Roan Plateau
1570 Oil and Gas Wells are not worth the Roan Plateau Dear Editor, Rep. Diana DeGette’s proposed wilderness protection bill is not only exciting, it is tremendously urgent. In the broad strokes gas interests in Colorado have their eye on the Roan Plateau, near Grand Junction, intending to drill there until the cows come home (drill new 1570 wells). This area of wild land is part of Colorado’s natural heritage and one of the reasons I am proud to be a resident. Speaking on behalf of the hunting and fishing community, the Roan Plateau is renowned for big game hunting and fly fishing. Colorado elected leaders, are you ready for an outcry from hunters and fishermen? If so, oppose this bill. Remember, there are 700,000 of us in the state. Specifficly, the DeGette bill would add 1.6 million acres of land designated as Wilderness to our current 3.4 million. Beyond that, rampant oil and gas development encourages the production of finite resources at the cost of destroying pristine habitat for good and all. With the growing population of the state, we need balanced energy development with wind and solar as the primary sources. With the 5th highest solar potential and the 11th highest wind potential in the country, not only do we have yet another reason to be proud to be residents, we have other options than to butcher our wild lands for the sake of BTUs and Kilo Watts. Colorado, support the DeGette bill.
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