Perhaps the BLM thought no one would notice a sale of 50,000 acres of oil and gas leases within sight of Arches National Park, Dinosaur National Park and Canyon Lands it announced late on election night. But someone was bound to say something since one lease would be just a mile from Utah’s famous Delicate Arch. The first to make a stink was the Park Service, which said it was never notified, even though 40 parcels are within four miles on national parks.

Desolation Canyon and areas around Moab’s popular Slickrock Trail are also up for sale.

Alarmed at the prospects, Utah’s superintendent of National Parks recently emailed the state’s BLM director to see what was up.

“We added some tracts, sorry we didn’t notify you. We can take up these concerns when we issue” drilling permits, the BLM director replied.

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