How is Oil and Gas Developed on Public Lands?
Land Use Plan Every 10-15 years, federal land management agencies including the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service are supposed to produce land and resource management plans. These plans guide future land management and, among other things, identify areas suitable for oil and gas development. Because it is impossible to predict future development scenarios accurately, these plans generally are speculative and do not include site-specific analysis of impacts. Many plans remain outdated. There are numerous steps to this process and several at which the public can provide input. Find out more about the land use planning process here. Lease Nomination Industry nominates specific parcels of land for oil and gas development. The responsible federal agency reviews the nomination and, if it determines the land is suitable for development, the agency may hold a competitive lease sale for the nominated lands. No public participation or comment period for lease nominations exist. If ser
