On Monday, the Bureau of Land Management opened a 30-day public scoping period to receive public input on 44 oil and gas parcels, totaling 74,664 acres that may be included in a December 2026 lease sale in Utah. The scoping period ends July 16, 2026. The parcels being considered for the 4th Quarter Sale are located in Uintah County, Carbon County, Grand County, and San Juan County. Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources. Before development operations can begin, an operator must submit an application for permit to drill detailing development plans. The BLM reviews applications for permits to drill, posts them for public review, conducts an environmental analysis and coordinates with state partners and stakeholders. The parcels the BLM is analyzing, as well as maps and instructions on how to comment, are available on the BLM’s ePlanning website at eplanning.blm.gov.
