Regional
(2010-06-29)
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DENVER, CO
(KUNC) -
Federal land managers are proposing to close off a scenic basin in northwest Colorado from oil and gas drilling.
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The Vermillion basin is a 77,000 acre swath of high desert and impressive red rock country prized for its scenery. But the remote area has also long been eyed by oil and gas companies. During the Bush Administration in 2007, the Bureau of Land Management proposed to open it for leasing. But the agency is now changing course, says spokesman David Boyd.
"Looking at the public comments, looking at what other agencies are concerned about, it just made sense in this case to not lease Vermillion Basin," Boyd says.
The proposal to close off the Vermillion basin is part of the forthcoming resource management plan for the BLM's Little Snake Field office. That plan is six years in the making, and guides management and oil and gas leasing throughout Moffat and Routt counties. Boyd says it will be released formally for public comment later this summer.
The plan is bound to generate a lot of controversy. While environmentalists have long sought protections for the area, oil and gas companies and some local officials in Moffat County have also eyed the basin for its development potential. © Copyright 2012, KUNC
