Western Energy Alliance v. Zinke

877 F.3d 1157
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedDecember 18, 2017
Docket17-2005
StatusPublished
Cited by73 cases

This text of 877 F.3d 1157 (Western Energy Alliance v. Zinke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Western Energy Alliance v. Zinke, 877 F.3d 1157 (10th Cir. 2017).

Opinions

BRISCOE, Circuit Judge.

Plaintiff-Appellee Western Energy Alliance (“WEA”) filed this lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico against two Defendants: the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior, and the Bureau of Land Management (the “BLM”). WEA sought relief under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 701-06 (the “APA”), the Freedom of Information Act, 6 U.S.C. § 652 (“FOIA”), and the Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2201-02 (the “DJA”). WEA alleged that the BLM has violated the Mineral Leasing Act, 30 U.S.C. §§ 181-287 (the “MLA”), by holding too few oil and gas lease sales. Several environmental advocacy groups moved to intervene in the suit: The Wilderness Society,. Wyoming Outdoor Council, Southern Utah Wilderness Society, San Juan Citizens Alliance, Great Old Broads For Wilderness, Sierra Club, WildEarth Guardians, Center For Biological Diversity, and Earthworks (collectively, the “conservation groups”). The district court denied the motion to intervene. The court concluded that the conservation groups had failed to show that the pending litigation has the potential to harm their environmental interests, or that the presently named parties could not adequately represent their interests. The conservation groups filed this interlocutory appeal to seek review of the denial of their motion to intervene. We exercise jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and reverse and remand.

I.

Oil and Gas Leasing on Public Lands

The BLM has the authority to lease public lands with oil and gas reserves to private industry for development under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, 43 U.S.C. §§ 1701-1787 (the “FLPMA”), the MLA, and the BLM’s own regulations and plans. See 43 C.F.R. Part 1600 (Planning, Programming, and Budgeting); 43 C.F.R. Subparts 3120 (Competitive Leases) and 3160 (Onshore Oil and Gas Operations). Both the MLA and the associated regulations provide for quarterly lease sales. 30 U.S.C. § 226(b)(1)(A) (“Lease sales «hall be held for each State where eligible lands are available at least quarterly and more frequently if the Secretary- of the Interior .determines such sales are necessary,”); see also 43 C.F.R. 3120.1-2(a) (“Each proper BLM S[t]ate office shall hold sales at least quarterly if lands are available for competitive leasing”).

The BLM “manages the use of federal oil ánd gas resources through a three-phase decision-making process.” Pennaco Energy, Inc. v. United States Dep’t of Interior, 377 F.3d 1147, 1151 (10th Cir. 2004). In the' first phase, the BLM develops resource management plans (“RMPs”). 43 U.S.C. § 1712; 43 C.F.R'. Part 1600. RMPs indicate which parcels of public land are open or closed to oil and gas development. When drafting RMPs, the BLM is required by statute to apply multiple use management, which “describes the /.. task of striking a balance among the many competing uses to which land can be put, ‘including, but not limited to, recreation, range, timber, minerals, watershed, wildlife and fish, and [uses serving] natural scenic, scientific and historical- values.’” Norton v. S. Utah Wilderness All., 542 U.S. 55, 58, 124 S.Ct. 2373, 159 L.Ed.2d 137 (2004) (quoting 43 U.S.C. § 1702(c)). Additionally, the BLM “prepare[s] an environmental impact statement” in compliance with the National Environmental Protection Act (the “NEPA”) when preparing an RMP. 43 C.F.R. § 1601.0-6. Generally, an RMP “describes, for a particular area, allowable uses, goals for future condition of the land, and specific next steps,” Norton, 542 U.S. at 59, 124 S.Ct. 2373. The applicable regulations also require that the public must have a chance “to become meaningfully involved in and comment on the preparation and amendment of’ RMPs. 43- C.F.R. § 1610.2(a). All subsequent activity on the land, including oil and gas development, must conform to RMPs. See 43 C.F.R, § 1610.6-3(a).

In the second phase, through its State Offices,1 the BLM identifies specific parcels that it will offer for lease in the com-' petitive lease sale process. 43 C.F.R. Sub-part 3120. The BLM retains discretion to choose which parcels to lease. W. Energy All. v. Salazar, 709 F.3d 1040, 1044 (10th Cir, 2013). “‘Eligible’ lands comprise all lands ‘subject to leasing, i.e, lands not excluded from leasing by a statutory or regulatory prohibition.’ ‘Available’ lands are those ‘open to leasing in the applicable [RMP], ... when all statutory requirements and reviews have been met.’ ” Ami-cus Br. at 6 n.2 (quoting BLM Manual 3120.11).

Also in the second phase, after a State Office decides which parcels to offer in a lease sale, the State Office posts a final sale notice listing those parcels at least 45 days before the sale date, and often 90 days before. 43 . C.F.R. § 3120.4-2; App. at 187 (BLM Manual 3120 (updated February 18, 2013)). Once the notice is posted, the BLM’s practice is to provide a 30-day protest period. App. • at 187 (BLM Manual 3120 (updated February 18, 2013)). While a protest is pending, the BLM can suspend a specific parcel from the offering. 43 C.F.R. § 3120.1-3. Although “[s]tate offices should attempt to resolve protests before the sale of the protested parcels,” protests unresolved by the lease auction date do not prevent bidding on the contested parcel. App. at 187 (BLM Manual 3120 (updated February 18, 2013)). If an RMP identifies land as open to development, a State Office can publish in the Federal Register a call for expressions of leasing interest, which anyone may file. See App. at 134. The regulations provide that “[l]ands included in any expression of interest” are “available for leasing” and “shall be offered for competitive bidding.” 43 C.F.R. § 3120.1-l(e). The State Office then conducts a competitive lease sale auction. See 30 U.S.C. § 226(b)(1)(A).-

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Bluebook (online)
877 F.3d 1157, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/western-energy-alliance-v-zinke-ca10-2017.