Colorado Politics

Grand County opposes federal oil and gas plan near Rocky Mountain National Park

Grand County has voiced concerns about a federal proposal to lease over 27,000 acres of land for oil and gas development near Rocky Mountain National Park.

Colorado Public Radio reports the county board of commissioners said in a Tuesday letter to the Bureau of Land Management that the plan would put a strain on the area’s natural resources.

The board says several tributaries of the Colorado River run through the proposed lease parcels, and commissioners are concerned about water resources and water quality. They say the waterways are critical to ranching and recreation in Grand County.

The board also questioned why BLM would move forward with the plan in an area found to have “low or no potential for oil and gas development.”

The agency didn’t respond to requests for comment.

This Feb. 26, 2015 photo, shows an oil well on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation near Mandaree, North Dakota. U.S. officials announced plans Thursday, July 28, 2016, to speed up permitting for oil and gas drilling on federal and American Indian lands to reduce delays, as applications were projected to be down amid an ongoing price slump. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)
Matthew Brown

PREV

PREVIOUS

Colorado town on verge of big changes amid Superfund cleanup

A historic Colorado mountain town is on the threshold of a transformation after the federal government announced it will embark on an ambitious campaign to stanch the flow of acidic wastewater cascading from abandoned mines. The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday designated an area north of Silverton as a Superfund site, clearing the way for a multimillion-dollar […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

New Mexico governor, lawmakers no closer to special session

Democratic New Mexico lawmakers are complaining that Gov. Susana Martinez hasn’t offered a plan to fill the state’s budget hole. The Republican governor says she’s already asked the agencies under her control to cut back and has promised to call a special legislative session once lawmakers have concrete proposals for shoring up the state’s finances. But there’s no […]


Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests