Environmental group wins oil and gas appeal

U.S. Forest Service officials, in a rare move, have granted an appeal by a Western environmental group concerned about the impacts of potential oil and gas development on tens of thousands of acres in northern New Mexico. The Santa Fe National Forest amended its land and resource management plan last summer to give forest officials more guidelines for dealing with oil and gas exploration and development on forest land that borders the San Juan Basin, one of the largest natural gas fields in the nation. WildEarth Guardians asked regional forest officials to overturn the plan, saying the Santa Fe Forest failed to safeguard air and water quality and wildlife. The group argued the forest's decision would have cleared the way for the Bureau of Land Management to lease more than 113,000 additional acres of the forest, resulting in more development and more emissions. Deputy Regional Forester Gilbert Zepeda granted the appeal, saying the forest's plan lacked analysis required by the Endangered Species Act and did not include current air quality data. The forest now has to prepare either a supplement with the required information or new environmental impact statement.