Summary: Proposed changes to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore leasing program, which were designed to accelerate the leasing and development of offshore lands, focused on: (1) revising the existing 5-year leasing schedule to increase sales; and (2) streamlining the administrative procedures and processes for planning lease sales and conducting post-sale activities. Previous studies done by GAO showed that, overall, GAO favored the proposed program. However, problems in implementing the program included the: (1) practical details of implementing the streamlining process; (2) potential impact of the program; and (3) capability of the Department of the Interior to implement the program. Recently, Interior submitted a tentative proposed final leasing proposal to Congress. It appeared that Interior had done a more thorough job of documenting its analyses and planning its support of this proposal and that it was responsive to GAO concerns and recommendations. Program funding and staffing estimates for 1982 showed an increase over the estimates for 1981. The anticipated funding for the 1982 program was less than that for the 1980 leasing schedule, but staffing estimates were greater for 1982. The proposal appears to be a comprehensive analysis of developmental, environmental, and economic impacts and tradeoffs of the leasing program. Of concern to GAO is the post-sale bid evaluation and acceptance process, the major question being how many land tracts will require evaluation. Interior needs to continue close surveillance in this area, since the ability to evaluate and award tracts which received few bids in a timely manner is crucial to the success of the accelerated program.
