Comments on drilling are sought

The public has until the end of July to comment on proposed exploratory drilling for oil and gas inside Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Viking Oil Exploration Inc. has submitted an application to drill an exploratory well in the Circle Cliffs area of the recreation area. The company seeks access to the two-acre well site using nine miles of rebuilt or new road in Glen Canyon, and over existing roads in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Public input on the proposal is the first step in the environmental assessment required by the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. The assessment will be available for public review during the winter of 2005-06.

Viking Oil Exploration Inc. was granted mineral rights to explore for petroleum deposits on nearly 10,000 acres of federal land in southern Utah in 1969. At that time, all the land covered under the lease was administered by the BLM. Some of the land is now part of either Glen Canyon National Recreation Area or Capitol Reef National Park, both of which were created after the lease was issued.

Details on the proposal and an electronic form to submit comments over the Internet can be found at the National Park Service's Planning, Environmental and Public Comment Web site at parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=12592

Written comments may be submitted in person or by mail to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Viking Exploration EA, 691 Scenic View Drive, P.O. Box 1507, Page, AZ, 86040. Comments will not be accepted by phone, fax or e-mail.

All public comments must be received or postmarked by July 31. The comment period deadline, originally set for mid-July, was extended.