If your company pays into the BLM Permian Basin Programmatic Agreement, there is a meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 3rd, in Santa Fe from 12:30 to 3:30. The BLM intends to extend the PA for another 10 years with the following proposed amendments.

1. To expand the Agreement area by adding all or a portion of 11USGS 7.5 Minute Quadrangle Maps to the 28 quadrangle maps that comprise the existing programmatic Agreement area (PA area). The BLM wishes to expand the area to encompass the increased drilling that is taking place beyond the current boundaries. The additional maps were chosen based on a NM Tech study called, “Reasonable Foreseeable Development” and tracked actual drilling locations for the last three years. Although the PA process cannot be used on State Trust Lands, the distribution of these lands along with private lands was also taken into consideration for the expansion. Please note that although the BLM will tell you differently, if your company intends to have a location on State Trust Lands it is recommended you do an ARMS survey, but no full archeological survey is required. The BLM also states that there are no known Traditional Cultural Properties related to any tribes or pueblos with ancestral ties to the expanded region. Many of the proposed areas have greater than 20% of the area previously surveyed.

The expanded area includes Maps of the following areas:

Angel Draw Quadrangle
Bell Lake Quadrangle
Bell Lake Quadrangle II
Bond Draw
Bond Draw II
Carlsbad East Quadrangle Proposed Area
Cottonwood Hills Quadrangle
Illinois Camp SE Quadrangle
Indian Flats Quadrangle
Malaga Quadrangle
Malaga Quadrangle II
Red Bluff Quadrangle
Red Bluff Quadrangle II
Red Lake Quadrangle
Red Lake Quadrangle II
Spring Lake Quadrangle

2. In addition, the BLM proposes to increase fees every January 1 based upon the rate of inflation determined by the Bureau of Labor – this is instead of the 3% increase on your anniversary date. The allocation of PA project funds will also change from a formula of 75% devoted to excavations and 25% to the preparation of historic contexts, additional surveys, training and data management – to a yearly allocation based on the balance of the funds in the PA, the Workgroups priority determinations, progress on mitigation priorities, and the funding requirements of the Assistance Agreement between the BLM and the NM Department of Cultural Affairs.

Karin Foster, our Executive Director, will be at the March 3rd meeting. HOWEVER, if you have concerns about either of these amendments, please send Martin Stein, Permian Basin PA Coordinator an email AND copy Karin. Mr. Stein’s email is stein@blm.gov and Karin’s email is karin@ipanm.org.