Theodore Roosevelt Administrative History

1. As of 1978, 303.95 acres out of the whole park acreage (given as 70,408.64) were considered encumbered. National Park Service Minerals Management Regulations for Nonfederal Oil and Gas Rights: Environmental Assessment (Denver: DSC, 1978), 1-2. A good example of what can happen on encumbered land is the seismographic testing conducted in 1954 by Amerada Petroleum on the Olsen inholding at Theodore Roosevelt. See John S. McLaughlin (Asst. Reg. Dir., Region II) to Reg. Dir. (Region II), memorandum, 24 May 1954 (THRO-S).

2. See John W. Jay, Jr. (Supt., THRO) to Reg. Dir. (Region II), memorandums, 13 January and 26 July 1954 (THRO-S).

3. Fred C. Fagergren (Reg. Dir., MWRO) to J. S. Collins (Vice-President, Tenneco), 26 July 1966 (THRO-A); Hillary A. Oden (District Engineer, USGS) to Regional Oil and Gas Supervisor (USGS), memorandum, 23 June 1966 (THRO-A).

4. Ibid.

5. National Park Service Minerals Management Regulations, I-3 — I-4.

6. Fagergren to Arthur L. Sullivan (Supt., THRO), memorandum, 5 July 1966 (THRO-A).

7. George F. Baggley (Acting Reg. Dir., MWRO) to Director (NPS), memorandum, 21 July 1966 (THRO-A). See also Eugene F. Lyttle to Chief of Office of Land and Water Rights (NPS), memorandum, 16 January 1967 (THRO-S).

8. See USGS to BLM (no other information given), memorandum, 21 March 1967 (THRO-S).

9. Harold Fysk (Montana State Director, BLM) to Director (USGS), memorandum, 7 July 1967 (THRO-A); Roland Lee (BLM) to USGS Office (Casper, WY), memorandum, 2 May 1972 (THRO-A). The land in question was that involved in the 1963 highway realignment preceding the construction of Interstate 94 along the right-of-way of U. S. Route 10 through Billings County.

10. For a related concern, see Ken Tapman (Compliance Officer, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation) to Edward H. Stone (Chief Landscape Architect, USFS), 17 April 1973 (THRO-A).

11. Lee to USGS, 2 May 1972.

12. Two private citizens also put in bids, but they were not competitive. C. Keith Miller (Chief, Division of Mining and Minerals, RMRO) to Supt. (THRO), memorandum, November 1974 (THRO-A).

13. Protective Oil Lease (Standard Form 3120—1, May 1968 version) between the United States (by BLM) and Amerada Hess Corporation, file L2427, leases M30613(ND) through M30620(ND), inclusive (THRO-A).

14. "Environmental Review," memorandum, 12 December 1974 (THRO-A); Amerada Hess Corporation, "Procedures for Blow Out Prevention and Control," unpublished MS, February 1975 (THRO-A); "Surface Restoration Requirements for Plugging & Abandonment Procedures on Oil and Gas Leases," memorandum, n.d. (Billings, MT: USGS).

15. "1975 Superintendent's Annual Report," 15; Robert D. Powell (Acting Supt., THRO) to Toni Ristau (DSC), 25 October 1977 (THRO-A).

16. A. J. Maslowski, "Will National Park lands be developed for oil and gas exploration?" Montana Oil Journal, 9 October 1980, 4.

17. See John O. Lancaster (Supt., THRO) to Reg. Dir. (MWRO), memorandum, 8 August 1973 (THRO-A).

18. Lancaster to L. A. Stricklin (Vice-President, Amerada Hess), 13 May 1976 (THRO-A). See also "Chief Ranger's Monthly Report," 18 June 1976.

19. John R. Vosburgh (Office of Public Affairs, WASO) to A. J. Maslowski, 8 August 1979 (THRO-A). See also Harvey U. Wickware (Supt., THRO) to Maslowski, 2 April 1980 (THRO-A).

20. "Criteria for Protective Oil and Gas Leasing of National Park Service Areas (draft)," memorandum, 1975 (THRO-A).

21. "1974 Superintendent's Annual report," 12.

22. National Park Service Minerals Management Regulations, III-3, III-11 — III-14.

23. Maslowski, "Will National Park lands be developed for oil and gas exploration?", 4.