After 10 Yrs Planning, BLM Opens 90% Of Little Snake Area In NW CO To Drilling; Oil Industry Whines

[hatrack]

After a decade of deliberation, federal land managers Monday unveiled their new plan for balancing oil-and-gas exploration and other uses across 2.4 million acres of northwestern Colorado — and drew immediate sharp criticism from conservationists, landowners and industry.

The Bureau of Land Management plan opens 90 percent of the Little Snake Area to drilling, effective today, while setting limits around sage grouse breeding areas, the Vermillion Basin canyonlands and a 22-mile stretch of the Yampa River that has been deemed suitable for an official "wild and scenic" designation.

"You'll never have a BLM plan that is loved by everyone because not everyone agrees on the best way to manage public lands," said BLM spokesman Steven Hall. "This tries to get at the right balance between allowing responsible oil-and-gas development and protecting wildlife habitat."

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Western Energy Alliance spokeswoman Kathleen Sgamma swiftly denounced the plan, accusing BLM officials of tampering with a previously acceptable plan that communities crafted to allow responsible oil-and-gas development that would have disturbed only 1 percent of the Vermillion Basin area. "It's unfortunate that BLM was directed by Washington to ignore a balanced community plan, lock away American energy resources, and prevent jobs and economic growth," Sgamma said.

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http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19135572

[kestrel91316]

1. Ignore the whining quisling, Kathleen Sgamma.

[leftyohiolib]

2. "allowing responsible oil-and-gas development and protecting wildlife habitat."

there are NO responsible oil/gAS developers. they wont care about the sage grouse( or anything else) not when they can bribe inspectors to look the other way

[newfie11]

3. OMG NO NO Not there!!

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: