The Colorado Division of Wildlife and the BP America Production Co. have reached what is being described as an “innovative conservation agreement” to help mitigate the effects of natural-gas drilling on wildlife.
Colorado wildlife officials said the primary goal of the plan is to offset habitat loss from BP’s natural-gas development. Under the agreement, BP will buy private holdings suitable as wildlife habitat in exchange for drilling rights elsewhere.
“The agreement shows that it is possible to develop natural-gas resources and preserve Colorado’s wildlife,” said Tom Remington, DOW director.
The agency said the plan is the result of an 18-month combined effort of BP, the DOW and The Nature Conservancy.
The plan will be implemented in La Plata and Archuleta counties.
Joe Kiesecker, The Nature Conservancy’s lead scientist, praised the agreement: “This is a positive step, and these types of plans should be adopted as standard instead of as a novel approach.”
The plan also allows for a streamlined permitting process under a Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission rule. The rule allows energy companies to enter wildlife mitigation plans with the DOW to address multiple facilities at the same time rather than having to address each facility separately.
Jerry Austin, BP’s San Juan area operations manager, said the plan incorporates operational changes and provides land preservation.
“This collaborative effort allows for more long-term development planning and wildlife preservation that is designed and customized for the San Juan Basin,” Austin said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
