Even though more than 90 percent of the lands in Colorado managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is already open to oil and gas leasing, the industry wants more. And it seems that no place, however spectacular, is off-limits. Drilling permits are being issued at a record pace. Roadless areas in the San Juan National Forest are also under threat of coal-bed methane development.
Special Places at Risk
Special places within Colorado, such as the Vermillion Basin, the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and the Roan Plateau, are at risk of development under the Bush-Cheney energy plan. And even though more than 90 percent of BLM-managed lands in the state are open to oil and gas leasing, it appears that no place is off-limits to the energy industry.
Sadly, the Bush Administration has allowed the oil industry to begin operations in some of the most fragile and remarkable places in the country. At the same time, the Administration is seeking to weaken environmental safeguards that protect our public lands from irresponsible and unnecessary damage. One feature of the policy directs the BLM to identify and remove "impediments" to oil and gas development on public lands, including such restrictions as limiting drilling on steep slopes, seasonal wildlife closures during calving season, and interim protection for proposed wilderness areas such as Roan Plateau.
What Would Development Mean?
Energy development can lead to air pollution, scarred vegetation, pipelines and roads that block or hinder wildlife, production facilities, even airstrips which can tear up wildlife habitat and disrupt migration. One type of gas operation, known as coal bed methane development, involves pumping enormous amounts of ground water to the surface, as much as 40,000 gallons a day per well. The discharge of ground water can deplete freshwater aquifers, lower the water table, and dry up drinking water wells.
In Colorado, drilling permits are being issued at a record pace. In 1991, the BLM issued 26 new leases in Colorado. In 2001, it approved 669 leases covering 725,000 acres. The Bush Administration's energy policy also contains billions of dollars of subsidies for the oil and gas industry that would make it economical to develop remote places on our public lands that might otherwise be left to protect other values.
The Wilderness Society and its conservation partners are working to protect a number of wild places in Colorado from destructive energy development. Chief among them are:
The Roan Plateau
Because the Roan Plateau lies within the gas-rich Piceance Basin, the oil and gas industry has placed Roan Plateau high on its wish list. The BLM is currently writing the final management plan for this proposed wilderness area.
President Bush's energy plan has identified the Roan Plateau as one of 10 areas in the country for "fast track" consideration for energy development. Environmentalists and wilderness advocates fear the Plateau will be turned into a "sacrifice zone" if we are unsuccessful in advocating for no or little energy development in the management plan.
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HD Mountains
The HD Mountains are an important roadless area in the San Juan National Forest of southwestern Colorado. The major threat to the pristine quality of this area is oil and gas leasing and development, particularly coal-bed methane development.
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Vermillion Basin
Except for its northeast corner, the Vermillion Basin is unleased today. It represents an oasis of wildness in a landscape otherwise slated for oil and gas development. Unfortunately, the industry wants to lease and drill the Vermillion Basin, too.
>> More on Vermillion Basin
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
The Canyons of the Ancients, also in southwestern Colorado, is one of America's newest national monuments. With 85 percent of the Monument's land already leased for oil and gas exploration, the Bureau of Land Management in Gale Norton's home state isn't through yet: it is permitting huge vibroseis trucks to range through the monument to assess over 1100 test locations for possible future leases-this in a place where it is sometimes difficult to put a foot down without treading on some artifact from the ancient Anasazi people.
The Wilderness Society was one of several groups to bring a suit against the vibroseis testing and negotiated an out-of-court settlement. The settlement moved a number of test sites away from sensitive archaeological areas and stipulated that the BLM would sell no more leases until after the management plan for the new national monument is completed.
>> More on Canyons of the Ancients
Colorado National Forest Roadless Areas
Protecting the remaining roadless areas in Colorado's National Forests would put off-limits only a small amount of potential oil and gas: enough gas to meet the total U.S. gas consumption for 10 to 17 days and enough oil to meet total U.S. oil consumption for less than 12 hours.
The landmark Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001 thoroughly detailed the enormous value of America's few remaining roadless areas. Losing so much for so little is a bad trade, indeed.
>> More on Colorado roadless areas
