A coalition of conservation and public lands organizations is urging the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw portions of its proposed Utah 2026 Second Quarter oil and gas lease sale, warning that dozens of lease parcels would harm the Old Spanish National Historic Trail. At least 24 proposed parcels cross or lie in close proximity to the Trail’s Northern Route in Southeastern Utah, putting historic landscapes, cultural resources, and scenic values at risk.
Several organizations also point out that the lease sale would open 54,000 acres across 39 parcels to development near Arches National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, and within the Moab Master Leasing Plan area. These public lands support critical wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, cultural resources, and park viewsheds with a great deal of value for local communities and economies.
The groups argue that the Department of the Interior and BLM have failed to meet mandatory legal requirements under the National Trails System Act for Old Spanish National Historic Trail. This includes the completion of a required Comprehensive Management Plan, designation of a formal trail right-of-way, and proper environmental review. Without these steps, the organizations say the agencies cannot legally determine that oil and gas leasing would avoid “substantial interference” with the Trail’s nature and purpose. The coalition is calling on BLM to retract the affected parcels and complete legally required trail planning and protections before considering any leasing that could permanently damage the Trail.
The coalition also argues there is no legitimate “energy emergency” that justifies rushing leases or weakening environmental safeguards. Federal law does not require the BLM to lease any of the parcels near NPS sites, and many parcels are governed by outdated land-use plans that fail to address climate impacts and current science.
Beyond the environmental and climate impacts, the groups underscore in their letter that “proximity to drilling operations, including hydraulic fracturing, and other oil and gas facilities is linked to adverse health risks and impacts,” including reproductive harms, lung disease, cancer, and more.
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