Purpose:
A Five Year Program consists of a schedule of oil and gas lease sales indicating the size, timing, and location of proposed leasing activity the Secretary determines will best meet national energy needs for the five-year period following its approval. An area must be included in an approved Five Year program in order to be offered for leasing. Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act prescribes the major steps involved in developing a Five Year program including extensive opportunities for public comment. Under section 18, a Five Year program must, to the maximum extent practicable, strike a balance between the potentials for environmental damage, discovery of oil and gas, and adverse impacts on the coastal zone, based on a variety of factors that must be considered under section 18.
On August 27, 2012, Secretary Ken Salazar gave final approval to the schedule of lease sales set out in the Proposed Final Program (PFP). He announced and submitted the PFP and supporting analyses to the President and Congress on June 28, 2012 for a minimum of 60 days, as required under section 18. The 2012-2017 Program was effective on August 27, 2012, and will expire on August 26, 2017. The PFP decision document was the last of three documents that DOI will issue in connection with establishing the new Five Year Program . The PFP followed the January 2009 Draft Proposed Program (DPP) and the November 2011 Proposed Program (PP).