On April 11th, the Bureau of Land Management issued a notice in the Federal Register that a previous requirement concerning Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) has been rescinded and the Interior will no longer pursue lengthy analysis for oil and gas leasing decisions in 7 states. This applies to approximately 3,224 oil and gas leases. “This rescission of a Notice of Intent prepared by the Bureau of Land Management in January 2025 supports the policy direction of Executive Order 14154 and Secretary’s Order 3418, both with the title ‘Unleashing American Energy,’ by reducing regulatory barriers for oil and gas companies and expediting domestic energy development,” shares the BLM announcement. “With this action, the Bureau of Land Management will no longer move forward with preparing an environmental impact statement for oil and gas leasing decisions encompassing 3.5 million acres across Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, and the Bureau is evaluating options for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act for these oil and gas leasing decisions.”
