On March 13, 2008, the U.S. Depart of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management declared that it would ignore most of the recommendations put forward by Colorado’s governor, Bill Ritter, to limit damage from oil and gas development on the Roan Plateau.  On the same day, the BLM issued its second Record of Decision for the Roan Plateau Planning Area, declaring that it had rejected the requests of local governments, several of Colorado’s congressional representatives, tens of thousands of citizens, sportsmen, conservationists and the State of Colorado to protect the Roan Plateau for its wildlife and clean water, instead allowing almost half of the area’s most sensitive lands to be drilled. 

Half of the Roan Plateau Planning Area is already controlled by the oil and gas industry and being drilled.  The Campaign to Save Roan Plateau has long endorsed a popularly supported plan to manage the Roan’s remaining public lands for its wildlife habitat, recreational and natural values.  The Campaign supports management that preserves the Roan’s unique and irreplaceable natural resources and wildlife habitat, and continues to oppose any plan that would open these lands to irresponsible natural gas drilling.  Write our electeds leaders below and tell them Colorado is still united in protecting Roan Plateau.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I appreciate your commitment to protecting Colorado's special places. I am writing today to comment on your intentions to introduce legislation ensuring expanded protections on critical areas of the Roan Plateau. Your leadership and commitment to protecting some areas on the top, cliffs, and base of the plateau will be a vital step in saving this precious resource.

As you consider this legislative solution I urge you to explore other ways to protect additional acres on top of the Roan, as well as areas at the base of the Roan Plateau that provide critical winter wildlife habitats. In addition, I urge you to ensure that any areas you designate as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) are given non-waivable No-Surface Occupancy (NSO) stipulations. Failure to include this will leave even these critical areas open to natural gas drilling.

With that said, there continues to be no need to lease and develop any more of the Roan's public lands, as one-half of the land on the Plateau is either privately owned or already leased for gas drilling. In fact, within the Roan Plateau Planning Area there are over 2,000 permitted gas wells. More broadly, Garfield County is experiencing drilling at an unprecedented rate with more 2,500 gas wells permitted just last year.

The Roan Plateau's remaining public lands which represent about 1% of all the public lands in the Piceance Basin are truly an island in a sea of drilling. These lands provide an oasis of natural scenery, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities in a landscape of expanding gas development. Traditional activities such as hunting, fishing, ranching, hiking and other types of backcountry recreation are simply incompatible with large-scale natural gas infrastructure such as drill rigs, well pads and compressor stations, along with the web of pipelines, roads and heavy truck traffic.

Thank you again for your leadership in standing up for the Roan Plateau. Please work to finish the job by passing legislation that ensures that all these lands are protected as they are today, a haven for wildlife and a natural treasure for citizens. I appreciate your consideration and your service to the great state of Colorado.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
January 08, 2008

Intensive gas development on public and private lands at the base of the Roan Cliffs is already well underway. A similar fate could yet befall the undeveloped top of the plateau.

© 2003, Colorado Environmental Coalition