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Feds dismiss Ritter's Roan restrictions

Interior Department says drilling blueprint meets goals without governor's suggestions

Gargi Chakrabarty and Todd Hartman

Published March 14, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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This drilling pad on the Roan Plateau could have more neighbors soon now that the federal goverment has rejected suggestions to go slow on leasing.

Photo by Matt McClain / The Rocky/2007

This drilling pad on the Roan Plateau could have more neighbors soon now that the federal goverment has rejected suggestions to go slow on leasing.

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The federal government on Thursday rejected most of Gov. Bill Ritter's suggestions to restrict energy development on top of the Roan Plateau, adding new heat to a protracted fight over oil and gas drilling on the scenic landmark.

Stephen Allred, an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Interior, which manages 74,000 acres of federal land on the plateau, said the federal drilling plan achieves the goals of environmental and wildlife protection set forth by Ritter.

"There are some areas where we cannot meet the desires of the state of Colorado," Allred said Thursday.

In December, Ritter urged the federal Bureau of Land Management to lease the top of the plateau in phases.

He also asked that 36,000 acres of the plateau be categorized as "environmentally critical," instead of the proposed 21,000 acres.

Both suggestions are ignored in the federal plan.

Ritter said he was "disappointed" with the federal decision and promised to continue the fight over the Roan. His sentiment was echoed by Colorado's Democratic congressional delegates and environmental and sporting groups.

The decision comes at a time when the Ritter administration is locking horns with Colorado's energy industry over a proposal to increase the state severance tax and overhaul state drilling rules.

Cautious but pleased

Industry representatives sounded cautious but pleased with the federal plan, and a lobbyist speculated the state could earn an estimated $1 billion in lease payments, rents and bonuses under it. Companies are eager to drill on the Roan, which, according to estimates, contains enough gas to power 1.5 million homes for 34 years.

Drill sites likely will be leased this summer.

"We are committed to pursuing the right outcome for Colorado and we are disappointed that a procedural hurdle will preclude the thoughtful development and maximum economic benefit to the citizens of the state," Ritter stated in a release Thursday. "Today's decision by the Department of the Interior is not an end by any measure," Ritter added. "We will now quickly begin discussions with Sen. Ken Salazar, Sen. Wayne Allard, Rep. Mark Udall, Rep. John Salazar and the rest of our congressional delegation about possible legislative alternatives."

Allred, however, said parceling out leases over a period of time would be more disruptive to the environment. He also said federal land managers didn't increase the acreage under the "environmentally critical" category because the federal plan already bans any surface disturbance on more than 38,000 acres.

In the remaining area, companies can drill on only 1 percent of the land at a time, which is about 350 acres. A plot has to be fully reclaimed before companies can begin drilling on the next one.

Allred said the Roan was getting a lot of attention because of the timing and its location.

"I don't think the decision would have gotten (the attention) if it was 10 years ago," Allred said.

Decision criticized

Environmentalists roundly criticized the federal decision, saying it underscored the apathy toward the West.

"Essentially, the Bush administration put Colorado and the West on notice today: Our water, our wildlife habitat, aren't more important than their plans to open up the Rocky Mountains for oil and gas companies to drill in 2008," said Joe Neuhof, chairman of Save the Roan Campaign.

Calling the decision "irresponsible and shortsighted," U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., vowed to introduce legislation to stop the Department of Interior from "rushing forward with oil and gas development in one of Colorado's last pristine areas."

In contrast, Greg Schnacke, president and CEO of Americans for American Energy, said the federal decision was "equivalent to the BLM giving Colorado a $1 billion winning lottery ticket."

"The question now is, will Gov. Bill Ritter let the state cash in?" Schnacke said.

chakrabartyg@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2976

Acres apart on the Roan

What Ritter wanted

* Expansion of the size of four wildlife-protection zones, from a total of 21,000 acres to 36,000 acres.

* Phased or incremental leasing of drilling areas, instead of leasing them all at once.

What BLM decided

* No expansion of wildlife-protection zones, known as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern.

* Drilling areas will be leased all at once.

Roan timeline

* November 2004: A broad development plan for the Roan Plateau by BLM first broaches the likelihood of drilling.

* September 2005: Colorado's Department of Natural Resources proposes natural gas wells be clustered on fewer plateau sites.

* September 2006: The BLM's draft for drilling on the Roan is called inadequate by proponents, disappointing by environmentalists.

* June 2007: BLM announces final plan to open top of the Roan to natural gas drilling.

* July 2007: U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar blocks Bush's nominee to head the BLM until the agency gives Gov. Bill Ritter's administration more time to assess the drilling plan.

* August 2007: The BLM agrees to give Ritter four more months to review. * December 2007: Ritter proposes that the BLM expand environmentally protected areas on the Roan.

* March 2008: The BLM says it will proceed with its original drilling plan, rejecting most of the Ritter administration's suggestions.

What they are saying

"Our plan to pursue phased leasing received strong support from a broad spectrum of stakeholders. We are committed to pursuing the right outcome for Colorado and we are disappointed that a procedural hurdle will preclude the thoughtful development and maximum economic benefit to the citizens of the state." Gov. Bill Ritter

"This decision is equivalent to the BLM giving Colorado a $1 billion winning lottery ticket. The question now is, will Gov. Bill Ritter let the state cash in?"

Greg Schnacke, president and CEO of Americans for American Energy

"Gov. Ritter outlined a thoughtful compromise proposal in December. Almost three months later, the BLM brushes aside the governor's request and simply announces that it is sticking with its own unacceptable plan."

Suzanne O'Neill, Colorado Wildlife Federation

"Once again Colorado's interests are being ignored by the BLM. The majority of the public don't want to see any more of the Roan's public lands sacrificed to energy development."

Michael Hassig, mayor of Carbondale

Comments

  • March 14, 2008

    7:08 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Jack_Bauer writes:

    Do our Democratic representatives want cheaper, more readily available energy like they say? Apparently not, because every time there is an opportunity to increase production there they are, standing in the way.

  • March 14, 2008

    7:53 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    raysmom writes:

    Ritter ought to spend some time learning the process by which environmental impact studies are developed- it's amazing! Years and years of experts in wildlife biology, reclamation, energy development, mapping, etc. To the environmentally concerned citizen who does not know how this works, it might seem wrong for the BLM to go with the original drilling plan on the Roan. I am a Democrat, but I disagree with Ritter's stand on this issue. The extremists are filling his and the public's heads with propoganda that cannot be supported, to perpetuate their agenda of zero interference and political power, which is simply not justifiable. Understand, the BLM does not do the studies, they (and we) pay big bucks to independent firms to conduct the expert analysis, and I can see why the BLM is frustrated with political toadying that assumes to override years of work by the experts in the field.

  • March 14, 2008

    8:25 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    TeresaBinstock writes:

    Pollution-associated pathologies in humans continue to increase. Fish in western national parks are documented to be developing intersex features. Who dares study what's happening to children, aside from asthma, autism spectrum disorders, allergies, etc. Regardless, many among us continue to worship at the sacred cow known as Economic Growth. The Feds decision about Roan is but another symptom of the metastasizing cancer which is western civilization, whose fundamental tenets need major revision.

  • March 14, 2008

    8:38 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Scott writes:

    Ritter is just doing what he does best. Assumes ANY position ... for a price. He is a member of the komrade democrat party and he can now "show" his fellow komrades that, "He's one of them" ... NOT. Ritter is just a prostitute (lawyer), he will assume ANY position ... for a price. The price in this case is sucking up to the eco-terrorist wing of the democrat party so that he can get re-elected.

    Scott

  • March 14, 2008

    10:24 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    raysmom writes:

    TeresaBinstock- Good grief- do you ever read anything that anyone writes about FACTS? Your goofy spiel has NOTHING to do with the issue, which you obviously don't know anything about- this was just an opportunity to regurgitate your fringe nonsense. You think you sound smart, but as one of the "many among us" who is concerned with economic growth as well as the environment, you just sound silly.

    And Scott, while I agree with your assessment of Ritter's pandering to the party's "TeresaBinstock's", I must protest the lawyer comment- my husband is a really good man and a really good lawyer (OK, insert joke here), who works his butt off helping people. He might actually AGREE with you, having to deal with lawyers all day, but I just had to stick up for the profession a bit- they're evil until you need one, you know?

  • March 14, 2008

    12:01 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Scott writes:

    raysmom,

    O.K. here's the lawyer joke:

    A wicked man dies goes immediately to Hell.

    Satan escorts the man to his eternal cell of torment. As Satan opens the door to the wicked man's cell he, the wicked man, notices that directly across from his cell is a the cell with a lawyer who is having wild sex with a beautiful blond woman.

    The wicked man observes with disgust, "First I get sent down here and then I have to watch THAT for the rest of eternity."

    Satan overhearing the lament pokes the wicked man in the back with his pitchfork and in his booming voice commands, "SILENCE! Who are you to judge that woman's punishment!"

    About ten years ago I told this to the company patent attorney and he said that his wife would agree :-)

    Scott