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The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

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The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

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The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

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The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

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< All Public Input & Actions

The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

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The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

In support of the Trump Administration’s energy dominance agenda, the Department of the Interior today announced a Bureau of Land Management policy update designed to expedite the oil and gas leasing process on public lands. Through a newly issued Instruction Memorandum “Oil and Gas Leasing – Land Use Planning and Lease Parcel Reviews,” the BLM is committing to faster lease parcel reviews by aiming to complete the entire process within six months. This streamlined approach is expected to increase the availability of onshore federal lands for leasing, reduce bureaucratic delays, and enhance public engagement, while reinforcing national efforts to boost job creation, lower energy costs, and strengthen U.S. Energy Dominance.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are ending the unnecessary delays and bureaucratic roadblocks that have held back American energy production for too long,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Adam Suess. “This policy puts us on a fast track to energy dominance—opening up more federal land for responsible development, cutting review times nearly in half, and sending a clear message that the United States is serious about job creation, low energy costs, and putting American energy first.”

With the updated policy, the BLM will complete parcel review and offer parcels in an oil and gas lease sale within a six-month timeframe from the start of scoping until the lease sale. State offices with eligible parcels will plan for a lease sale as soon as practical, recognizing this timeframe accounts for the public participation posting timeframes outlined in regulations.

To meet this goal, the BLM will no longer defer parcels prior to completing all National Environmental Policy Act reviews. This will allow oil and gas lease parcel reviews to be conducted and documented simultaneously with the National Energy Policy Act compliance process. The BLM’s review of lease sale parcels will also be based on existing land management policy and resource management plans.    

The BLM is required, by statute to hold quarterly lease sales, when eligible lands are available for lease. Upon reviewing the sales held in the previous two years, the BLM’s timeframe for parcel review varied between eight and 15 months. State offices with eligible parcels plan for a lease sale as soon as practical, and ensure the public is afforded the opportunity to participate throughout the process.

This updated policy reflects Interior’s commitment to responsible resource development, transparency, and compliance with environmental laws, while ensuring that American energy producers can operate with greater certainty and efficiency. By establishing a predictable and streamlined leasing process, Interior is helping to fulfill statutory requirements, strengthen public trust through continued participation opportunities, and advance the Trump Administration’s broader goals of energy security, economic growth, and reduced reliance on foreign sources of energy.     

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The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

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The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

PHOENIX – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved the Elisabeth Solar Project on about 1,411 acres of public lands in the Agua Caliente Solar Energy Zone near Dateland in Yuma County.

Elisabeth Solar, LLC, may construct, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission a utility-scale photovoltaic energy and battery storage facility expected to generate up to 270 megawatts and store up to 300 megawatts of power. The project will connect to the Arizona Public Service and California Independent System Operator energy grids through the Hoodoo Wash switchyard.

“Providing reliable, domestically sourced energy for the American public is a top priority,” said Ray Castro, BLM Yuma field manager. “We’re committed to working with Tribal, federal, state, and local governments, communities, stakeholder groups, and industry to move this project forward.” 

Additional information, including the final environmental assessment, finding of no significant impact, and decision record are available at the BLM National NEPA Register. 

For more information, please contact BLM Project Manager Derek Eysenbach at BLM_AZ_CRD_SOLAR@blm.gov or 602-417-9505. 

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The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Project Area Map (PDF)

National NEPA Register

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum traveled to New Mexico today to announce the emergency withdrawal and transfer of administrative jurisdiction over approximately 109,651 acres of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border. The land will be transferred to the Department of the Army for a period of three years, subject to valid existing rights.

This action is intended to safeguard sensitive natural and cultural resources in the region while enabling the Department of the Army to support U.S. Border Patrol operations in securing the border and preventing illegal immigration.

“Securing our border and protecting our nation’s resources go hand in hand,” said Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “The American people gave President Trump a mandate to make America safe and strong again. This transfer reflects Interior’s commitment to public safety, national security and responsible stewardship of our public lands.”

The Department of the Army requested the withdrawal and transfer of these lands on an emergency basis to allow for the increase in regular patrols by federal personnel, construction of infrastructure to prevent unlawful entry, disrupt foreign terrorist threats to the U.S., and to curb illegal cross-border activities, such as unlawful migration, narcotics trafficking, migrant smuggling, and human trafficking. President Donald J. Trump declared a national emergency earlier this year along the southern border and directed members of his Administration to take swift action to combat all illegal activity within the region.

The crisis along the border isn’t limited to national security and law enforcement concerns but also presents an environmental crisis. In this region, the Bureau of Land Management manages these public lands under its multiple use and sustained yield requirements. These lands serve as habitat for 23 federally endangered species and are the home of cultural sites that range from small artifact scatters to large multi-room pueblos. Transfer of the management of this land to the Army will facilitate military engagement to prevent unauthorized human activity in ecologically sensitive areas along the southern border, which can be harmed by repeated foot traffic, unregulated vehicle use, and the creation of informal trails or camps. High-traffic illegal crossings can lead to soil erosion, damage to fragile desert vegetation and critical wildlife habitat, loss and damage to cultural resources, increased fire risk and pollution from trash and human waste.  

Additionally, transfer of the management of these lands to the Army will allow the military to assist the Border Patrol to construct and maintain border security infrastructure without delays or conflicts that can come with competing land uses or claims, helping control migration flows.

Interior recognizes that some of the acres transferred to the Department of the Army are essential to the livelihoods of communities in that area. The Bureau of Land Management will work with the Department of the Army to ensure that some uses will continue to support local grazing and mining.

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The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Bureau of Land Management selected Lance R. Brady, a native Arizonan born in Tucson and raised in Safford, as the new Gila District Manager. He replaced Scott Feldhausen, who retired in January. Brady will direct the management of over 2 million acres of desert, mountains, and grasslands in eastern and southeastern Arizona through the BLM Safford and Tucson Field Offices.

“I am excited to be back in my home state and to manage familiar landscapes that are important to the communities the Gila District serves,” said Brady.

Brady was most recently the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program manager for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) where he oversaw critical advancements in UAS technologies for USGS and the Department of the Interior. He began his career with the BLM in the Rock Springs Field Office in Wyoming, focusing on the geospatial program and later worked within the fire program in the Idaho Falls District, where he became the supervisor of the district’s geospatial program. Brady previously worked in the Safford Field Office as assistant field manager in 2007, where he led the Renewable Resources Division before moving to the BLM National Operations Center in Denver. There, he led geospatial activities for the BLM fire program and was instrumental in developing the Bureau’s UAS program.

In 2015, Brady returned to the Idaho Falls District as the Associate District Manager. He later served as the Associate District Manager in the Southeastern States District and completed several details as Acting District Manager in Idaho and Eastern States.

“We are excited to welcome Lance Brady as the new Gila District Manager. With his deep roots in the state and extensive leadership experience in geospatial technology, fire management, and UAS programs, Lance brings a wealth of knowledge that will greatly benefit our team. We look forward to his leadership and vision as he steps into this role,” said Raymond Suazo, Arizona State Director, BLM.

Brady holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from Northern Arizona University, with additional studies in anthropology at Eastern Arizona College and aviation technology at Cochise College.

He has been married to his wife, Shannon, for more than 30 years and they share a love for traveling and spending quality time with their four children and three grandchildren. He enjoys exploring the deserts of the Southwest on the many backroads, upland bird hunting, and occasionally fishing.

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The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.