About 70 people attended the final local meeting on whether the Bureau of Land Management should further regulate oil and gas development in portions of Montezuma and La Plata counties this week in Cortez.
And the 17 people who spoke all favored implementing a master lease plan to further protect cultural, recreational, health and environmental values. None spoke against it.
The proposed regulatory plan has been divisive, with Montezuma County commissioners arguing current regulations are enough, and La Plata County officials suggesting that more are needed.
“There are divergent perspectives, so the best way to make a fair decision was have these meetings,” said Ruth Welch, BLM’s Colorado director. “It’s a cumbersome but important process.”
A subgroup of the BLM’s Southwest Resource Advisory Council was created to address the matter. It’s made up of representatives from both counties and various interests groups, including energy, environmental, cultural and recreational.
Officials said hundreds of pages of comments have been submitted. Those urging protection of the Phil’s World bike trails on BLM land east of Cortez were the most prevalent.
“Protecting those trails is important to the community and the economy,” said subgroup member Pete Eschallier, co-owner of Kokopelli Bike and Board in Cortez.
He suggested that BLM regulations of “Controlled Surface Use” at Phil’s World be upgraded to “No Surface Occupancy” too keep drilling rigs and roads away from trails.
The BLM land on the northern escarpment of Mesa Verde doesn’t allow wells because it borders the national park and contains Native American cultural sites.
“Essentially, (BLM) stipulations can be waived or exempted, so I would like to see that NSO become a guarantee,” said working group member Jimbo Buickerood of the San Juan Citizens Alliance.
The BLM does have discretion in certain circumstances, but officials said it is a rare occurrence and involves public notice and comment.
Buickerood also suggested more BLM stipulations are needed to reduce oil and gas impacts on conservation easements and agricultural lands, such as creating setbacks from irrigation ditches.
Eric Sanford, representing the oil and gas industry on the committee, pointed out that most of the land within the proposed master lease plan boundary is private land with private minerals that could be developed at any time.
Gregg Dubitt, an outfitter on the committee, said federal lands “are what we can control and should get the highest level of stewardship.”
He questioned whether the current regulations are adequate. Industry winter access to a compressor station on Madden Peak Road was supposed to be via tracked vehicles over the snow, he said. But, after a year, the road was plowed instead, eliminating over-the-snow recreation there.
“Recreation is becoming the dominate use here, and I don’t see the (current regulations) addressing that economic value,” Dubitt said.
