Print this pageUtah - Permitting Challenges in a Rocky Mountain Petroleum Frontier
Kent Hoffman, Deputy State Director, Lands and Minerals, Bureau
of 
Land
Management, Utah State Office, 440 W. 200 S. Suite 500, Salt Lake City,
UT 84101, phone: (801) 539-4063, [email protected]
Utah has a myriad of opportunities for exploration and
development of petroleum. The Bureau of Land Management in Utah has experienced
dramatic increases in expressions of interest for leasing, applications for
permit to drill, energy related rights-of way, and interest in unconventional
energy resources such as oil shale and tar sands. Numerous efforts are underway
to provide access to those resources including preparation of new land
use
plans, environmental impact statements, and proposals for research and
development leasing of oil shale. However, significant challenges exist with
respect to compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, National
Historic Preservation Act, and Endangered Species Act. This presentation will
provide a synopsis and statistics pertaining to the status of leasing, seismic
and drilling permits, protests and legal challenges.