A high-profile group of sportsmen announced a public campaign Wednesday to lobby elected officials and land managers to “seek a balance” between oil and gas development and outdoor recreation.
“Oil and gas development is damaging a lot of fish and wildlife habitat, and when that happens it compromises our abilities as sportsmen to hunt and fish on public lands,” said Tony Dean, host of a popular outdoorsmen television show.
The group would like to see significant environmental safeguards in place, he said.
“About 27 million acres of big-game habitat have been leased for energy development,” Dean said.
Trout Unlimited’s Chris Wood called the grass-roots lobbying effort a “last resort” because sportsmen have not been heard in discussions over oil and gas leasing.
Also, a new report shows that Colorado oil, gas and mining companies pay the seventh-lowest tax rate among firms in 10 Western states.
In 2006, oil, gas and mining companies in Colorado paid $206.8 million in taxes on resources valued at $11.3 billion, for a tax rate of 1.8 percent. Companies in Alaska paid 11.2 percent, the highest among states in the report, conducted by Chicago research firm Center on Work and Community Development. A coalition of environmental and conservation organizations commissioned the report.
The other states are Arizona, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
Oil and gas firms in Colorado can deduct 87.5 percent of their county property taxes from their severance tax, thus lowering the amount of tax paid for the resources drilled.
The Colorado Oil and Gas Association declined comment.
Andy Vuong: 303-954-1209 or avuong@denverpost.com
