BILLINGS, Mont.– The Bureau of Land Management today opened a 30-day public scoping period to receive public input on 60 oil and gas parcels totaling 18,565 acres that may be included in a January 2027 lease sale in Montana/Dakotas. The scoping period ends Sept. 24, 2026. 
 
Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources. Before development operations can begin, an operator must submit an application for permit to drill detailing development plans. The BLM reviews applications for permits to drill, posts them for public review, conducts an environmental analysis and coordinates with state partners and stakeholders. 

All parcels that are included in a federal oil and gas lease sale include appropriate stipulations to protect important natural resources. Information on current and upcoming BLM leases is available through the National Fluid Lease Sale System. BLM lease sales are held online through Efficient Markets. 

The parcels under consideration, documents, maps and instructions on how to comment, are available on the BLM’s ePlanning website at: https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=c7d763fd-0195-f111-ab0f-001dd8084607.