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Energy Development

WRA Continues to Protect Special Places from Oil and Gas Leasing


So far in 2009, WRA has been able to pull 216,134 acres of federal lands from BLM oil and gas auctions that are inappropriate for drilling activity. The acreage spared from leasing is a fraction of the acreage that has been leased by the BLM this year. Over 5.25 million acres of federal lands have been leased for oil and gas drilling in Colorado alone. Yet 70% of that currently leased acreage remains unused.

Parcels of federal land put up for lease auctions are not necessarily known to have any proven resources. These parcels are nominated for auctions by the companies wishing to bid on these lands.

WRA works to protect special places from lease auctions where drilling is incompatible with other resource values such as wildlife, critical watersheds, essential habitat for rare and endangered species, and to prevent fragmentation of critical migration corridors. Preserving these values are important to people too, and that preservation is important for economic, recreational, aesthetic and social reasons as well.

So far this year, WRA has intervened on lease auctions of the following special Colorado lands:

  • One proposed lease parcel, totaling 907 acres in Moffat County. The parcel is located within the Slater Park Potential Conservation Area, adjacent to Black Mountain Inventoried Roadless Area, has significant riparian ecosystem and coldwater fishery values, including Colorado Cutthroat Trout habitat, is part of a significant deer and elk migration corridor, and is an elk summer concentration area.
  • Eight proposed lease parcels near Chaco Culture National Historical Park, totaling 10,361 acres. These parcels are in close proximity to Chaco Canyon World Heritage Site and other areas rich in archeological sites that include ancient masonry dwellings, kivas, middens, and hearths. The area has cultural significance to the Hopi and other Pueblo tribes and is a top tourist attraction on the “Trail of the Ancients.”
  • Eight proposed lease parcels in the South Park National Heritage area, totaling 12,892 acres, and one proposed lease parcel in the Duck Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern, totaling 139 acres. At risk with these areas being leased are mountain plover breeding areas and habitat, fen and mire wetland ecosystems, migratory bird species, elk winter concentration area and severe winter range, mule deer winter concentration area and critical winter range, and habitat for endangered plants.
  • Six proposed lease parcels in Rio Blanco County that could prove to to be beneficial habitat for nearby reintroduced populations of endangered black footed ferrets, totaling 1,913 acres.
  • Thirty-five proposed lease parcels, totaling 45,832 acres in Montrose and San Miguel counties. Within this area is habitat for special status birds, including Gunnison Sage Grouse, Bald Eagle, and Mexican Spotted Owl,river otter habitat and rare riparian plant communities, including populations of the ladies tresses orchid. These lands are also adjacent to Lizard Head Wilderness Area.
  • Eighty-three proposed lease parcels, totaling 144,090 acres in Rio Grande and Saguache counties. These lands contain habitat for reintroduced populations of Canada Lynx, important big game habitat for mule deer, elk, moose, and big horn sheep. The proposed parcels included portions the Deep Creek/Boot Mountain, Middle Alder, La Garita Wilderness, and Beaver Mountain, Tewsksberrry, and Bennet Mountain Inventoried Roadless Areas. Within the proposed lease area are also 16 archeological sites eligible for listing under the National Register of Historic Places.

"Rural Impact: What To Expect From the Gas Industry"


In a nation with a vast hunger for cheap energy, it can be difficlut to understand what the concerns are with gas drilling on public and private lands. This six part video series, "Rural Impact: What to Expect from the Gas Industry", clearly explains the many problems associated with a very dirty extraction process for what many Americans are led to believe is a very clean energy source.

Watch Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

WRA Ensures Public Participation in the Face of Oil and Gas Development in Great Salt Lake


On behalf of Friends of Great Salt Lake and others, WRA brokered a settlement resolving a challenge to the leasing of 178,000 acres of the bed of Great Salt Lake for oil and gas development. Under the agreement, the vast majority of the parcels were withdrawn from leasing until the Division of State Lands revises its Great Salt Lake Mineral Leasing Plan. To decide whether to lease or not, State Lands will have to balance the protection of navigation, fish and wildlife habitat, aquatic beauty, public recreation, and water quality against the economic necessity or justification for the oil and gas development.

WRA is committed to protecting Great Salt Lake because it provides crucial habitat for 257 bird species. At least 33 species of shorebirds representing 2 to 5 million birds use Great Salt Lake annually. In addition, up to 5 million waterfowl migrate through the Lake each year, stopping along routes that take them as far away as Central and South America. Indeed, approximately 30 percent of the waterfowl migrating along the Pacific Flyway depend upon the Great Salt Lake wetlands. For these birds, the Lake provides a critical food supply, allowing them fuel up for the rest of their migrations, sometimes doubling their body weight before they leave.

Because the bed of Great Salt Lake is sovereign land, held in trust for the citizens of Utah, WRA argued that the State had failed to determine whether the leasing would jeopardize the public good. After long negotiations, the parties resolved the case in a settlement touted by both sides, in the editorial pages, and as a significant victory for anyone concerned about the Great Salt Lake and its complex and fragile ecosystem. The settlement suspends leases on more than 116,000 acres of Great Salt Lake and promises a complete analysis of the potential development impacts. Going forward, the public will be involved at every stage and will ultimately determine if any benefits from oil and gas development will outweigh costs to Great Salt Lake recreation and ecological values.

The conservation groups also reserved the right to challenge any development proposed for the remaining 55,000 acres of Great Salt Lake still subject to lease, and we will keep WRA members informed as this process evolves. For now, we are pleased that we have been able to suspend a large part of the proposed development and ensure public participation in protecting the Lake.

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