A DIFFERING VIEW: Legislation would allow Roan development

Sen. Ken Salazar, Rep. Mark Udall and Rep. John Salazar

Thursday, May 15, 2008

The Rocky's editorial about our Roan Plateau legislation ("Roan in the deep freeze," April 22) missed the mark.

Last year, the Bureau of Land Management announced plans to lease for energy development 67,000 acres of public land on the Roan Plateau. The BLM's proposal ignored the value of native trout streams, winter elk and mule deer habitat, and other natural amenities integral to the economy and way of life in western Colorado. It would have been tantamount to a fire sale on valuable natural gas resources under these public lands.

Gov. Bill Ritter greatly improved upon the BLM's proposal with a set of recommendations that the Rocky endorsed in January and which we used as the template for legislation. Like Ritter's proposal, our bill has five core components:

First, our bill would replace the BLM's plan to lease the entire top of the Roan Plateau all at once with a phased leasing requirement.

Second, our bill would protect the "Areas of Critical Environmental Concern" covered by Ritter's plan, while allowing development of the natural gas resources along existing ridge-top roads. (Our bill would protect an additional 3,000 acres of critical habitat for native Colorado River cutthroat trout.)

Third, our bill would authorize BLM to waive the normal limits on the size of leases in order to maximize lease revenues to the state of Colorado.

Fourth, our bill retains the BLM's existing unitization requirement and reclamation requirements.

Finally, our bill gives the state and the public a bigger say in Roan decisions.

Like Ritter's plan, our bill would allow development of nearly all of the natural gas under the Roan Plateau. It represents a win-win for Colorado and the nation.

Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar is Colorado's junior senator. Mark Udall represents Colorado's 2nd Congressional District. John Salazar represents Colorado's 3rd Congressional District.

• May 15, 2008

  7:01 a.m.

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  jacka writes:

  Great, when are you introducing this pro hunter, investment, growth, development and environment bill? Who are your GOP co-sponsors? It sounds like you have the backing of gas and oil industry?

• May 15, 2008

  7:14 a.m.

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  Gene writes:

  Yeah, I'll bet the gas and oil industry is just jumping for joy at this bill.

• May 15, 2008

  7:21 a.m.

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  An_Engineer writes:

  The Salazar Boys and Udall want to delay developing critically needed gas and oil reserves on the Roan Plateau...

  Ritter opposes drilling for gas and oil on the Roan Plateau...

  And yet the Salazar Boys, Udall, and Ritter expedite support, funding, and permitting for any "alternate" or "renewable" energy venture that is proposed.

  What is wrong with this picture???

  Ask yourself, who exactly are the Salazar Boys, Udall, and Ritter working for???
  It sure isn't any of us who have to pay for their decisions...

  Remember the Salazar Boys', Udall's, and Ritter's actions when you pay for high priced gas at the pump, when you pay ever increasing prices for natural gas to heat your home, and every increasing prices for electricity to keep the lights on...

• May 15, 2008

  9:04 a.m.

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  SASQUATCH writes:

  So when do we get started and start to drill? Will it take $250 crude and a trippling of natural gas prices? How much must my monthly bill from Xcel surge in order to get us moving on this energy-rich, isolated and barren moonscape?

  Oh, that's right...in the meantime, biofuels and windmills will fill the bill.

• May 15, 2008

  11:58 a.m.

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  PajamaPulitzer writes:

  I've always said that the value's of a Liberal become very elastic when money is involved.

  Now if we can get into ANWAR... Just show the Salazar boys the money.

• May 15, 2008

  1:14 p.m.

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  mytwosense writes:

  An_Engineer: "Remember the Salazar Boys', Udall's, and Ritter's actions when you pay for high priced gas at the pump, when you pay ever increasing prices for natural gas to heat your home, and every increasing prices for electricity to keep the lights on..."

  Hey, I know you people prefer not to live in a state of reality, but this is already happening in the HERE and NOW and pretty much has been for almost the past decade. And the politicians coming to my mind for this sorry state of affairs are Bush, Allard, Schaffer, Owens, and every other rightwing conservative shill for the oil companies.

  It's people like Udall and Ritter who are going to press for fuel standards that help us spend LESS at the pump, who are going to help companies get even more alternative energy plants in place to help us spend LESS on our electric bills, who are going to give us tax incentives that help us put these systems in place at a LESSER cost, and finally, are the people who give a damn about our PUBLIC lands and won't sell them off to the privateers.

• May 15, 2008

  2:34 p.m.

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  Gene writes:

  Mytwosense,
  Your last paragraph has me laughing. Unbelievable.

• May 15, 2008

  3:50 p.m.

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  mytwosense writes:

  Gene, likewise, I would laugh at the cons' ill-conceived idea to hurry up and use the last of our irreplaceable energy resources before we have replaceable resources fully in use - if it wasn't such a travesty that will affect my child and the next generations to come, not to mention tear up what's left of the wildlife habitats in this state.

  Speaking of which, do you clean up after yourself after a camping trip, or does the next family of campers have to first sweep out all your crap before they can set up camp?

• May 15, 2008

  5 p.m.

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  jjez writes:

  mytwosense---do you really have any? and have you been to a rig site? I have. My honey works in a related industry. Yeah, they dig in to drill, but when they've finished at a site, they cap off the well(s) and restore the land as much as possible and still retain access to the well head. It isn't like it was in the old days, they have new technology that allows them to drill many wells in a very small space. They can even drill at an angle. Sure, they cut in roads, but just think how those roads will aid in accessability to all those hunting and fishing lands up on the plateau! What the greenies don't realize is that most wildlife is adaptable. Sure, some get hit by trucks, but that happens along C470 too. And since there are fewer preditors, there are way too many deer & elk for the land to sustain, even if there were no wells being drilled. Conservancy isn't just about making sure there are as many as possible, it's managing the herds so they are healthy and don't destroy the land by overpopulation. And I'm sure that you reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible, but some things just can't be done that way. Do you drive a hybrid? Ride your bike to work every day? Ride the bus? Use propane instead of natural gas? Everyone wants to conserve our scenery, but they sure do want to be warm all winter!!! Where does everyone think we're getting the gas to heat our homes? Do you see your XCEL bill goes up every fall because of projected natural gas supply shortages and increased demand? People need to get a grip on the REAL world. Turn on the tap, and a miracle of clean water comes gushing out, to run down the drain while we brush our teeth. Turn up the heat and we are instantly warm. Or turn down the temperature, and we are nicely chilled. Moderation is the key to conservation. Do people really need to have the AC on at 65 all day when nobody is home?

• May 15, 2008

  8:16 p.m.

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  greenleaf writes:

  jjez,

  Actually mytwosense has an abundance of common sense. You have a lot as well. I appreciate your reasonable approach to the discussion and you make some very good points. Your gentle approach is far more effective than the crude tools of SASQUATCH, but hey! That's apparently the best he can do.

  Of course we need the energy that your spouse helps provide. I drive a hybrid, but it still uses gasoline. I have solar panels, but they only provide 80% of my household electricity. I treasure hot water, and modern conveniences as much as anyone.

  What we need is balance and time. We need the balance of a diversity of old and new energy sources. We need time to develop and bring renewable alternatives to market. Conservation buys time and helps to balance the equation as well.

  mytwosense, much like myself cares a lot about Colorado. It has changed so much in my 57 years. Unfortunately the vast open spaces of my youth have been buried by progress( I use the term with a hint of irony). It is hard for me to hear even reasonable folks like yourself rationalising a thousand new roads for energy extraction. Roads impact wildlife, can cause erosion problems and act as access for invasive plants and even more roads and trails cut illegally by ATVs and off road vehicles.

  As a botanist, I can assure you that the impacts at a former industrial zone with compacted and contaminated soil will extend beyond our lifetimes. Revegetation often consists of little more than running a tractor pulled disc over the ground followed by BLM approved grass and forb seed mixes spread in a hydro mulch. Any mature shrubs or trees will take decades to return, as will many birds and burrowing rodents.

  I have been sayinfg lately that rather than racing to the "bottom of the barrel" and trashing our environment in the process that we need to conserve and by so doing, buy a little more time for alternative solutions.

• May 16, 2008

  1:36 p.m.

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  mytwosense writes:

  jjez, I've noted a time or two on this forum that over time, our changing sources of energy reflect the general forward direction of the human race. For example, with the advent of oil, we probably spared a lot of trees that would have otherwise been used to heat our homes!

  But with a huge increase in population and demand for oil, it's time we get serious about moving on to another stage in how we harness and use energy, specifically by moving on to the new frontiers of renewable sources of energy and innovative conservation methods. Despite the scoffing of certain "Deniers" on this forum, we're actually very close to doing so.

  But the Deniers want everyone to think that these are pie in the sky technologies and ideas. I simply refute what they say. I actually have a very optimistic view of our future, and I'm sure that people like your partner, with their knowledge of the energy industry will play a significant role in helping us make the transition to different energy uses.

• May 16, 2008

  4:07 p.m.

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  farmboy writes:

  mytwosense,
  I agree with Gene. Your last paragraph of 1:14 p.m. cannot be believed.

  You offer no specifics. No explanations as to how we'd spend LESS at the pump and LESS on electric bills and all at LESSER cost. Just empty promises.

  Sorry, but given the liberals' long history of installing programs and institutions that were supposed to improve our lives, but proved to be dismal failures instead, your word can't be taken on blind faith.