BLM releases preliminary environmental assessment for parcels on Roan Plateau

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has opened another round of public comment on a proposed December 2026  oil and gas lease sale covering around 127,000 total acres in Colorado, including public land on top of the Roan Plateau. 

The Roan Plateau, located north of Rifle, has been a topic of interest in the oil and gas industry since the early 2000s, leading to a lease sale in 2007 that was opposed by environmental groups like Wilderness Workshop, Colorado Trout Unlimited and others. 

A 2014 settlement ultimately led the BLM to cancel 17 of 19 leases on top of the plateau. 

The plateau is again being considered for leasing following the Trump Administration’s executive order “Unleash American Energy,” also known as “drill, baby, drill.” 

Currently, there are 113 parcels involved in the possible sale from the BLM, including parcels on the Roan Plateau. BLM Communications Director Steve Hall said that inclusions of these parcels now are not part of the settlement. 

“We amended the Roan Plateau agreement at least a decade ago,” Hall said. “These parcels are not part of the settlement from the lawsuit in 2014. They’re also close to the privately owned properties drilling on the Roan Plateau now.”

The BLM opened a 30-day public scoping period June 9 for 113 parcels that would be involved in the December 2026 sale. The sale information puts these parcels in for oil and gas, oil shale, and tar sands from the National Fluids Lease Sale System. 

Following the public scope, the BLM released its draft environmental assessment on Wednesday, Aug. 12, beginning another 30-day public comment period. Comments can be submitted through 4 p.m. Sept. 11, through the BLM’s website.

“The Roan Plateau parcels may be up for sale in the future even if it doesn’t sell this time, there’s no cooling period for it,” Hall said. “The plan would have to be changed for that to not happen.”

Statements from various conservation groups following the release of the environmental assessment came out concerning the Roan Plateau. 

“By moving forward with these leases, the Trump Administration is showing blatant

disregard for West Slope communities, businesses, hunters, anglers, and

conservationists who have urged the BLM to keep the Roan Plateau off the auction

Block,” Wilderness Workshop Senior Director of Policy and Programs Juli Slivka said. “With this comment opportunity, BLM has another chance to listen to the public and make a decision to defer these contentious leases and keep drill rigs out of the important habitats and watersheds on the public lands on top of the plateau.” 

Conservation Colorado, Earthjustice, and the Wilderness Society expressed similar sentiments in an Aug. 12 press release from Earthjustice. 

To view various oil and gas information in Colorado, including oil and gas fields, water wells, Colorado Parks and Wildlife high priority habitats, visit the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission at ecmc.colorado and click on the GIS Interactive Map.