UT SCR004

Utah Legislature supports formalizing a cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to streamline permit review for oil, gas, and mining operations on federal lands

Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining is urged to immediately begin negotiations with BLM to establish an agreement allowing the state to review and approve federal permit applications, including Applications for Permit to Drill

Agreement would leverage Utah's specialized local expertise in geology, resource issues, and surface reclamation to reduce BLM staff workload and improve permit decision efficiency

Secretary of the Interior and BLM retain ultimate, non-delegable final decision-making authority over all federal leases and permits under any resulting agreement

Copies of resolution directed to be sent to Secretary of the Interior, BLM director, congressional leadership, and Utah's congressional delegation