By Kate Mackay
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) just released its Draft Big Game Resource Management Plan Amendment which covers 8.3 million surface acres and 4.7 million acres of mineral estate extending to every Colorado BLM Field Office and to every corner of the state.
BLM has the opportunity through this planning process to implement landscape-level protections for big game habitat and consider comprehensive updates to its oil and gas program in Colorado.
This plan will impact all existing BLM land use plans in the state and provide guidance intended to protect wildlife habitat by defining limits on high-density development, including facility and route density limitations, and other lease stipulations that would incorporate conservation measures for important big game habitat, specifically for elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep. The agency’s preferred approach fails to realize the opportunity of this process, but there is time and space to improve the plan before it’s finalized.
“The agency has a tremendous opportunity to make headway against both the climate and biodiversity crises through this planning process,” said Jim Ramey, Colorado State Director for The Wilderness Society. “These lands provide important connective tissue for wildlife to move between protected areas and support Colorado’s well-loved hunting and fishing pastimes. Safeguarding critical habitat is something that most folks agree on. I hope the Bureau of Land Management can strengthen and approve this plan with public feedback ASAP.”
BLM lands are critically important to support wildlife migrations and conserve a range of high priority habitat types across Colorado. By way of example, of the 8.3 million acres of public lands BLM manages in Colorado, 53% provides priority habitat for elk and 48% provides priority habitat for mule deer, according to BLM. Elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep are heavy users of BLM land and their survival depends on BLM conserving the habitat values those lands have historically provided to these and a host of other wildlife species. Colorado wildlife officials say elk herd numbers may not be sustainable over the next 20 years in certain areas where human development is increasing. Avoiding development impacts whenever possible needs to be a top priority and apply to BLM’s oil and gas decision-making more prominently.
Wildlife populations across Colorado face a steady and concerning loss and degradation of habitat because of human development,” said Brien Webster, Public Lands Campaign Manager for Conservation Colorado. “Historically, oil and gas has played a significant role in this. Minimizing and mitigating impacts is important, but avoiding these impacts whenever possible is critical. Avoiding these impacts all together is the best shot our elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and bighorn populations have to exist at sustainable levels into the future and I hope to see the BLM strengthen the plan to this end.”
Following a settlement agreement with the State of Colorado, BLM is directed to evaluate oil and gas leasing and management across the state to be more consistent with – and ideally build upon – existing federal and state requirements and objectives including Governor Polis’s Executive Order D-2019-011, the passage of SB-181, and the adoption of the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission’s 1200 series rules.
“Public lands provide critical habitat for Colorado’s big game herds, and the BLM has a responsibility to ensure it remains connected and functional,” said John Rader, Public Lands Program Manager, San Juans Citizens Alliance. “The agency can make major strides in safeguarding our hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching heritage by stringently protecting the important habitat it manages, including lands that overlay its mineral estate.”
Existing state standards are a starting point to provide some relief for wildlife. However, avoidance of impacts altogether is the best way to ensure sustainable wildlife populations. BLM’s draft plan presents a reactive approach, relying on mitigation rather than preventing impacts to big game species in the first place, and providing significant opportunity for waivers and exceptions to rules. Additionally the agency’s preferred alternative would only apply to BLM owned surface, ignoring impacts on millions of additional acres of mineral estate the BLM manages.
The draft plan now enters a 90-day public comment period during which anyone with an interest in conserving wildlife habitat and supporting Colorado’s wildlife populations is encouraged to participate. Visit the BLM website here.
Kate Mackay is Principal Communications Director with The Wilderness Society.
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