Community-Based Reform of Oil and Gas Production Related to
an
Environmental Impact Statement for a Revised Resource Management Plan (RMP)
for
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Farmington, New Mexico
2001
James Kent Associates worked for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office in Farmington, New Mexico throughout 2001. This area was experiencing intense pressure for greater oil and gas leasing, stimulated by market demand and the policies of the Bush Administration. The Discovery Process showed extensive and widespread issues related to conditions created by current oil and gas leasing. While the drilling permits within the BLM office stipulated all the right things—reclamation within so many days, re-vegetation of disturbed areas, the fencing of toxic water from livestock, removal of equipment, and other features, the conditions on the ground did not correspond. The pictures below indicate stresses to the environment that people were very concerned about.
| Photo One: "Dog leg" on a water well that blew and kept leaking. Note the oil soaked sagebrush. | Photo Two: Most roads are ungraveled, muddy and impassable sometimes, creating "make your own road" conditions. |
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Significant opportunities for improvement emerged because this information was identified early before widespread polarization, BLM leadership was attuned to the need for reform, and we stayed at the network level of communication. The local BLM manager negotiated agreement with industry to provide $1000/acre for reclamation, of which ranchers could apply for half. Ranchers were much more successful in re-seeding efforts than the oil and gas industry, and they had interest in diversifying their income sources, so this approach worked in creating a shared approach to stewardship.
For the project document, go to:
http://www.jkagroup.com/clients/farmington.pdf
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