Beauprez presents wildlife habitat plan

GOP guv candidate believes energy firms will join in initiative

Ellen Miller, Special to the News

Published August 24, 2006 at midnight

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GRAND JUNCTION - Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez on Wednesday called for a "Colorado habitat initiative" that would use energy severance tax dollars to protect wildlife habitat.

Much of the money would be targeted for northwest Colorado, home of the largest migratory elk herd in North America and the largest mule deer herd in the U.S., Beauprez told a news conference on the Mesa State College campus.

"I will challenge the energy industry to partner with the state of Colorado," Beauprez said. "We can be making a meaningful difference for energy-impacted wildlife habitat to the tune of perhaps tens of millions of dollars."

Bill Ritter, Democratic candidate for governor, called the Beauprez plan flawed and contended Beauprez was "once again trying to have it both ways."

"On the one hand, Rep. Beauprez claims to be a friend of Colorado's wildlife and the habitat that supports it," said Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer.

But when he is back in Washington, he "has voted to weaken the Clean Air Act and exempt oil and gas construction sites from the Clean Water Act."

Beauprez said he would use "new dollars" - money generated by the accelerating gas drilling boom on the Western Slope, industry donations and money from the federal government - to fund his plan.

As an example, Beauprez said if drilling rigs occupy an area used as game winter range, "we can ask our wildlife biologists to determine an off-site piece of ground where we can create a comparable habitat, acre for acre."

He said he doesn't plan to take his initiative to Congress in the few months that remain in his term in the House because it is "too late in this year's appropriations cycle."

Beauprez said he believes industry will donate to the initiative "because it's the right thing to do."

Colorado's severance tax on energy companies is divided between the Department of Local Affairs, to be distributed to energy-impacted counties, and the Department of Natural Resources.

Of the DNR share, half goes to make water loans and half to the department's operational account, which funds the state geological survey, Oil and Gas Commission, minerals and geology service, the state water board and other things, said DNR Executive Director Russ George.

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