Final Supplement to the Montana

Statewide Oil and Gas Environmental

Impact Statement and Proposed

Amendment of the Powder River and

Billings Resource Management Plans

VOLUME I

October 2008

Public Lands USA: Use, Share, Appreciate
The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for the stewardship of our 

public lands. It is committed to manage, protect, and improve these lands 

in a manner to serve the needs of the American people for all times. 

Management is based on the principles of multiple use and sustained yield 

of our nation’s resources within a framework of environmental 

responsibility and scientific technology. These resources include 

recreation; rangelands; timber; minerals; watershed; fish and wildlife; 

wilderness; air; and scenic, scientific, and cultural values.

BLM/MT/PL-08/016
United States Department of the Interior 

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Montana State Office

5001 Southgate Drive

IN REPLY TO: 1610 Billings, Montana 59101-4669

http://www.blm.gov/mt

October 10, 2008

Dear Reader:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared the Final Supplement to the Montana Statewide 

Oil and Gas Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Amendment of the Powder River and Billings 

Resource Management Plans (FSEIS). This proposed plan amendment is a result of U.S. District Court 

issued orders, dated February 25, 2005, and April 5, 2005, requiring BLM to prepare a Supplemental EIS

to evaluate a phased development alternative for coal bed natural gas production. The U.S. District Court 

also advised the BLM to include the proposed Tongue River Railroad in the cumulative impact analysis 

and analyze the effectiveness of water well mitigation agreements.

The FSEIS is a reissue of the original BLM 2003 Montana Statewide Oil and Gas Environmental 

Impact Statement and Amendment of the Powder River and Billings Resource Management Plans 

(RMPs) (Statewide Document). With the exception of minor edits, new text supplementing the 

Statewide Document is shaded gray for easy identification.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs; Crow Tribe; Department of Energy; Environmental Protection Agency;

Lower Brule Sioux Tribe; Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation; Montana Department of 

Environmental Quality; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and Big Horn, Carbon, Golden Valley, 

Musselshell, Powder River, Rosebud, Treasure, and Yellowstone counties participated in the 

development of the SEIS as Cooperating Agencies.

The FSEIS was developed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA). It is based on 

Alternative H, the preferred alternative in the Draft Supplement to the Montana Statewide Oil and Gas 

Environmental Impact Statement and Amendment of the Powder River and Billings Resource 

Management Plans (DSEIS), which was released on February 2, 2007; and the DSEIS Supplemental Air 

Quality Analysis which was released on December 12, 2007. The proposed land use amendment is 

described by Alternative H in the FSEIS. Changes between the DSEIS and FSEIS are indicated in text 

boxes inset at the beginning of each chapter. The FSEIS contains the effects of adopting the proposed 

land use plan amendment, a summary of written and verbal comments received during the public review

periods on the DSEIS and the supplemented air quality analyses, and a response to comments.

The BLM has initiated activities to coordinate and consult with the Montana Governor on the FSEIS. 

Prior to the issuance of a record of decision and approval of the FSEIS, the Governor will be given the 

opportunity to identify any inconsistencies between the proposed land use plan amendment and state or 

local plans and to provide recommendations in writing during the 60-day consistency review period 

required by the BLM land use planning regulations (43 CFR 1610.3–2).

The Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, in the Department of the Interior is the 

responsible official for this proposed land use plan amendment. This proposed amendment is not subject 

to administrative review (protest) under the BLM or Departmental regulations (34 CFR 1610.5-2). 
FLPMA and its implementing regulations provide land use planning authority to the Secretary, as 

delegated to the Assistant Secretary. Because the Record of Decision is to be signed by the Assistant 

Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, it will be the final decision for the Department of the Interior.

As required by NEPA, the Environmental Protection Agency will publish a Notice in the Federal 

Register announcing the availability of the FSEIS. Because there is no administrative review of the 

decision, the Record of Decision will not be signed until at least 30 days after the Notice of Availability 

for the FSEIS appears in the Federal Register (see 40 CFR 1506.10[b]). The Department of the Interior 

will wait until the Governor's consistency review has been completed before signing and issuing the 

Record of Decision for the land use plan amendment. 

There are a limited number of hard-copy books available upon request. If you would like a book, or have 

any questions, please contact the BLM Miles City Field Office at (406) 233-2800.

Sincerely,

Gene R. Terland

State Director, Montana/Dakotas
FINAL SUPPLEMENT 

TO THE 

MONTANA STATEWIDE OIL & GAS 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 

AND 

PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF THE 

POWDER RIVER AND BILLINGS 

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS 

Bureau of Land Management 

October 10, 2008 

Recommended 

by: 

 James M. Sparks, Billings Field Manager 

Recommended 

by: 

 

 M. Elaine Raper, Miles City Field Manager 

Approved by: 

 

 Gene R. Terland, State Director, Montana/Dakotas