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Santa Fe, NM – May 3. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently upheld WildEarth Guardians’ challenge to oil and gas leasing on over 18,500 acres of potential northern aplomado falcon habitat in southeastern New Mexico. The BLM’s decision was the first acknowledgement by the agency that WildEarth Guardians’ concerns over the lack of environmental analysis by the agency prior to leasing are legitimate. The northern aplomado falcon is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognizes oil and gas activities to be a biological threat to the subspecies.

In the BLM’s January 21, 2004 sale in Santa Fe, WildEarth Guardians challenged leases on over 32,400 acres. However, the BLM stated in an April 27 letter to WildEarth Guardians that it will not issue leases on over half of this acreage given the agency’s failure to review impacts on aplomado falcons and their habitat.

“We are pleased that the Bureau of Land Management has at least acknowledged that leasing of this acreage was premature, given the agency’s failure to address critical environmental issues,” said Dr. Nicole Rosmarino, Endangered Species Director for WildEarth Guardians. Rosmarino continued, “Rather than blindly rushing forward with leasing under the Bush Energy Plan, we are calling for more restraint. Some of these endangered habitats simply should not be exposed to destruction by oil and gas.”

WildEarth Guardians has challenged oil and gas leasing in each of the last three quarterly sales given the BLM’s failure to analyze impacts on imperiled species and ecosystems prior to offering parcels for lease. Once parcels are leased to oil and gas companies, the agency has limited authority to add new protective measures when the companies move forward with applications to drill wells. Altogether, WildEarth Guardians has protested leasing on over 125,000 acres in New Mexico and surrounding states since last October. In addition, WildEarth Guardians protested the Otero Mesa leasing plan on the basis of the danger it poses to aplomados and other imperiled wildlife. The BLM’s Otero Mesa plan has drawn a hailstorm of criticism from many parties, including from Governor Bill Richardson.