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Bureau of Land Management

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Open Recommendations (13 total)

Oil and Gas Permitting: Actions Needed to Improve BLM's Review Process and Data System

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Bureau of Land Management The Acting Director of BLM should develop a documented process to consistently implement the APD prioritization process outlined in Instruction Memorandum 2013-104 at all field offices. (Recommendation 1)
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The Department of the Interior, on behalf of BLM, did not concur with this recommendation. As of November 2023, BLM has not taken steps to address this recommendation, and the agency continues to disagree with our recommendation.

Federal Oil and Gas Revenue: Actions Needed to Improve BLM's Royalty Relief Policy

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Bureau of Land Management The Director of BLM should update BLM's 1995 royalty handbook to provide specific, consistent, and transparent policies and procedures for royalty relief. (Recommendation 2)
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In an October 2021 letter addressing our recommendations, Interior concurred with this recommendation and stated that BLM planned to update its handbook by November 2023 to provide specific, consistent, and transparent policies and procedures for royalty relief. As of April 2023, Interior officials stated that BLM plans to propose updates to its leasing regulations in Spring 2023. After these regulations are finalized, BLM plans to work on updating its 1995 handbook to provide specific, consistent, and transparent policies and procedures for royalty relief.

Oil and Gas: Interior Should Strengthen Management of Key Data Systems Used to Oversee Development on Federal Lands

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Bureau of Land Management The Director of BLM should develop training plans for key data systems that identify users and how they will be trained. (Recommendation 3)
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Interior stated that the BLM will document a standard operating procedure and/or guidance for training users on key data systems. The BLM will also work closely with the National Training Center to create and maintain training resources and other materials for users throughout the life of key data systems. To implement this recommendation, BLM should finalize the training plans for key data systems. As of March, 2024, we continue to monitor actions to address this recommendation.

Oil and Gas: Interior Should Strengthen Management of Key Data Systems Used to Oversee Development on Federal Lands

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Bureau of Land Management The Director of BLM should define and document processes for developing and managing requirements for AFMSS II and MLRS in a manner consistent with existing or updated IT policies and guidance. (Recommendation 5)
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In May 2022, BLM issued guidance reiterating that its 2016 Capital Planning and Investment Control handbook should be used, and considers this recommendation addressed as a result. While the 2016 policy provides a broad framework for requirements, it does not specify in any detail BLM's expectations for how requirements are to be developed and managed for AFMSS II and MLRS. For example, our report highlighted a lack of definition regarding which stakeholders should be involved in providing input and at what stages when developing customer requirements. The 2016 handbook does not address such issues and therefore does not address the recommendation. As of March 2024, we continue to monitor actions to address this recommendation.

Bureau of Land Management: Better Workforce Planning and Data Would Help Mitigate the Effects of Recent Staff Vacancies

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Bureau of Land Management The Director of BLM should track data on vacancies and the use of details for all offices. (Recommendation 1)
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The Department of the Interior concurred with this recommendation. As of February 2024, Bureau of Land Management officials said the agency, via the Interior Business Center, is developing a model for vacancy tracking.

Oil and Gas Leasing: BLM Should Update Its Guidance and Review Its Fees

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Bureau of Land Management The Director of BLM should conduct a review to determine why the agency has had difficulty updating handbooks and its manual for oil and gas leasing as directed by BLM policy, and then adjust BLM's approach to updating them accordingly. (Recommendation 1)
Open
According to BLM officials, in March 2022, BLM reviewed the difficulty it has had in updating its oil and gas leasing handbooks and manuals. The agency found that difficulties were due to litigation, pending court action, or pending rulemaking on leasing regulations. However, agency officials did not indicate that BLM adjusted its approach to updating its handbooks and manual. Instead, BLM officials said the agency would start preparing to update its handbooks as part of its rulemaking process. BLM issued its proposed rule for comment in 2023, and anticipates finalizing the rule by April 2024.

Oil and Gas Development: Improved Collection and Use of Data Could Enhance BLM's Ability to Assess and Mitigate Environmental Impacts

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Bureau of Land Management The Director of the Bureau of Land Management should provide additional guidance to field offices on how to collect and use data collected during monitoring inspections and, in doing so, determine and implement an approach for using the data to assess the effectiveness of the agency's mitigation efforts, including its best management practices.
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In February 2024, Interior stated that it was updating its Information Technology system, AFMSS 2, to produce national reports identifying the monitoring inspections BLM conducts and for which resources and assessing whether mitigation efforts have been effective. The Bureau also intends to revise BLM WO IM-2009-224, Use and Application of Fluid Minerals and Environmental Monitoring Program Element - MW, to ensure the use of scientifically based data and more consistent, repeatable methodology. As the BLM incorporates aspects of the Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring protocols into its oil and gas monitoring, the agency will also implement a reclamation-monitoring database. The BLM will support these improvements with additional training. We will update this when we confirm that these actions have been taken.

Oil and Gas Leasing: BLM Should Update Its Guidance and Review Its Fees

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Bureau of Land Management The Director of BLM should revise the agency's approach to conducting biennial fee reviews to ensure that future biennial reviews examine all costs BLM intended to recover with its application fees and, where appropriate, adjust fees accordingly. (Recommendation 3)
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BLM agreed with this recommendation and has taken some actions to address it. In 2023, BLM issued proposed regulations which would revise existing fees associated with processing oil and gas applications. The new regulations have since been undergoing review. BLM expects to finalize the regulations by April 2024. BLM has not indicated how it will revise its approach to conducting biennial fee reviews, which is also critical to addressing this recommendation. Once these actions have been taken, BLM will be better able to determine the appropriateness of its fees.

Oil and Gas Development: Actions Needed to Improve Oversight of the Inspection and Enforcement Program

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Bureau of Land Management The Director of BLM should implement a risk-informed approach to scheduling and conducting internal control reviews that takes into account the risks to BLM's mission, such as those inherent in field offices' workload and workforce. (Recommendation 3)
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In June 2023, BLM issued a new oversight policy for its Oil and Gas Inspection and Enforcement program. This June 2023 policy states that it was developed in response to GAO's recommendations, replaces the prior oversight policy that required internal control reviews, and contains revised program oversight requirements that seek to identify and address workforce and training needs. However, GAO believes that the June 2023 policy does not address the intent of this recommendation because it does not contain a stated risk-based strategy to conduct oversight activities. For example, our 2019 report found that 58 percent of the program's workload was located at the 6 highest-activity field offices, which had 44 percent of the workforce. In contrast, the 6 lowest-activity field offices had 2 percent of the workload and 4 percent of the workforce. Under the June 2023 policy, these highest and lowest-activity field offices are required to conduct the same number and type of oversight tasks each year despite significant difference in the risk to BLM's mission. Documentation accompanying the June 2023 policy states that BLM has an inherent risk-based approach in the overall program. However, this risk-based approach is applicable to technical field inspections (e.g., drilling, abandonment, and production) and not to oversight tasks, which is the focus of our recommendation and the June 2023 policy.

Oil and Gas: Federal Actions Needed to Address Methane Emissions from Oil and Gas Development

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1 Open Recommendations
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Bureau of Land Management The Director of BLM should consider whether to require gas capture plans that are similar to what states require, including gas capture percentage targets, from operators on federal lands. (Recommendation 2)
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Interior concurred with the recommendation. BLM stated that it is in the process of developing a proposed rulemaking that would require operators to submit waste minimization plans with every oil well application for permit to drill. The plans would provide BLM with information on anticipated associated gas production and the operator's capacity to capture that gas for sale or use. BLM stated that it did not plan to include gas capture percentage targets in the proposed rule, in part due to prior legal challenges. On July 11, 2023, Interior confirmed it completed the public comment period and has a target date of February 29, 2024 for drafting and publishing the final rule. When we confirm what actions Interior has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.