Two parcels of land in La Plata County have been included in a proposed federal oil and gas lease sale scheduled for December.
The two parcels, which combined total about 160 acres, are located about 6 miles northeast of Bayfield in the HD Mountains near Sauls Creek. The surface estate for both parcels is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
This is the first time land within La Plata County has been included in any 2026 lease sales, which are required under the Mineral Leasing Act, and it comes as the federal government accelerates oil and gas leasing under H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The law requires the Bureau of Land Management to hold quarterly lease sales in nine Western states, including Colorado, doubling the minimum frequency of lease sales required under the Biden administration.
BLM opened a 30-day public scoping period seeking input on 114 oil and gas parcels totaling 126,744 acres that could be included in the lease sale. The public comment period ends July 9.
During a work session Wednesday, BLM representatives and county staff members briefed the La Plata County Board of County Commissioners on the leasing process. Commissioners raised concerns about potential impacts to county roads, nearby residents and other local resources if oil and gas development were to occur.
Access to the proposed lease parcels could be provided from County Road 527 or by an existing noncounty dirt road extending north from U.S. Highway 160. The nearest residences are about 1.5 miles northwest of the parcels in the Deer Valley subdivision.
The parcels were analyzed as part of the 2020 update to the San Juan National Forest and Tres Rios Field Office Resource Management Plan. That analysis determined any leases issued on the parcels would include special stipulations intended to protect environmental resources, a meeting attendee said.
Both parcels would be subject to no surface occupancy, controlled surface use and timing limitation stipulations, which restrict where and when development activities can occur to reduce impacts on sensitive resources.
Although the parcels are administered by the U.S. Forest Service, they fall within the exterior boundary of the Southern Ute Reservation, triggering additional cultural and tribal consultation.
BLM officials said they have reached out not only to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe but also to 31 other tribes, Pueblos and Navajo Nation chapter houses with cultural ties to the area.
Additionally, leasing the parcels would not automatically authorize drilling. Any future development proposal would require additional environmental review and permitting before drilling could occur.
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