Oil and Gas Operations on Public Lands

Because most shale gas activity in the near future is expected to occur in the eastern U.S. basins, it is not likely that much of this development will occur on federal lands. While there are some federal lands, such as national parks, national forests, and military installations, these are much less extensive in the east than in the west. Where shale gas operations do occur on federal lands, the BLM has a well-established program for managing these activities to protect human health and the environment. 

The amount of state-owned land varies considerably from state to state, and each state manages these lands differently. In most states, leasing of state-owned minerals occurs through lease auctions. Because states are already set up to manage oil and gas operations within their borders, no special permitting or enforcement systems are required. Some states do have environmental policy acts that require a review of environmental impacts that may result from leasing or operations on state lands or of any state action that may affect the environment. 

---