Washington (Platts)--13Jul2007
The US Bureau of Land Management on Friday issued an environmental impact statement for the Kemmerer, Wyoming, planning area that would maximize natural gas and oil production while setting aside two small parcels for wildlife habitat protection. The planning area includes 1.4 million acres of land and 1.6 million acres of BLM-owned mineral rights in three counties in southwestern Wyoming. Mary Jo Rugwell, BLM's field manager for Kemmerer area, said the agency proposes opening more than 95% of the area to leasing with the same seasonal restrictions to protect wildlife that existed under a previous management plan. BLM would prohibit leasing in 5% that is home to "world-class wildlife habitat" that warrant special protection, although three existing leases in that section would remain valid, she said. Currently, more than 1 million acres of the Kemmerer area are leased for energy production, with more than 220 Bcf of natural gas and 2.41 million barrels of oil produced last year from the area, BLM said. Bruce Pendery, program director and staff attorney for the Wyoming Outdoor Council, said a resource management plan recently introduced for the Pinedale planning area adjacent to Kemmerer sets aside a considerable amount of land for wildlife habitat and recreation. While Pendery was not familiar with the details of the Kemmerer proposal, he questioned why it would have a "radically different prescription" for land use that includes substantially less protection for wildlife. "It should not give overwhelming priority to energy production," he said. Rugwell explained that drilling in the Pinedale planning area is more concentrated than in Kemmerer, allowing for the creation of more non-production land uses. The Kemmerer proposal now enters a 90-day public review process before a final decision is released. In September, a second EIS is expected on Moxa Arch, the planning area's most densely developed region. --Jean Chemnick, jean_chemnick@platts.com
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