US Forest Service

1. US Forest Service An Overview of Energy Resource Extraction in the National Forest System

2. Organization and Structure • Agency of the US Dept. of Agriculture • National Office in Washington, DC • Nine Regional Offices • Individual National Forests • Chief Forester • Regional Foresters • Forest Supervisors • Forest Rangers

3. Mineral & Geology Management • Missions: • Facilitate energy, mineral, & geologic activities within National Forests • Incorporate National Energy Policy into USFS operating procedures

4. General Responsibilities of USFS • Tasked with : • Conservation & utilization of natural resources in National Forests & Grasslands • Promotion of resources for public, private, and government use

5. USFS Energy Policy • Further responsibilities: • Monitor exploration, development, and production of energy resources • Ensure all work on USFS lands is done is in an environmentally sensitive fashion • Work with Dept. of Interior to facilitate energy resource extraction

6. Leasing and Energy Resource Extraction Procedures

7. The Auction • The BLM holds auctions throughout the year • Rarely do competitive auctions actually occur • Leases are usually sold in 10 year increments • Sold with stipulations including: the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act, among others

8. Application for Permit to Drill (APD) • Once the buyer is ready to develop the parcel, they must fill out an APD (Application for Permit to Drill) • The APD is turned into the BLM • The APD must include • A drilling plan for the well or wells • If the field will be developed, a Plan of Development • A surface use plan • Plans for reclamation of the site at the end of its production life • The applicant must also post a performance bond before the APD can be approved • The BLM or Forest Service can add mitigation measures prior to approval of the APD

9. Geological considerations and environmental protection • The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the BLM to involve the public in significant decisions • BLM uses its own regulations to implement NEPA, as well as regulations issued by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) • Most APDs are done using an Environmental Assessment (EA), a less detailed form of the full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) • NEPA does not mandate involvement of the public in an EA process, but BLM generally does post notices of draft EAs and will take public comment

10. USDA Forest Service • One form is filled out for the BLM and the USDA Forest Service • Due to the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the BLM instructs the Forest Service to ensure there is FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact) on the lease • The Forest Service does this in accord with NEPA including sending Forest Rangers to inspect the site • The Forest Service is mostly interested in the surface use plan and the plans for reclamation at the end of the life of the lease

11. Approval • If the BLM reports FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact) the NEPA process ends and work can begin

12. Finding of Significant Impact A Finding of Significant Impact will see the agency either take steps to mitigate the impacts, with a revised decision notice being done, or moving to a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).