Federal Land Management

GAO analyzed: (1) how Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service land-use plans address oil and gas issues and the social, economic, and environmental impacts of oil and gas development; and (2) stipulations the agencies used to reduce such impacts.

GAO found that: (1) 75 of 82 BLM and Forest Service land-use plans, and related environmental impact statements concerning lands having high oil and gas potential did not identify or address 1 or more of the 5 elements essential for assessing the environmental impacts of oil and gas activities; (2) in fiscal year 1988, BLM and the Forest Service approved 10 percent of permits without identifying all of the approval conditions necessary to protect other resources; (3) inadequate BLM and Forest Service land-use plans or environmental studies resulted in suspended leases and lost or delayed revenues, primarily on Forest Service lands; (4) BLM and the Forest Service estimated that foregone and delayed revenues far exceeded any reasonable estimated cost to develop such information for resource areas and forests with high oil and gas potential; (5) BLM has developed its needed oil and gas information by amending existing plans or preparing new ones, while the Forest Service will decide on a case-by-case basis whether to amend or revise its plans or complete additional environmental studies; and (6) BLM and the Forest Service lacked adequate internal controls to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and guidance.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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