Around 50,000 acres of public land in Colorado will soon be open to oil and gas development by the Bureau of Land Management.
The agency has also announced a lease sale scheduled for December 9 that will include some 60 oil and gas parcels.
Scoping of the parcels was completed by BLM in March, with a public comment period concluding three months ago. What is called a 30-day public protest period regarding the lease sale is set to end on November 10.
Oil and gas lease sales are conducted on a quarterly basis by BLM, with the agency allowing time for environmental assessments, while also ensuring Tribal consultation is enforced.
This latest BLM oil and gas lease sale comes as the Trump administration is pushing for more such sales to increase fossil fuel production.
A lease sale containing 23 parcels in Montana and North Dakota was conducted by the agency last month, raising some $38 million. A similar sale in Wyoming brought in just over $9 million.
The proceeds of such sales are jointly shared by the federal government and the governments of whichever state they are conducted in.
Concerns have been raised regarding the scope and range of the sales.
In comments published by the Colorado Sun, Emily Horback, executive director of the advocacy group Western Colorado Alliance, remarked: “There are a number of areas of environmental concern. This is a huge moment of shifting policies and priorities, and we are definitely trying to raise the alarm on that.” In an earlier released statement, the BLM said the increase in such sales spurs drilling activity, “which in turn supports increased domestic production and strengthens U.S. energy security.”
October 17, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
