DocuSign Envelope ID: 6C52EF02-F2B3-447A-B450-DACE0DA4BF9D 217 East Center Street Moab, Utah 84532-2534 Main Number (435) 259-5121 Fax Number (435) 259-4135 Mayor: Emily S. Niehaus Council: Tawny Knuteson-Boyd Rani Derasary Mike Duncan Karen Guzman-Newton Kalen Jones June 23, 2020 Anita Bilbao Acting Utah State Director Bureau of Land Management 440 West 200 South, Ste. 500 Salt Lake City, UT 84101 RE: City of Moab Request for Cancellation of Bureau of Land Management September 2020 Oil and Gas Lease Sale The City of Moab requests that the Bureau of Land Management cancel the upcoming September 2020 oil and gas lease sale (DOI-BLM-UT-0000-2020-0004-EA). The BLM proposal to lease approximately 85,000 acres in the Moab area threatens the core of our tourism economy by locking in long term oil and gas leases on and around popular recreation areas that are vital to our local economy. From this sale and subsequent development, we can expect industrial impacts including increased noise, light pollution degrading our dark skies, air quality degradation, an increase in industrial truck traffic and other incompatible developments right at the same locations where our visiting tourists access recreation. Although the BLM’s EA states that Moab City was “coordinated with as a leasing partner” and that “coordination is ongoing,” we had no meaningful interaction with the BLM regarding this sale proposal (other than our Cooperating Agency request being denied). Had we been adequately consulted the City of Moab would have urged a much more robust environmental assessment of the cumulative and far-reaching impacts of oil and gas development activities on recreation and the regional tourism economy. This very expansive oil and gas leasing proposal does not adequately balance the needs of Moab’s world-class recreation economy. While the price of oil is low now, only three years ago it was triple what it is now and ten years ago the oil field between Arches and Canyonlands National Parks was booming. With a resurgence in oil prices in the future we can expect the many existing regional oil and gas leases—as well as these proposed leases—to generate significant industrial activity. Moab City’s budget relies on lodging and sales taxes, and this proposal is incompatible with the source of revenue that supports our community. Moab’s booming economy is driven mostly by these and other tourism related businesses, and that economy is both sustainable as well as dependent on federal land management agencies preserving the world class landscapes our visitors come to experience. The iconic views that drive Moab substantial tourism economy (which appear in magazines, movies, advertisements and other publications regularly) will be compromised by power lines, access roads, pipelines, air pollution, industrial truck traffic, and other developments. While many of the parcels proposed for leasing are protected by a No Surface Occupancy stipulation DocuSign Envelope ID: 6C52EF02-F2B3-447A-B450-DACE0DA4BF9D (and other mitigating lease notices), directional drilling nonetheless requires nearby surface occupancy for well development and operation. Gas—a byproduct of oil production—will require either 1) flaring, causing light pollution, 2) release into the atmosphere causing significant air quality impacts to the Class I Airshed of our national parks, or 3) more pipelines added to the extensive feeder pipeline system already in place near Dead Horse Point State Park. All these options will increase the industrialization of our recreation landscape. The primary purpose of this proposal—oil production—will require heavy truck traffic on our roads to get that product to market, creating more congestion on roads already highly trafficked by tourists and local residents such as Highway 313 which connects Moab to Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, and the many regional recreation opportunities located on BLM lands Finally, this proposal is inconsistent with the City of Moab’s commitment to mitigating impacts to climate change and supporting renewable energy. Methane produced from these proposed well sites—squeezed in among many existing oil and gas leases—will exacerbate a problem that is one of the largest contributors to climate change: oil and gas development. The Four Corners region is already a hot spot and one of fastest warming places in the Lower 48, and this proposal will make that condition worse. All of these concerns run counter to the thriving outdoor economy and high-quality of life that has attracted many tourists and our residents to Moab. For these reasons we ask that the BLM respect the balance that Moab has worked hard to achieve and cancel this enormous oil and gas lease sale. Best Regards, Emily S. Niehaus Mayor Rani Derasary Moab City Council Mike Duncan Moab City Council Kalen Jones Moab City Council Tawny Knuteson-Boyd Moab City Council Karen Guzman-Newton Moab City Council