Colorado hunters, anglers and outfitters packed a Capitol hearing room Tuesday in support of legislation intended to minimize the oil- and-gas industry’s impact on wildlife.
The House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee passed the bill on a 13-0 vote.
The legislation, House Bill 1298, would require the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to consult the state Division of Wildlife about the effects of drilling on everything from elk breeding to trout spawning to bowhunting.
The legislation could result in fewer drilling pads and roads in prime wildlife habitat by requiring oil companies to drill more wells from one spot.
“We need oil and gas resources to heat our homes and to provide energy for our daily lives,” said Clare Bastable, conservation director for the Colorado Mountain Club.
“But it need not come at the expense of the wildlife habitat and hunting opportunities that have been part of Colorado’s heritage for generations,” she said.
In Wyoming, where the oil-and- gas boom began first, studies have documented the industry’s impact on wildlife.
One study funded by the oil-and- gas industry found a 46 percent decline in migratory mule deer in a heavily drilled area near Pinedale.
Studies also show that more than 2 miles of road per square mile leads to a 50 percent reduction in the elk population, Bastable said.
A coalition of more than 50 sportsmen and conservationist groups urged the state to protect wilderness and the hunting industry, which generates $2 billion a year in Colorado.
The bill passed with support from the Colorado Oil and Gas Association after some of its specifics were deleted, allowing room for the commission and the Division of Wildlife to develop a list of guidelines.
“This is the version of the bill that will allow the bill to stay alive,” said Rep. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne, sponsor of the legislation.
Several oil companies already are trying to minimize their impact on wildlife, said Ken Wonstolen, an attorney representing the Colorado Oil and Gas Association.
Williams Production Co. has the technology to drill 22 wells from a single well pad. EnCana Corp. is studying the industry’s impact on sage grouse.
The legislation is not intended to diminish oil and gas production but to “reduce the footprint by the industry left on the land,” said Bob Elderkin of the Colorado Mule Deer Association.
“It’s the constant shuffling around of men and equipment – that’s what drives the game out,” he said.
Colorado issued a record 5,904 oil and gas drilling permits in 2006, more than double the permit total from two years earlier. Oil and gas make for a $20 billion industry in Colorado, including a $4 billion payroll and 70,000 jobs.
Staff writer Jennifer Brown can be reached at 303-954-1593 or jenbrown@denverpost.com.
