Since 2008, more than 8.1 million acres of federal parcels nominated for sale at oil and gas leases have been deferred due to concerns about greater sage grouse. The parcels would cover an area larger than Massachusetts and Rhode Island combined and include potential leases in seven states. Details on the deferrals were obtained through the U.S. Bureau of Land Management offices and lease sale documents.
A state-be-state breakdown of acres nominated for oil and gas leases that were deferred between 2008 and 2015, and the number of acres under lease at the end of 2013:
__ Nevada, 5,022,190 acres deferred, 3,732,390 acres under lease
__ Utah, 309,406 acres deferred, 3,821,792 acres under lease
__ North Dakota; 20,611 acres deferred; 1,024,007 acres under lease
__ South Dakota, 14,536 acres deferred; 162,902 acres under lease
__ Wyoming, 1,730,467 acres deferred; 11,232,643 acres under lease
__ Montana, 607,824 acres deferred; 2,728,738 acres under lease
__ Colorado, 425,657 acres deferred; 3,915,506 acres under lease
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