Alison Gallensky

Rocky Mountain Wild

Oil and natural gas are an important part of our economy and way of life

The extraction of those resources may come at a cost to humans and animals

Recent Government initiatives have prioritized development of domestic energy resources

Rocky Mountain Wild and partner groups are monitoring sales of leases in the Rocky Mountain West that might impact key resources for humans and animals

2

Natural gas development process

Key Resources

GIS Analysis

3

4

On March 28, 2017, there was a Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth

We might assume that this lead to increased leasing in sensitive wildlife areas.

How can we address this systematically?

5

6

7

Leasing – the first step Federal Leasing

State Leasing

Split Estate/Federal Minerals

Public Involvement Quarterly lease sales

managed by the Bureau of Land Management

Environmental Review & public comments

8

Lease sale auctions used to look like this. Now they are all done online.Image from Legal Planet . http://legal-planet.org

APD – the next step Application for a Permit to Drill

Managed by each state

What is the approval process?

Public Involvement State regulations

Zoning processes

Grassroots organizations

9

Natural gas drilling rig in TexasBy Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4025872

10

Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat

Big Game Habitat

National Parks and Monuments

Master Leasing Plans

Waterways

Recreation

Wilderness Quality Lands

11

12

Greater Sage-Grouse by Dave Showalter. Rocky Mountain Wild. rockymountainwild.org

Gunnison Sage-Grouse by Bob Gress. Rocky Mountain Wild. rockymountainwild.org

13

Mule deer pair at Elk Creek. Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (Wikipedia).

14

Oil and gas companies maintain a historical right to drill within the boundaries of more than 40 national parks, including Mesa Verde National Park.

Energy companies routinely request leases directly adjacent to National Parks and National Monuments.

Oil and gas development near Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. © Chris Boyer / Kestrel Aerial Serviceshttp://www.npca.org

Master Leasing Plans

Waterways

Recreation BLM Recreation Management

Areas

Wilderness Quality Lands Agency Recommended

Wilderness

Congressional Wilderness Proposals

Lands with Wilderness Characteristics

15

16

Multi-year project started January 2017.

Tracking quarterly lease sales in 6 western states: Colorado

Montana

Nevada

New Mexico

Utah

Wyoming

17

Greater sage-grouse habitat

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Landscape Approach Data Portal• Sagebrush Focal Areas• Priority Habitat Management Areas (PHMA)• General Habitat Management Areas (GHMA)

Big Game Habitat

Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool (CHAT)• Terrestrial Species of Economic and Recreational

Importance (SERI)

National Parks and Monuments

• Ten Mile Buffer• National Park Service• Other National Monuments:

• Bureau of Land Management• National Forest Service

18

Master Leasing Plans

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Resource Management Plans and Master Leasing Plans• Sometimes data is on NEPA site• Sometimes I digitized maps

Waterways U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory• Now includes rivers and streams• Attributes distinguish quality and type of features

Wilderness Quality Lands

TBD

Recreation TBD

19

20

21

Monitoring sales starting January 2017

March and June sales analyzed

September sales will be analyzed soon

Early results vary greatly by state and do not yet show trends

September sale in Utah Only 3 of 9 parcels offered received

the minimum bid of $2.00 per acre

22

(Utah Division of Wildlife Resources) The federal Bureau of Land Management on Tuesday sold leases on three of nine parcels auctioned for oil and gas development west of Nephi —near Utah’s most imperiled population of greater sage grouse. http://www.sltrib.com

Continue data collection Recreation

Wilderness Quality Lands

Look for trends

Continue public engagement in the leasing process

Opportunities for future research: Patterns of development on new leases

Greater sage-grouse population trends

Impacts of oil and gas development on water quality

Follow-ups to mule deer study

23

Alison Gallensky

GIS and IT Director

Rocky Mountain Wild

rockymountainwild.org

Alison@rockymountainwild.org

(303)619-0509 (cell)

Learn more: http://rockymountainwild.org/oil_and_gas

24