Federal land managers have proposed setting aside nearly 2 million acres of public land in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming for potential commercial oil shale development.
The draft plan released Thursday by the Bureau of Land Management is meant to provide a framework for developing the region’s large reserves of oil shale and tar sands. Except for experimental projects, there is no current program for commercial oil shale development on federal land.
Most of the nation’s oil shale reserves are in western Colorado, southwestern Wyoming and eastern Utah. The draft plan also covers development of the tar sands in Utah.
The development scenario recommended by the BLM would make 359,798 acres of federal land in Colorado available; 630,971 acres in Utah; and about 1 million acres in Wyoming.
A provision inserted by Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar and Rep. Mark Udall, both Colorado Democrats, in an omnibus spending bill passed this week by Congress prohibits the BLM from issuing final regulations for commercial oil shale development and offering any commercial leases in the 2008 budget year.
BLM spokeswoman Heather Feeney in Washington said the agency will comply with the provision.
The BLM will take public comments on the draft plan for the next 90 days and release a final plan later.
BLM officials have said more thorough analyses will be done as specific projects are proposed.
