leery of going down this path because it is a slippery slope. The BLM is charged with a multiple use mandate; the National Park Service is not. We see this as a de facto expansion of the park."
Banks says Tuesday's decision is part of a larger effort by the BLM's Utah office to cope with what has become a huge backlog of leases that are currently under protest, dating back to last year. The agency has created an internal team, he said, whose sole job will be to work to resolve the protests.
"Our goal is to wipe out the backlog by Oct. 1. It's our top leasing priority," Banks said.
Environmental groups, who criticized the Canyonlands leases and past BLM decisions to offer up gas and oil parcels around places like Dinosaur and Hovenweep national monuments, hope the project will also give the agency pause as it goes forward with future energy-related development.
"We're glad that it's happening, but it's something that should have occurred before they were put up for bid," said Liz Thomas, an attorney with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
"The parcels are going to be there. It doesn't hurt to take a longer look at it. Then they need to ask themselves the question: Is this really worth it? At some point, the BLM has to look at not only what the oil companies want, but what the public wants."
jbaird@sltrib.com
