Bakersfield's Oil Drilling Plan Gets Public Makeover—Again
Published Date: 6/23/2025
Notice
Summary
The Bakersfield Field Office is updating its plan to manage oil and gas drilling on public lands in California. This means they’ll study how drilling affects the environment and might change rules to keep things safe and fair. Local communities, businesses, and nature lovers should get ready to share their thoughts soon, as this process will take some time and could impact future land use and jobs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Certain Lands Remain Unavailable For Leasing
The notice says lands withdrawn from mineral entry by law, including national monuments and designated wilderness areas, will remain unavailable for oil and gas leasing and development in the Bakersfield Field Office planning area. That exclusion applies alongside the stated exclusion of the California Coastal National Monument and the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
BLM Will Prepare Supplemental EIS
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) intends to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) and may amend the Bakersfield Field Office Resource Management Plan to analyze oil and gas leasing and development on BLM-managed public land in the Bakersfield Field Office planning area in California. The planning area analysis explicitly excludes the California Coastal National Monument and the Carrizo Plain National Monument. The notice starts a public comment process to identify issues for that EIS and potential RMP amendment.
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