BLM offers up 54,000 acres of public land in Utah and Colorado to oil, gas

The Bureau of Land Management initiated leasing to oil and gas companies of 54,000 acres of public land in Utah and Colorado under what critics have described as its new “lease first, think later” policy. Some of the land is near Utah's Bears Ears and Hovenweep national monuments and Colorado's Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. But that’s not the only reason these leases are a bad idea: The Park Service’s Southeast Utah group urged the BLM to halt the leasing of land that would impact “air quality, scenic views, soundscapes, and dark night skies” near high-visitation areas. But apparently economic arguments only count when they come from big oil and coal interests.