DENVER—Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., is urging federal officials to assign two staffers to work just on the management plan for the Roan Plateau to address concerns and questions “without causing further unnecessary delays.”
Allard sent letters to Sally Wisely, director of the Colorado BLM office, and Gov. Bill Ritter asking state and federal officials to work together to complete the plan that would open some of the 73,602 acres of federal land on the plateau to energy development.
Allard’s request comes as Ritter’s administration uses a 120-day extension by the BLM to review the plan and Congress considers an energy bill that includes a provision that would bar drilling on top of the Roan Plateau.
Allard opposes the energy bill provision, sponsored by Colorado Democratic Reps. Mark Udall and John Salazar. He said he supports the BLM’s plan for the Roan, released in June.
Others, though, including area elected officials, environmental, hunting and fishing groups, oppose drilling on top and want any development around the bottom, crucial winter range for elk and mule deer, strictly regulated. They say the Roan Plateau, about 180 miles of Denver, is an important part of the economy because of the millions of dollars it generates in revenue yearly from hunting and recreation.
Proponents of developing the plateau say the BLM plan provides safeguards for wildlife and contend the mineral royalties and lease payments would produce hundreds of million of dollars for state and local governments.
“While the BLM has already committed a great deal of time and manpower to the creation of the Roan Plateau Resource Management Plan, questions continue to be raised,” Allard said in a statement. “For this reason, I have requested that some of the 21 new staff members who have been assigned to the Glenwood Springs Energy Office be specifically tasked to work on the Roan Plateau issues.”
The BLM staff was expanded in Glenwood Springs and other offices when the 2005 federal energy bill was passed to speed up and streamline applications for drilling permits in the Rockies, scene of a natural gas boom.
BLM spokesman Jim Sample said the agency received Allard’s letter Friday and will respond to it. He said he’s not sure how many staffers are working on the Roan Plateau plan, but added “it is one of our main activities already.”
The plan projects 13 well pads and 210 wells on top of the plateau, with 193 well pads and up to 1,570 wells overall, over 20 years.
The BLM has said 51 percent of land on top of and below the plateau would be preserved under the plan, which also would allow recovery of more than 90 percent of the available natural gas.
Gov. Ritter, who took office in January, got an extra 120 days to study the plan after Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., blocked the confirmation of James Caswell to head the BLM. Salazar dropped his “hold” Aug. 3 when the Interior Department agreed to give Ritter more time.
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