Thanks to the leadership of Congressman John Salazar and Mark Udall, we now have our most important opportunity yet to protect the Roan Plateau: the current House energy bill (HB 3221) includes a provision that would prohibit damaging drilling practices on the public lands atop the Roan.

The Senate version of the bill, however, has no similar provisions. It is vital to write to Senators Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard encouraging them to push for Roan protections in the Senate version of the bill.

A balanced approach can still prevail, but our Senators need to hear from you! Please take a moment to take action below.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing today to ask that you act to protect the Roan Plateau, one of Colorado's most treasured landscapes. As you know, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued its Record of Decision to open these undeveloped public lands to natural gas drilling. If this decision is implemented, it would result in the industrialization of the landscape, forever altering this backcountry haven for wildlife and outdoor recreation.

BLM's plan puts the Roan Plateau at serious risk. But we still have our most important opportunity to safeguard this special place. The current House energy bill (HB 3221) includes a provision that would prohibit surface occupancy and disturbance for oil and gas development on the public lands atop the plateau. I encourage you to support a similar provision in the Senate energy bill.

We are in the middle of a massive industrialization of our public lands, with drilling in Colorado occurring at unprecedented rates. Despite all this natural gas drilling in western Colorado, the public lands within the Roan Plateau Planning Area remain mostly undeveloped. These lands provide an oasis of natural land, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities in a landscape of expanding gas development. Traditional activities such as hunting, fishing, ranching, hiking and other 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.

Natural gas drilling does not belong in this special place, and as one of your constituents, I urge you work to pass legislation to keep these public lands as they are today, a haven for wildlife and people. Thank you for your consideration and for your service to the great state of Colorado.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
October 19, 2007

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