WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, Nov. 16, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will hold an event with the Blackfeet Nation and Devon Energy Corporation in Washington, D.C. to announce a milestone related to oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine area of the Lewis and Clark National Forest in northwest Montana.
The Badger-Two Medicine Area is a 130,000-acre area along the Rocky Mountain Front within the Lewis and Clark National Forest. Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation surround the area, which is considered sacred by the Blackfeet Tribe and is part of a recognized Traditional Cultural District. These characteristics caused Congress to legislatively withdraw the area from mineral development in 2006.
Earlier this year, Secretary Jewell announced the cancellation by the Bureau of Land Management of an oil and gas lease in the Badger-Two Medicine area. All of the originally issued leases in the area have been the subject of a variety of administrative, legal and legislative actions since they were issued over 30 years ago because of the significance of the resources in the area and concerns about the circumstances surrounding leasing ordinance.
Who:
Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Harry Barnes, Chairman, Blackfeet Nation
Dave Hager, CEO, Devon Energy Corporation
What:
Announcement regarding oil and gas leases in Badger-Two Medicine Area
When:
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016
10:45 AM EDT – Media check-in
11:00 AM EDT – Signing ceremony
Where:
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C. Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20240
Media:
Credentialed members of the media are encouraged to RSVP here.
Source: Department of Interior
