In February and April, the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Texas Conservation Alliance, Clean Water Action, Dallas Water Utilities, Highland Village, Flower Mound, Denton, Irving, Lewisville, The Colony, other cities and organizations, and thousands of people succeeded in getting the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to withdraw from federal fossil fuel auction 31,169 acres of national forest land in Texas (including lands in Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and Sabine National Forests) and federal lands adjacent to or beneath Lewisville Lake, Somerville, Lake, Lake Conroe, and Choke Canyon Reservoir.

The BLM is the federal agency that leases federal lands for fossil fuel exploitation via auctions of these lands.  Concerns brought up by the public about leasing federal lands in forests and around and under reservoirs and lakes at rallies and in letters and communications to BLM included:

1. Fracking and other oil/gas drilling impacts

2. Climate change impacts

3. Municipal water supply protection

4. Endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker habitat fragmentation

5. Lack of public notification, outreach, and participation

6. An outdated U.S. Forest Service land management plan

7. Dam safety 

These and other issues need additional analysis, assessment, evaluation, and environmental mitigation before BLM decides whether to lease or not lease these federal public lands.  The Sierra Club and others will work with the U.S. Forest Service and BLM to ensure that the appropriate analysis, decisions, and environmental protection occurs.

This is the first time that the Sierra Club and others have successfully gotten BLM to withdraw national forest and lake lands from fossil fuel leasing.  It was the efforts of all in this informal coalition and in all parts of the Sierra Club, national, chapter, and regional groups, that helped win this victory.  If you have any questions about this action contact Brandt Mannchen, brandtshnfbt@juno.com or 713-664-5962.