BLM and Tribe Plan Shale Frack Impact Mega-Study
Published Date: 9/4/2026
Notice
Summary
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, as well as the U.S. Department of the Interior regulations and handbook implementing NEPA, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tres Rios Field Office and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe (Tribe), each acting as a joint lead agency, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, acting as a Cooperating Agency, intend to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Programmatic EIS will consider the effects of exploration and development of the Mancos Shale Formation, as well as other oil and gas resources held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe within an approximately 108,000-acre planning area on existing leases located within the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. This notice announces the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Large Tribal Mancos Shale EIS
The Bureau of Land Management and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe will prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for oil and gas development within an approximately 108,000-acre planning area on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. The planning area includes about 64,000 mineral acres held in trust for the Tribe, 42,000 mineral acres of fee minerals, and 2,000 mineral acres held in trust for individual Indian allottees. The agencies anticipate increased exploration and development and will analyze possible impacts to air quality; water quality and quantity; traffic; vegetation; fish and wildlife; cultural, historic, and archaeological resources; noise, light, visual resources; and economic resources.
New Conditions May Attach to Future Leases
The Proposed Action (Trust Resources Planning Alternative) would establish goals, objectives, mitigation measures, and thresholds that could include conditions of approval and design requirements attached to future development authorizations on Tribal trust minerals. If adopted, future lessees or operators could face new conditions and design requirements when seeking authorization to develop within the planning area.
No Site-Specific Approvals Now
The BLM and the Tribe state they do not anticipate granting any site-specific approvals or ground-disturbing authorizations as part of this Programmatic EIS action. That means developers should not expect immediate site-specific permits from this program-level decision.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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