Final oil and gas management plan - Environmental impact statement

Big Thicket National Preserve

This environmental impact statement for the oil and gas management plan for the Big Thicket National Preserve defines a direction for long-term management of existing and anticipated oil and gas operations. 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.