Colorado's Best Backcountry At Risk
As one of its last regulatory actions, the Bush administration is moving forward to open some of Colorado's best backcountry to drilling, even though experts say the amount of economically recoverable oil and gas would be just a "drop in the bucket."
On the heels of its decision to lease the Roan Plateau, the administration now is targeting 4.4 million acres of national forests in Colorado by proposing repeal of the popular Roadless Area Conservation Rule that ensures these areas remain "off limits" to industrial development. If successful, new drilling would be allowed, impacting valuable fish and wildlife habitat and giving Colorado's national forests less protection than those around the country.
Your help is needed now! Please sign the letter below now to ask Colorado Governor Bill Ritter to call on the Bush administration to suspend its efforts to open up Colorado's best backcountry to drilling.
We encourage you to include your own personal comments - comment emails are much more effective when you take the time to add your own thoughts.
Dear Governor Ritter:
I am writing to you to ask the Bush administration to suspend its current effort to repeal the popular Roadless Area Conservation Rule and allow oil and gas development to proceed on some of Colorado's most pristine national forests.
This precautionary step would allow the citizens of Colorado -- already faced with the rush to drill on the Roan Plateau -- time to assess the impact of new oil and gas development on valuable fish and wildlife habitat in the Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison, White River, and San Juan National Forests. These pristine places represent some of Colorado's best backcountry, areas treasured by Colorado's today and, hopefully enjoyed by future generations.
Because of overwhelming public support in Colorado and across the country, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule remains the law of the land. Let's take the time to make sure Colorado doesn't hastily throw it away, putting the legacy of our national forests at risk.
