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Protecting the Colorado wilderness from oil and gas development was identified by environmental groups as one of the top challenges facing Colorado’s environment in 2007. Along with advocating clean energy and pollution cuts, Environment Colorado is working to mitigate the worst effects of the explosion in oil and gas drilling.
Colorado is experiencing a unprecedented boom in oil and gas development. There are more than 29,000 active oil and gas wells in the state, and in most cases this expansion is occurring without adequate consideration of the impacts that drilling will have on the environment.
“Colorado’s natural environment, open lands, and wildlife diversity not only play an important role in the quality of life Coloradans enjoy, but also drive a huge sector of our economy,” said Environment Colorado’s Land Use Associate Pam Kiely. “Tourism and outdoor recreation is the number one primary industry in the state.”
If Colorado continues at the same rate of oil and gas expansion, it will mean tens of thousands of new wells in the next 20 years. The resulting pollution would strongly impact our wildlife populations, threatening outdoor recreation opportunities such as hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing.
Improving oil and gas development
Environment Colorado joined with over 60 Colorado sportsmen, recreation, wildlife and other conservation groups to support the development of the “Wildlife Management Guidelines for Oil and Gas Development” for minimizing the impacts of oil and gas development on our fish and wildlife habitats.
“The Wildlife Guidelines are an attempt to demonstrate steps that need to be taken in order to minimize the negative impacts of increased oil and gas development on Colorado’s wildlife populations,” said Matt Garrington, Environment Colorado’s field director, who participated in the drafting process.
These wildlife guidelines have made it to the state Legislature in the form of the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stewardship Act of 2007 (HB 1298), sponsored by Rep. Dan Gibbs (Silverthorne) and Sen. Lois Tochtrop (Thornton).
“HB 1298 will create practical, common-sense solutions to balance current and future oil and gas development with the profound need to protect important fish and wildlife habitat,” said Kiely. “If we don’t take the steps today to enshrine better practices for the industry, we will continue to see irreversible, unnecessary and extensive damage to our wildlife populations and their natural habitats.”
The industry can certainly work to incorporate better management practices, such as directional drilling, to decrease the density of well pads, roads and other infrastructure that accompany development and is detrimental to wildlife habitat.
Specifically, HB 1298 directs the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to manage operations in a manner “that balances development with wildlife conservation.” It also directs the COGCC to advance rules that will balance drilling and wildlife protection by avoiding and minimizing impacts, subject to cost-effectiveness and technical feasibility.
Finally, HB 1298 directs COGCC to consult with the Division of Wildlife on decisions that impact wildlife, implement best practices, and utilize the best available scientific information to protect wildlife habitat. |
