Ritter seeks to expand protections for Roan Plateau

Posted by egable on December 20th, 2007 filed in Energy development

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter today called for an expansion of protections on the Roan Plateau, as well as a phased leasing plan.

Ritter wants to expand the “areas of critical environmental concern” on the plateau from 21,000 acres to 36,000 acres. Additionally, the governor would like to see leases offered in phases, rather than all at once, to maximize revenues that the state would receive.
At issue is the Bureau of Land Management’s development plan for the Roan Plateau, which authorized up to 1,570 new oil and gas wells, including some atop the western Colorado landmark. BLM officials have no legal obligation to consider Ritter’s requests but agreed earlier this year to give the governor more time to comment on the plan.

In a conference call with reporters today, Ritter said his discussions with the Interior Department and BLM have been “productive and encouraging.”