Show Newsletter tells of district BLAA activities A report from the Vernal District Bureau of Land Management given in the July Newsletter Uintah Basin National Resource Lands outlined the recent activities of the local as follows Wilderness Studies The Vernal District is beginning a series of wilderness studies this summer as a result of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 As part of the ts t's Organic Act Congress directed the Bureau to review all areas of five thousand acres or more for possible wilderness designation The Bureau has fifteen years to complete the inventory and make appropriate appropriate appropriate ap ap- ap- ap studies and recommendations recommendations to the president Two people are being hired for the summer to begin delineating and studying areas in the Vernal District One known area which the district will study is the Intermediate te Mountain Browse Outstanding Natural Areas Area Congress in instructed instructed instructed in- in the Bureau to study natural areas as well as primitive areas which were designated prior to November of 1975 to see if they will qualify for wilderness designation No one in the district is really sure of h how w many areas meet the minimum of or more acres With approximately 17 million acres in the district the two summer employees will have plenty to keep them busy this summer summer and several more to come Oil and Gas Drilling Activity High A considerable amount of drilling activity has taken place in the Resource Area of the Vernal District the past few months and increased activity is anticipated for the summer Currently there are six companies drilling and three companies using massive hydraulic fracturing techniques Since August 1976 ten companies have submitted applications for permits to drill 30 wells on public lands These wells are now either producing or are waiting to be drilled The Resource Area anticipates anticipates anticipates an an- at least 15 more applications applications applications ap ap- in the next few few ew weeks The main activity tl is in inthe inthe inthe the Natural Buttes fi field ld southeast of Ouray where Belco and Colorado Interstate Gas Exploration are drilling gas wells Mountain 1 Fuel Resources has almost completed construction of its Clay Basin Gas Storage Project in the Diamond Mountain Resource Area of the Vernal District When the project is completed natural gas will be injected during periods of low demand for storage into the Dakota Formation Formation Formation For For- mation at al a depth of to feet As demand in increases increases In in- creases gas will be removed dehydrated and compressed to tobe tobe tobe be placed back into a pipeline for distribution To date 20 wells have been drilled and application to drill 12 more are expected soon Marsh Waterfowl Area A contract will soon be awarded for the second development at the M Marsh Waterfowl Area Mea This project will provide prime nesting habitat for ducks on the area known as the north unit The new contract will provide water diversion into the north unit where an irrigation system will provide favorable habitat for lor waterfowl nesting on about acres Parlette Wash is located about 25 miles southeast of Myton l Almost 12 miles of the area has good potential for nesting habitat for ducks and geese It will also provide resting waters for migrating birds in the spring and fall |