Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Santa Fe, NM – June 8. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently deferred issuance of oil and gas leases in response to WildEarth Guardians’ challenge to leasing on over 32,500 acres of potential habitat for the endangered northern aplomado falcon and many other imperiled wildlife species. The BLM’s May 27 decision to further consider the conservation group’s challenge to oil and gas leases offered in the agency’s April 2004 sale is similar to its April 27 decision to withhold lease issuance on 18,500 acres offered in the BLM’s January 2004 sale. WildEarth Guardians contends that the agency is offering parcels for lease without first conducting adequate environmental review.

The northern aplomado falcon is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and oil and gas activities are acknowledged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a biological threat to the subspecies.

In its April 21, 2004 sale in Santa Fe, the BLM offered for oil and gas lease nearly all of the approximately 36,000 acres (57 parcels) WildEarth Guardians challenged. Three parcels, totaling 412 acres, were deleted prior to the sale. In addition, the agency stated in a May 27 letter to WildEarth Guardians that it will withhold issuance of leases on 47 parcels amounting to over 32,500 acres. However, the leases may be issued in the future, and the conservation group is expecting a final decision on these parcels within the next one to two months. The agency dismissed WildEarth Guardians’ challenge of seven other parcels, a decision that the conservation group will appeal.

Dr. Nicole Rosmarino, Endangered Species Director for WildEarth Guardians, stated, “The Bush Administration is fundamentally hostile to conservation and this is especially apparent in its rush to allow oil and gas companies to industrialize public lands.” Rosmarino continued, “The temporary reprieve for endangered wildlife we’ve achieved on over 51,000 acres underscores that the Bureau of Land Management has simply not been doing its environmental homework before offering precious natural areas up to irreversible degradation.”

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 the Richardson Administration.

WildEarth Guardians plans to protest leasing on substantial acreage in the upcoming July sale.

For more information, email nrosmari@fguardians.org or call 505-988-9126×156.