Why it matters
The decision affects about 6,400 acres of federal land in Mesa County and about 72,848 acres statewide, but it does not by itself allow drilling. Future development would still need added permits, reviews and approvals, residents have until Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, to comment, and Community Counts Colorado gives them a direct way to raise concerns with future operators.
County commissioners vote unanimously to back plan
The Board of Mesa County Commissioners unanimously approved a letter on Dec. 9 to the Bureau of Land Management, the federal land agency, supporting the proposed alternative in its draft Environmental Assessment, an environmental review, for the March 2026 lease sale.
The agency proposed the March 2026 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale for federal lands that include Mesa County. Across Colorado, the proposed sale covers 103 parcels totaling about 72,848 acres, according to Mesa County.
The local share is 18 parcels covering approximately 6,400 acres. The letter puts the county on record supporting the proposed alternative for a sale that includes those local parcels.
Lease sale alone does not authorize drilling
A lease from the sale would not authorize drilling, and any future development would require additional permits, environmental reviews and regulatory approvals, Mesa County said.
Mesa County emphasized that any lessee, a person or company that obtains a lease, would be required to comply with the Endangered Species Act, the federal wildlife protection law.
The county also noted that oil and gas produced in Colorado is subject to some of the most rigorous environmental regulations in the nation, a point it included alongside its support for the proposed alternative.
Public comment ends Friday, Dec. 12
The public comment period on the proposed lease sale ends Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, and the Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment and project details are available on its ePlanning website.
The Dec. 12, 2025 deadline gives residents a fixed window to weigh in on the proposed March 2026 sale before the comment period closes, according to the county notice.
County urges operators to hear residents directly
Mesa County encouraged future operators to participate in Community Counts Colorado, which gives residents and visitors a clear way to communicate concerns directly with operators, even though the program is outside the land agency authority.
That encouragement was part of the county Dec. 9 letter on the March 2026 sale, alongside its support for the proposed alternative and its note on the rigorous environmental regulations for oil and gas produced in Colorado.
Sources
Mesa County approves letter on March 2026 BLM oil and gas lease sale
