Less than 2,000 acres of public land in Park County could potentially be part of next summer’s Bureau of Land Management oil and gas lease sale.

BLM announced its list of parcels available for the 2023 Second Quarter Competitive Oil & Gas Lease Sale. The public scoping comment period runs through Nov. 7. 

In all, 1,737 acres of land in southern Park County divided into two parcels are a part of the lease sale, which includes a larger chunk of BLM land in Big Horn County and other areas of the state. 

In accordance with congressional direction in the Inflation Reduction Act, BLM Wyoming started a 30-day scoping period Oct. 6 to receive public input on 209 parcels totaling 251,086 acres that may be included in an upcoming lease sale.

“Once BLM completes the NEPA we’ll have a better idea if the parcels in Park County are going to be leased or not,” said Brad Purdy, deputy state director of communications for the BLM Wyoming State Office.

The parcels the BLM will analyze, as well as maps and instructions on how to comment are available on the BLM ePlanning website at eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2021772/510.

Future BLM lease sales will include updated fiscal provisions authorized in the Inflation Reduction Act:

Minimum bids for all offered parcels will be $10 per acre, an increase from the $2 per acre minimum bid set in 1987;

Royalty rates will be 16.6%, up from the previous minimum of 12.5%; and Rental rates will be $3 per acre for the first two years, $5 per acre for years three through eight, and $15 per acre in years nine and 10. Prior to the Inflation Reduction Act, rental rates were $1.50 per acre for the first five years and $2 per acre for each year thereafter, rates originally set in 1987.