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By Rep. John T. Salazar

In its editorial taking me and my colleague, Rep. Mark Udall, to task for our interest in protecting the top of the Roan Plateau (“Wrong on Roan/Like it or not, ‘old energy’ is still economy’s lifeblood,” Aug. 15), the Rocky Mountain News suggests that our amendment, which preserves a portion of the surface atop the Roan, would result in preventing the necessary development of the gas under the plateau. That is simply not the case.

It is important to note that significant gas reserves under the Roan area are being developed right now. Driving along Interstate 70 west of Rifle one can see the evidence of this from drilling rigs all around the Roan area. There is even drilling occurring on the top of the Roan in portions that are privately owned (which represent about half the top). In addition, we have not “withdrawn” the federally owned gas under the top — we have only proposed that no drilling rigs can be located on the remaining surface area. Gas can still be extracted through directional drilling — which may be more expensive for oil and gas companies, but would also preserve more of the Roan’s surface for other uses.

Contrary to the Rocky’s assertion, the Salazar-Udall amendment passed by the House of Representatives is consistent with the goal of developing our domestic energy supplies. But we also believe that development must be pursued responsibly and in keeping with the expressed concerns of those local communities that have to live near such development.
Developing every cubic foot of gas now under the Roan is not sufficient reason to sacrifice a priceless public landscape like the top of the plateau — especially if the significant gas deposits beneath can be tapped from the plateau’s base and from private lands on top.

To extract all the gas the Bush administration intends under its plan will take far more than the 210 wells and 13 pads federal planners are now advertising. An expert analysis suggests it might require as many as 3,600 wells. The Roan Plateau as Coloradans know it today would be unrecognizable under this scheme.

Claims that restrictions on leasing all of the Roan now will somehow raise natural gas prices, discourage drillers and cost Colorado “billions” in lost revenues are dubious at best. In fact, the oil and gas industry cannot drill fast enough to keep up with all the permits the Bureau of Land Management has issued. More than 70 percent of federal lands leased for oil and gas development in Colorado are not currently producing natural gas or methane. Instead, there is a major backlog.

The oil and gas industry used to claim it was too expensive to drill angled wells to minimize surface disturbances. Now even drillers on top of the Roan are doing it.

Expected advances in technology during the 20-year plan will give drillers the ability to reach most of the gas under the plateau. Why not wait for the technological advances that allow us to tap the Roan’s gas without trashing the top? The Roan Plateau generates nearly $5 million annually from hunters, anglers and recreational uses, according to wildlife officials. This may be a pittance compared with some gas firms’ quarterly profits, but it is extremely important to many of the small rural communities on the Western Slope.

As long as natural gas is expensive, clean energy will be much, much cheaper for consumers. Drilling in the Roan Plateau will not save consumers money — it will, however, add to the bottom line for oil and gas company profits. That is not a bad thing, but we believe it should be done responsibly and with an eye toward respecting other economic and resource uses.
In the meantime, not every place that can be drilled should be. The remaining portion of the top of the Roan Plateau is one of those places we ought to protect.

Rep. John T. Salazar is in his second term serving Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.

READER COMMENTS

Oh Richard, we've been paying.. I heard the same junk in the 90's about the "spotted owl" in the Northwest...

2 out of 4 lumber mills were shut down. People lost their jobs, and I lost a business. 5 years later the enviromentalists said, "Oops, the spotted owl actually flourishes in new growth".

Too late. the damage was done.. people went hungry...we payed...

We've been paying for your environmental mandates Richard. I pay for it every time I fill up. 19 different blends mandated by the States..and no new refineries for 20 years, now we have 3 dollar a gallon gasoline and of course you are applauding.

Because in your world we should all be reading by candle light and walking to work..and you undoubtedly call that "progressive"...

There is enough energy in the earth to sustain the world for centuries even if every country became economically successful...

We have whole oceans filled with Hydrogen.

CO2 is good! It is used to build us all... everyone of us. .... it's called carbon exchange...yet it is declared a pollutant by our scientifically challenged supreme court...

Yeah, you're worried about the tourist industry, right.. yeah, I got ya.. and I ain't buying it......

In reality the environmental impact is not there and in the meantime the economy of the western slope is being held hostage to the environmental socialist whackos that want government to restrict our economic freedoms.

Your view of this country and this world is not mine...I say, drill all you want....there weren't that many people "enjoying the pristine landscape" of the Roan anyway.. it's a hoax..

I love it when the apologists say, cross drilling..."...may be more expensive for oil and gas companies, but would also preserve more of the Roan’s surface for other uses."..

Dude, if it's more expensive for oil and gas, guess what? It's more expensive for US too....

And who's going to use the "other surfaces" of the Roan?

Those big old greedy rich oil companies can pay more..
Guess what Richard? Businesses don't, WE do....it's in the price Richard...your "free lunch" of "preserving" the Roan at the expense of big business doesn't exist... but basic economics wasn't taught by our illustrious teacher's union.. capitalism is a dirty word.. bad, bad.. do not teach capitalism no no..

And more expense at the pump affects the poor even more than me or you Richard, because gas expense is a greater percentage of their income.. hello....

So we have letter writers here that show their basic ignorance of a free market.. What's new?

Hank comments that "Our energy solutions lie right under our butts. Try doing what's right for America for a change". And he is exactly right. The problem is our big fat butts that refuse to get off the plush seats of our climate controlled SUVs and try bicycles, walking and living closer to work, shopping, church and friends. Drilling the Roan jeopardizes not only Colorado's tourist, agricultural and recreation economy but means we continue to prop up unsustainable lifestyles with non-renewable resources. Its time to step up to the plate and pay for the development of cleaner and renewable alternatives to fossil fuels.

Chad-- the point is that it's temporary. In 20 years no one would ever know that drilling occurred there.

oops, addressed my letter to the wrong congressman. Same difference. You could substitute Gov Ritter too.

I'm an environmentalist. But the thing I can't stand is bold-faced lies in the name of scaring people. I won't take it from the Bush Administration and refuse to take it from these guys.

1. Gas under the Roan CANNOT be tapped by directional drilling from the base.

2. It is impossible to drill 3,600 wells and still stay under the 1% disturbance limitation.

I respect your views, but not your lies.

Dear Congressman Udall

I am sure you would agree that America should be making serious strides to become energy independent. I’ve heard you say this before. This means pushing renewable energy options, but also means developing our non-renewable resources in a responsible manner. I am sure you agree with this statement also.

So how, with a straight face, can you advocate these things and still set aside 8.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas under Roan Plateau? By all accounts, even The Wilderness Society’s, there is a boat-load of gas under that plateau. Some geologists estimate that 4% of America’s total natural gas reserves lie under that small area. It’s quite amazing, actually. So how can you stand up in front of the American public and tell us you want to use our natural resources but don’t want to drill the top of the Roan? If you are serious about providing some of our energy needs from our own lands, why are you advocating putting aside possibly the largest gas pocket in the country?

I am afraid you folks need a quick lesson in geology and gas operations. You wrote in a Letter to the Editor to the Denver Post this week that by only allowing directional drilling from the edge of the plateau and private lands on that that this will allow “the Roan's gas to be tapped without needlessly sacrificing the hunting, fishing and recreational opportunities that contribute so much to the local economy and way of life.” Now the Steamboat Pilot & Today is even saying that No Surface Occupancy on the BLM portions of the top would allow “oil and natural gas developers to extract minerals in the area, but does not allow any drilling on federal lands atop the Roan Plateau.” This is an environmentalist lie, straight up. Um, gentlemen, the BLM portion of the top of the plateau is approximately a square 6 miles east to west by 6 miles north to south. Current directional drilling technologies only reach ¼ mile laterally, especially at the shallow depths of the Roan. Given those facts, can you please tell me how it is possible to tap even a small fraction of Roan’s gas? At least you admit this in your letter by conceding that we will have to “wait while the industry improves drilling technology.” You need to start looking at the facts guys, instead of taking spoon-fed misinformation from the national and regional environmental organizations.

There are some great resources on top of the plateau. I know—I’ve been there. Great wildlife and fish habitat, largely natural (but with quite a few roads), and scenic. These resources will be protected by the BLM compromise. PLEASE, PLEASE refrain from the scare tactics of the enviro groups. Nothing makes me more frustrated than completely unfounded assertions in your letter that the Roan will be “sacrificed,” “unrecognizable,” and “damaged.” Bold-faced lies like that make me want to see you loose in this endeavor of yours. Sorry to use such strong words, but how can a 35,000 acre area be unrecognizable from 350 acres of disturbance at any one time? The facts make your assertions laughable.

You and your enviro spin doctors pretend like the BLM compromise is a rape and ruin scenario, when the document paints quite a different picture. The 1% disturbance limitation is no joke, no matter how hard you try to punch loop holes in it. Only around 350 acres would be allowed to be disturbed at any one time. So please, dear Congressmen, how could 3,600 wells be drilled, as you maintained in your LTTE? What, each well disturbs less than 0.1 acres? Plus, the BLM will likely put 21,000 acres of Areas of Critical Environmental Concerns (ACECs) off limits to surface disturbance all together. Operators will be forced to drill directionally with many wells off one pad. Operators must develop in phases, where one geographic area will be completely developed and reclaimed before moving to a new area. This will drastically reduce impacts to wildlife as well as hunting.

The Roan Plateau is a special place for many reasons, including its natural values and energy values. The BLM plan is a great compromise that allows all values to be preserved while developing much of the gas in a responsible manner.

Anyway, now that I got that off my chest, yes I’m for balance. Yes I’m for developing renewable energy. It wouldn’t even chafe me if Roan Plateau were closed to development for the time being—there is enough land leased already and not being developed. Shoot, I’m even for closing the Vermillion Basin to gas development. Unlike the Roan Plateau, there is not a boatload of gas under it. It comes down to which resources hold the most value. That, of course, is a value judgment.

Bobby-that is a very simple answer. We do not want the top of the Roan Plateau to be turned into an industrial zone or a city, i.e. Boulder. It is a beautiful area that should be left as it is for outdoor recreation. A place for all the public to enjoy as it is, including future generation. Hence, it is the legacy we leave for them. It is only this generation greed that drives them to use-up these places and tossed aside for only a temporary gain.

When BLM released it "Reasonable Foreseeable Development Scenario" in 2005, directional drilling from the top of the Roan was still an unproven technology. Just a few years later, companies like Williams and Mobil are starting to employ this technology on private holdings adjacent to the public lands above the rim.

Meanwhile, 762 drilling permits were approved for Garfield County in 2006, and the 2007 rate is on pace to double that number as the boom picks up momentum. A few leading operators have stated that they have enough drilling prospects on existing leases to operate at full capacity for the next ten years.

Roan Plateau is a shrinking island of nature and backcountry uses in a sea of development. Rifle and other communities in the gas patch are struggling to keep up with the infrastructure and other challenges from developing existing leases as documented elsewhere in today's Rocky, http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5684920,00.html

Congressman Salazar has earned the respect of his constituents and the gratitude of citizens across the state by standing up for balanced, forward-looking energy policies. His well-crafted compromise proposal recognizes that the gas under the Roan isn't going anywhere and will only become more valuable over time. Given time, industry will develop the technology to recover it without sacrificing this magnificent landscape.
Congress and the President should unite behind the moderate energy bill provision requiring responsible development of Roan Plateau.

Chad-- can you please explain how drilling for natural gas endangers the "heritage of our future generations"?? Did you know that Boulder was once covered with oil rigs? And that before there were any environmental regulations? Do you think Boulder was "ruined" by oil drilling?

And what price do you place on the heritage of our future generation? Like it or not these fossil fuels are a finite resource that will eventually be gone and all that will be left of beautiful western Colorado are the scars of a temporary energy industry. An industry concerned more with profits than what they are doing to air & water quality. These are our most precious resources living in the desert and if you do not believe that is true, try living without them.

I think that Salazar is doing what is right for the people he represents. He has done a great job in office so far.

I do not consider that drilling 1 % of the Roan at any one time (the BLM preferred alternative) in a tempoary land use that has to be reclaimed is "trashing the top" Clueless Salazar should go look at the reclaimed surface coal mines in the NW Colorado portion of his district to understand what temporary land use, reclamation and no impacts to wildlife is all about. Salazar is simply pandering to the left wing enviro wackos.

When did Salazar become an expert in what's technically possible when it comes to drilling for natural gas? He takes his talking points from radical environmentalists. He would do well to consult with a petroleum engineer rather than political activists.

More excuses, more delays, more postponing, more need for commissions, more investigation, more stalling, more data, more plans, more studies, more deceipt and more deception. How long does it take to address our energy independence and national security? Decades? Generations? Centuries?

Salazar, Slazar and Ritter have fighured out how to put the Roan "out of bounds." But have they figured out a way to $5 at the pump "out of bounds" too? Why are they keeping job growth, income growth , economic growth and energy related tax receipts "out of bounds" as well? Do the greens and global warming liberals own these morons?

Our energy solutions lie right under our butts. Try doing what's right for America for a change.

You wouldn't know that from the 98.5% of the 75000 comments received by BLM urging that it protect the top; the 72% of Coloradans (in the 3rd CD, which Rep. Salazar represents) that support this balance approached; and, the majority of municipalities in Garfield County (where Roan is located) that support Rep. Salazar's efforts. They all believe that the Congressman--who represents the 3rd CD (not all the people of Colorado--is standing up for their interests.

And what so called "clean" energy would Rep Salazar have us believe is cheaper than natural gas? This is just another example of Rep Salazar and his brother going against the better interests of our state for their own personal goals.

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