Comments Regarding the Farmington Field Office EA and Unsigned FONSI

The Western Environmental Law Center, along with Amigos Bravos, Chaco Alliance, Diné Citizens Against Ruining our Environment, Earthworks, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rio Arriba Concerned Citizens, San Juan Citizens Alliance, Sierra Club, and WildEarth Guardians (together “Conservation Groups”), submit the following Comments regarding the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) Farmington Field Office (“FFO”) Environmental Assessment (“EA”) and unsigned Finding of No Significant Impact (“FONSI”) for the October 2014 Oil and Gas Lease Sale, which includes a proposed action to sell 25 parcels covering 23,325 acres of Federal mineral estate under standard terms, conditions, and lease stipulations. These parcels are a combination of Santa Fe National Forest, private, and Navajo allotted lands with a federal mineral estate administered by the FFO. The applicable land use plan for this action is the 2003 Farmington RMP, with “the analysis of projected surface disturbance impacts… based on well densities listed in the Reasonable Foreseeable Development (“RFD”) Scenario in the 2003 Farmington RMP.” EA at n/a.