DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST OIL & GAS LEASING FEIS

JBR Environmental Consultants, Inc. is currently preparing the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Dixie National Forest based on comments received from the public on the Draft EIS. This EIS is a forest-wide planning EIS with the purpose of deciding which lands with federal oil and gas rights to make administratively available for oil and gas leasing and under what conditions.  The impact analysis is based upon a Reasonably Foreseeable Development Scenario prepared by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the US Forest Service (USFS), and the US Geological Service.

The Dixie National Forest is the largest national forest in Utah, covering approximately 1,710,677 acres. The EIS analysis area includes all National Forest System lands within the entire Dixie National Forest with the exception of lands with a non-federal mineral estate and designated wilderness areas. As part of the project, JBR specialists are preparing technical reports for those resources that could be affected by oil and gas leasing. These resources include:

• Visual Resources
• Roadless, Unroaded, and Undeveloped Areas
• Recreation
• Fish and Wildlife
• Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, Candidate, Forest Sensitive, and Management Indicator Species
• Water and Watershed Resources
• Soils and Geologic Hazards
• Vegetation
• Transportation Systems
• Socioeconomics
• Air Resources

JBR's NEPA specialists will also prepare all supporting documents including scoping reports, a Biological Assessment (BA), and a Biological Evaluation (BE). The BA and BE will be completed following the selection of one of the EIS alternatives and will analyze the effect of the selected alternative on Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate species; and on Forest Sensitive Species, respectively. A BA is required under the Endangered Species Act.

To date, JBR has prepared scoping material; planned and attended open houses; prepared specialist reports; conducted all GIS analysis; conducted cumulative impact analysis; prepared maps; conducted complex air quality modeling; assisted in alternative development (7 alternatives); maintained the project record (digital and hard copies and an index); prepared and distributed a Draft EIS; and performed content analysis on over 10,000 pieces of correspondence (279 original) received during public scoping.

• Eric Holt - Division Manager -