Guided by the Trump administration’s “energy dominance” agenda, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is moving forward with plans to sell 14 oil and gas leases encompassing over 19,000 acres in Utah. One lease is located right in the heart of the scenic White River corridor, spanning both sides of the river. The BLM is accepting public comments through Friday, June 6th.

The White River cuts a rugged, winding trough across the high desert plains of eastern Utah’s Uinta Basin. The BLM has said that the White River “. . . is a place to paddle, watch wildlife, and occasionally leave the river for an unforgettable hike. This is one of the quiet places, where solitude and a sense of adventure are still very much a part of the outdoor experience.”

The White River lease is in an area the BLM has identified as possessing wilderness characteristics—meaning it provides outstanding opportunities for solitude and human-powered recreation (rafting, camping, hiking, etc.). The river corridor and adjacent public lands immediately to the west are designated as a BLM “Natural Area,” managed by the agency to protect its wilderness qualities. These same qualities exist in the area proposed for leasing and development and should be protected to a similar standard.

The White River is a quiet riparian oasis in a region of the southern Uinta Basin that is otherwise dominated by industrial oil and gas development. Thankfully, the ridgetops and deep canyons have isolated the river corridor from the adjacent, ongoing industrial activity. But even this last ecological refuge is now threatened by the BLM’s newest leasing proposal, which would allow private companies to drill for oil and gas in the very heart of the White River region.