Natural Gas Plan May Change to Aid Wildlife

BATTLEMENT MESA, Colo. —  With the rugged front of the Roan Plateau as a backdrop, federal land managers Friday said they were reconsidering a key piece of their plan for natural gas drilling to protect wildlife.

The Bureau of Land Management said it might revise its original proposal to defer drilling on top of the mammoth landmark and opt for the uncommon practice of clustering drilling in big blocks.

Agency officials at a meeting with local and state government leaders said clustering could result in fewer pipelines, roads and less traffic, which would mean less disruption for the deer and elk herds that roam the area.

The bureau is writing a management plan for the area, which has some of the country’s richest natural gas reserves and wildlife that draws visitors and hunters to northwestern Colorado.

In response to calls for no development atop the plateau, the federal agency had advanced the idea of delaying drilling on top until 80% of the wells below its rim were fully developed.

Jamie Connell, manager of the bureau’s office in Glenwood Springs, said she was surprised by the negative response to that plan as thousands of people commented on the environmental impact statement for the plateau.

“We received a lot of comments that it’s not a good thing from a wildlife perspective,” Connell told state and Garfield County officials during a meeting here.

Friday’s meeting was one of a series that the bureau is holding with state agencies and elected officials from communities affected by the energy development.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife has joined environmental organizations and hunting groups in criticizing the BLM’s plan for managing drilling on the federal land.