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More parcels pulled from lease auction

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TIMES WIRE REPORTS

For the second time in a week, the Bureau of Land Management announced Tuesday that it was pulling auction parcels from an expanded oil-and-gas leasing program in Utah. The latest tracts include land inside Nine Mile Canyon and Desolation Canyon on the Green River.

The bureau didn’t say why it was pulling the lease tracts, but the prospect of drilling near Utah’s scenic treasures brought condemnation from conservation groups. The parcels include whitewater rapids and a canyon decorated with ancient rock art panels.

Together with previous deferrals, the BLM has pulled nearly 100,000 acres from an auction set for Dec. 19, leaving more than 276,000 acres up for bid.

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