May 8, 2026
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Montana/Dakotas State Office
Branch of Fluid Minerals
Attn: Hattie Payne
5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, MT 59101
Re: Draft Environmental Assessment (“EA”) Comments for the Montana-Dakotas Q3 2026 Oil and Gas Lease Parcel Sales (DOI-BLM-MT-0000- 2026-0001-EA)
The Western Environmental Law Center, along with along with the Center for Biological Diversity, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Living Rivers & Colorado Riverkeeper, Montana Environmental Information Center, Waterkeeper Alliance, and WildEarth Guardians, and Wyoming Outdoor Council (“Commenters”), submit the following comments on the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) Montana-Dakotas Q3 2026 Oil and Gas Lease Parcel Sale (“Lease Sale”).
Synopsis:
A coalition of conservation and public lands organizations submitted detailed comments opposing the Bureau of Land Management’s Montana-Dakotas Third Quarter 2026 oil and gas lease sale, which includes 66 nominated federal mineral parcels totaling more than 29,000 acres. The letter urges BLM to defer all parcels until it completes a comprehensive environmental review of the federal fossil fuel leasing program, including cumulative impacts to climate, public lands, wildlife, air quality, groundwater, environmental justice, and nearby protected areas such as Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The commenters argue that BLM’s draft environmental assessment does not satisfy its obligations under NEPA, FLPMA, the Endangered Species Act, and related laws, and call for analysis of alternatives including no leasing, managed decline of federal fossil fuel production, stronger methane controls, and protections for water resources.
Click
here to read the full letter.
