Coalition Participates in Telepresser on the 2008 “Utah 77” Oil and Gas Leases
On December 20, 2017, Coalition member and former NPS Utah State Coordinator Cordell Roy participated in a nation-wide telephonic press conference (telepresser) with members of the news media press to commemorate the anniversary of the “Utah 77” oil and gas leases that were issued in 2008 in the Moab (UT) area. Controversy surrounding the leases caused the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to re-evaluate its leasing process and led to leasing reforms that included the development of the Master Leasing Plan (MLP) process, a collaborate planning process that was subsequently used by BLM to develop the Moab MLP.
The three telepresser presenters discussed the 2008 controversy and the benefits of diverse stakeholder involvement in the Moab MLP, which has been widely recognized as an effective planning tool for managing oil and gas development while minimizing impacts to special resource areas, such as adjacent national parks.
In addition to Coalition member Cordell Roy, also participating in the telepresser were: Nada Culver, Senior Counsel and Director of The Wilderness Society’s BLM Action Center; and Kirsten Peterson, owner/operator of Rim Tours Mountain Bike Adventure, Moab, UT. Ms. Peterson was a Moab city council member at time the leases were issued.