The Bureau of Land Management wants to auction off nearly 300,000 acres of public land in northern Arizona for oil and gas drilling, with some parcels less than a mile from Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument and just 12 miles from Grand Canyon National Park itself.

Our public lands should never be exploited by fossil fuels, but here's the part that really doesn't add up: BLM's own data shows this region holds minimal recoverable oil and gas. Most wells drilled nearby in the past sit abandoned. This sale looks less like energy production and more like a speculative land grab that leaves taxpayers holding the risk while a handful of investors profit.

The public comment period is open right now, and it closes September 9. This is the formal window where BLM is required to hear from the public before deciding whether to move forward, and it's the strongest leverage we citizens have to stop this.

Submit your comment now urging BLM to withdraw these parcels from the lease sale and take a harder look at whether this proposal makes sense at all.