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The USDA Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management will open a 30-day scoping period, beginning January 13, to receive input from tribal nations and the public on issues to address in an environmental assessment identifying lands that are available for oil and gas leasing on the Conecuh National Forest in Alabama.

Comments should be submitted to comments-southern-alabama@usda.gov  or US Forest Service NEPA Projects Home (usda.gov). Project information is available at Forest Service (usda.gov).

To answer questions about the leasing analysis process, an open house for the public and partners will be held January 28, from 4-7 p.m. at the Natural Resources Conservation Service Building, which is located at 580 W Bypass, Andalusia, Alabama.  The open comment period ends Feb. 12, 2025.

About the process
The Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service share the responsibility for oil and gas leasing on National Forest System lands. The Forest Service manages surface resources and use, while the Bureau of Land Management manages the federal mineral estate. Both agencies work with Tribal Nations, collaborators and members of the public to balance conservation and resource needs.

Before oil and gas leases can be issued, the Forest Service is required to decide which lands are available for leasing as well as any lease stipulations that would be applied to protect natural and cultural resources on the Conecuh National Forest. The decision on the availability of lands is supported by preparing an environmental assessment of the effects of reasonably foreseeable development if leases were to be issued.

The analysis process follows the National Environmental Policy Act, National Forest Management Act, Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Mineral Leasing Act, 36 CFR 228.102 and other applicable laws, regulations and policies that guide the Forest Service in determining lands that are available for oil and gas leasing.

Currently, we anticipate completing an environmental assessment – but will re-evaluate that decision upon completion of scoping.

About the Conecuh National Forest
The Conecuh National Forest is managed by the National Forests in Alabama. The boundary of the Conecuh National Forest is in Covington and Escambia counties; the forest’s southern border rests on the south-central Alabama-Florida state line.

National forests are managed for a broad range of uses, including wilderness protection, recreation, timber management, resource development and more.

The National Forests in Alabama made a decision on the availability of lands for oil and gas leasing when the Forest Plan was revised in 2004. Since 2004, there is new information and changed circumstances to be considered in an environmental analysis to decide if changes are needed to the 2004 leasing availability decision.

Leasing consent decisions are subject to a pre-decisional objection process conducted in accordance with the procedures set forth in 36 CFR part 219, subpart B, whether the leasing consent decision is made as part of a land management plan or separately.

About the Forest Service
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.