RENO, Nev.- The Bureau of Land Management is postponing the oil and gas lease sale scheduled for Dec. 13, 2016 for parcels located on the Ely District.
The Ely District Office (EYDO) received 41 nominated parcels for the Dec. 13, 2016 Oil and Gas Lease Sale. Based on Ely District's recommendation, all nominated parcels will be deferred until formal Section 7 Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) on the Programmatic Biological Opinion has been completed. The Ely District Office’s 2008 Resource Management Plan (RMP) did not consider potential adverse effects on listed fish found in 11 hydrologic basins in the Ely District from oil and gas leasing and subsequent operations such as hydraulic fracturing.
The EYDO will initiate a Biological Assessment in the fall of 2016. The formal consultation with the FWS will begin in January 2017. Therefore, the Dec. 13, 2016 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale is postponed until Dec. 12, 2017.
In accordance with regulations, each BLM State Office is required to hold competitive oil and gas lease sales at least quarterly if lands are available for competitive leasing. The 2015 lease sale for the Ely District generated $6,676.08. Details are at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/oil-and-gas/leasing/regional-lease-sales/nevada
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
