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Oil and Gas Management Plan
Big Thicket National Preserve » Oil and Gas Management Plan » Document List
When the Big Thicket National Preserve was created, the U.S. Government acquired surface ownership within the area, but either private entities or the State of Texas retained subsurface mineral interests. Thus, the federal government does not own any of the subsurface oil and gas rights in the Preserve. Also, the U.S. Government did not acquire any of the transpark oil and gas pipeline encumbrances. While no statutory authority exists for granting new rights-of-way for oil and gas pipelines, pipelines may be constructed within existing rights-of-way in conformance with the terms of the legal document creating the rights-of-way.
The National Park Service (NPS) evaluates project-specific proposals for oil and gas production and transportation on a case-by-case basis by applying a variety of Current Legal and Policy Requirements prior to issuing a permit under the NPS’s Nonfederal Oil and Gas Rights Regulations at 36 CFR Part 9, Subpart B, or Special Use Permits under 36 CFR Parts 1-5. Many Current Legal and Policy Requirements involve other state and federal agencies who either are responsible for issuing specific resource-protection permits, or are agencies with whom the NPS consults to seek technical reviews and recommendations.
At this time, while the NPS has comprehensive regulations governing nonfederal oil and gas development in parks, the Service does not have a comprehensive plan guiding oil and gas activities within the Preserve. Operators are often uncertain of the impact mitigation stipulations that apply in different areas of the Preserve to protect Preserve resources and values, visitor use and experience, and human health and safety. Unique areas of the Preserve having special resource values are vulnerable to impacts from a wide range of oil and gas activities. Existing and future oil and gas operations in the Preserve have the potential to impact Preserve resources and values.
The purpose of this Oil and Gas Management Plan (Plan) for the Preserve is to clearly define a direction for long-term management of existing and anticipated oil and gas operations associated with the exercise of nonfederal oil and gas interests underlying the Preserve, and existing transpark oil and gas pipelines and activities in their associated rights-of-way, while protecting Preserve resources, visitor use and experience, and human health and safety, and preventing impairment to Preserve resources and values. When approved, this Oil and Gas Management Plan/EIS will be the first comprehensive plan ever prepared for the Preserve to manage activities associated with the exploration and development of nonfederal oil and gas within the Preserve. It is the intent of this planning effort to provide comprehensive, consistent direction for the Preserve for the next 15 to 20 years, and possibly longer, if there are no major changes in technology, and impacts do not significantly change from those described; and to arrive at that direction through public participation. This is a programmatic management plan that establishes a general framework for managing oil and gas operations. By itself, it does not authorize any on-the-ground activities. The NPS will authorize specific projects by reviewing and approving operator-submitted plans of operations or special use permit applications. Before doing so, the NPS will conduct further analysis in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), and other applicable federal laws.
Office of Minerals/Oil and Gas Support
Intermountain Region
National Park Service
P.O. Box 728
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0728
The National Park Service (NPS) evaluates project-specific proposals for oil and gas production and transportation on a case-by-case basis by applying a variety of Current Legal and Policy Requirements prior to issuing a permit under the NPS’s Nonfederal Oil and Gas Rights Regulations at 36 CFR Part 9, Subpart B, or Special Use Permits under 36 CFR Parts 1-5. Many Current Legal and Policy Requirements involve other state and federal agencies who either are responsible for issuing specific resource-protection permits, or are agencies with whom the NPS consults to seek technical reviews and recommendations.
At this time, while the NPS has comprehensive regulations governing nonfederal oil and gas development in parks, the Service does not have a comprehensive plan guiding oil and gas activities within the Preserve. Operators are often uncertain of the impact mitigation stipulations that apply in different areas of the Preserve to protect Preserve resources and values, visitor use and experience, and human health and safety. Unique areas of the Preserve having special resource values are vulnerable to impacts from a wide range of oil and gas activities. Existing and future oil and gas operations in the Preserve have the potential to impact Preserve resources and values.
The purpose of this Oil and Gas Management Plan (Plan) for the Preserve is to clearly define a direction for long-term management of existing and anticipated oil and gas operations associated with the exercise of nonfederal oil and gas interests underlying the Preserve, and existing transpark oil and gas pipelines and activities in their associated rights-of-way, while protecting Preserve resources, visitor use and experience, and human health and safety, and preventing impairment to Preserve resources and values. When approved, this Oil and Gas Management Plan/EIS will be the first comprehensive plan ever prepared for the Preserve to manage activities associated with the exploration and development of nonfederal oil and gas within the Preserve. It is the intent of this planning effort to provide comprehensive, consistent direction for the Preserve for the next 15 to 20 years, and possibly longer, if there are no major changes in technology, and impacts do not significantly change from those described; and to arrive at that direction through public participation. This is a programmatic management plan that establishes a general framework for managing oil and gas operations. By itself, it does not authorize any on-the-ground activities. The NPS will authorize specific projects by reviewing and approving operator-submitted plans of operations or special use permit applications. Before doing so, the NPS will conduct further analysis in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), and other applicable federal laws.
Contact Information
Linda Dansby, EIS Project ManagerOffice of Minerals/Oil and Gas Support
Intermountain Region
National Park Service
P.O. Box 728
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0728