The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has decided not to auction thousands of acres of scenic lands in Utah for oil and gas development, proving that an informed citizenry can have an effect on the nation’s land management practices.
Over the last week, the BLM has removed roughly 100,000 acres from an auction set for December 19. These include tracts on and near the borders of Arches National Park, Dinosaur National Monument and Canyonlands National Park, as well as land inside Nine Mile Canyon and Desolation Canyon on the Green River.
The BLM didn’t say why they were pulling the land-lease tracts, but the prospect of drilling pads within view of national scenic treasures caused an outcry from conservation groups and the public at large.
276,000 acres are still up for auction, including some that conservationists say are ecologically sensitive.
Link to the full story below.
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