Interior Proceeds With Oil Leasing Close to Utah National Parks

An oil and gas lease sale near three Utah national parks will proceed in September after a delay, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

The land in the lease sale and the public comment period were to have been announced in May, but were delayed without explanation.

The bureau said Tuesday it plans to auction more than 114,000 acres of federal land near Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef national parks in its September quarterly lease sale.

“We remain committed to responsible leasing on public lands as we implement our multiple use mission,” BLM Utah Acting State Director Anita Bilbao ...