On May 21st the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management will begin its oil and gas lease sale that involves the agency leasing public lands to oil and gas production companies for drilling and other extractive operations. According to a BLM news release, the upcoming sale will include 102 parcels of land across NM and Texas totaling 46,365 acres.  48% of the revenue from the sale will go to the state where production occurs, with the rest going to the treasurer. The states also get half of any royalties. 

Through this leasing process the BLM is seeking to also encourage recreational activities on the land parcels under consideration. The BLM sought the public’s help in identifying portions of the public lands that are ideal for recreation such as hunting and fishing, but that lack public access – often due to oil and gas leases surrounding open parcels of land. Read more HERE.