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Garfield County approves scoping comment letter for BLM mineral lease sale covering about 10,000 county acres
Summary
The board authorized the chair to sign a scoping comment letter to the Bureau of Land Management ahead of a June 2026 mineral lease sale; staff said about 10,000 acres in Garfield County are included and that an environmental assessment (EA) will follow where the county can submit detailed comments.
Garfield County commissioners voted Jan. 5 to authorize the chair to sign a scoping comment letter to the Bureau of Land Management on proposed parcels in the June 2026 mineral lease sale.
Kirby Wynn, the county’s oil-and-gas liaison, told the board the proposed lease sale includes roughly 10,000 acres inside Garfield County and more than 100,000 acres across Western Colorado. He said the scoping letter is an early step in the NEPA process and that when a draft environmental assessment is released the county will have an opportunity to submit detailed comments and stipulation requests — including any concerns about wildlife such as greater sage-grouse habitat where applicable.
Wynn said the proposed acreage in Garfield County is largely north of Parachute near the Rio Blanco county line and within BLM-administered areas; he also noted the county’s energy-management plan and comprehensive plan were attached to the draft scoping letter to explain local socioeconomic considerations.
Commissioners moved, seconded and approved by voice vote a motion to authorize the chair to sign the scoping comment letter. Staff said they would submit the letter before the deadline and expected the BLM to publish an EA well ahead of the June sale date, enabling the county to provide more targeted technical comments at that stage.
