Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it will plow ahead with its plans to drill the last scenic lands of the Roan Plateau, a decision that demonstrates bad faith in working with the region's elected officials, and stands contrary to public sentiment. A coalition of conservationists, sportsmen and local elected officials have called on Colorado's governor and Congressional delegation to introduce legislation to protect the Roan's important wildlife habitat and watersheds before the government moves to lease these lands this summer. 

Near the city of Rifle, the Roan Plateau towers more than 3,000 feet above the Colorado River valley below. Atop the Plateau are quiet trout streams, dramatic box canyons, and the East Fork waterfall, one of Colorado's tallest. The area is home to prized deer and elk herds, and one of the purest strains of native trout in the world.

Protection benefits local communities
The Roan Plateau is a unique and important public land area that citizens cherish, and where local communities have been camping, hunting, hiking and ranching for generations. Local businesses also understand that undeveloped public lands such as the Roan Plateau are good for the economy. Hunting on the Roan Plateau is worth almost $4 million annually. Preserving the natural beauty of Colorado helps diversify local economies and helps ensure long-term economic vitality.

The Roan Plateau faces an uncertain future
Significant quantities of natural gas underlie the Plateau, which sits in the gas-rich Piceance Basin.

• 94% of the natural gas in the basin is already available from public lands open to drilling.
• Half the land in the planning area is already leased or owned by the energy industry.
• Well density at the base of the plateau is the highest in the nation.
• Industry insiders forecast 10,000 wells in Garfield County, more than exist in Saudi Arabia and Iran combined.
• According to BLM figures, 86% of the gas reserve likely to be developed in the Planning Area over the next 20 years is accessible without drilling on top of the Plateau.

A Balanced Plan
A balanced plan for the Roan Plateau will protect key natural areas on the top and cliffs while providing for gas development at the base. This even-handed approach would safeguard our special places and ensure that development is compatible with local communities and diverse livelihoods. Recognized by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program as one of the most biologically diverse areas on the Western Slope, the Roan Plateau provides outstanding habitat for fish, wildlife and rare plant species. As part of the citizen created conservation vision for the Roan Plateau, citizens have proposed approximately 40,000 acres of the plateau for wilderness protection as part of the Citizens' Wilderness Proposal. This conservation vision also outlines protection for fish, wildlife, and imperiled species and safeguards for backcountry recreation opportunities.

Although the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently issued its decision for most of the Roan Plateau, which will open almost all of the public lands on the plateau to oil and gas development, the agency postponed making a ruling on about 30% of the planning area. These areas consist of what BLM has labelled "areas of critical environmental concern" (ACECs).

These areas are the Roan's most sensitive places: habitat for genetically pure Colorado River cutthroat trout, home to rare plants, and critical range for deer and other wildlife. Most of these lands were found by the BLM to have all the features which would qualify them for wilderness designation, although the agency has refused to consider following through by providing appropriate protections for the land's wilderness character.

It is critical that BLM preserve this last reserve of pristine, wilderness-quality land atop the Roan.

For more information and to get updates, go to SaveRoanPlateau.org.