Colorado Officially Objects To Roan Plateau Leases

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources submitted a protest to the federal Bureau of Land Management today objecting to the BLM’s plan to lease the top of the Roan Plateau for commercial drilling on Aug. 14.

Colorado’s protest letter reiterates Gov. Bill Ritter’s belief that the Roan should be leased in phases to:

· Maximize the economic return to the state;

· Provide for long-term sustainable economies in West Slope communities;

· Encourage improvements in drilling technology;

· Protect the Roan’s other natural resources.

“We believe that the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) plan for leasing the Roan next month has serious flaws that must be addressed before a lease sale occurs,” Harris Sherman, executive director of the Department of Natural Resources, wrote in the protest letter.

“The BLM’s plan fails to protect valuable fish and wildlife habitat, will not maximize economic return to the State, and could result in the State not receiving its share of mineral bonuses and royalties.

“The State of Colorado has tendered a plan for the Roan that would accomplish these goals, and this plan has received widespread support from around the State. Nonetheless, the BLM has rejected the State’s proposals, and we have no choice but to object to the BLM’s leasing plan.”