Unbalanced Energy Development and Its Impacts on Hunting and Fishing
Many of us who hunt, fish and appreciate the outdoors are concerned about the loss of hunting and fishing opportunity caused by the dramatic increase in oil and gas development on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service. During the past several years, oil and gas companies have moved aggressively to tap oil and gas reserves in states such as Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. In 2006, the BLM received more than 10,400 applications for permits to drill – a record high and a 20-percent increase from 2005. Since 1996, more than 24.4 million acres of the Rocky Mountain West - and counting - have been leased for energy development. The federal government has moved quickly to meet this increased demand for the development of public land and is doing so at an unprecedented rate, often without taking the necessary precautions to meet the needs of fish and wildlife populations. 
Unfortunately, many of the locations pressured for oil and gas development also hold some of the nation’s best hunting for mule deer, elk, pronghorn and sage grouse, plus blue-ribbon fishing for cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout. Hastily developed energy projects in states such as Colorado and Wyoming have shown that oil and gas extraction can have drastic effects on fish and game populations if their needs aren’t studied and met before, during and after the development process.
TRCP: Working on Behalf of Sportsmen to Balance Energy Development From the legendary mule deer country of Wyoming’s Atlantic Rim to the blue-ribbon trout fishery on Montana’s Beaverhead River, TRCP is working to conserve your hunting and fishing traditions in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming by ensuring that energy development is balanced with the needs of fish and wildlife.
TRCP’s approach to balanced energy development is guided by a team of biologists and experts, the TRCP Fish, Wildlife and Energy Working Group (FWEWG). By combining the science-based expertise of the FWEWG with an active network of sportsmen, TRCP’s energy staff is working with hunters and anglers throughout the West to conserve our outdoor traditions by supporting responsible energy development.
 As part of this process, the FWEWG has developed a set of principles to guide energy development on public lands. “FACTS for Fish and Wildlife” calls on the federal government and energy industry to increase Funding, Accountability, Coordination, Transparency and Science when making decisions on whether and how to allow energy development on the landscapes that belong to all Americans.
From the leasing of individual parcels of land to the long-term planning of entire areas managed by each BLM field office, a number of different government processes exist that plan how energy develop will take place on public land. TRCP is an active participant in all of these levels of public involvement, engaging sportsmen and promoting the FACTS principles in support of responsible energy development that guarantees the traditions of American sportsmen.
To request copies of TRCP’s FACTS brochure to distribute at a sportsmen’s meeting or conference, please contact Energy Initiative Manager Steve Belinda.
TRCP Promotes Responsible Energy Development
|  In order to ensure that energy development is balanced with the interests of sportsmen and needs of fish and wildlife, federal agencies must to do proper analysis and conservation planning before offering parcels of land for energy development. The TRCP is committed to building relationships and working cooperatively with the public and state and federal agencies to ensure that wildlife resources are considered before energy leases are sold. Learn how the TRCP is working to redefine the federal leasing process. |
Learn more about the TRCP’s activities in Wyoming’s Atlantic Rim.
A comprehensive poll of hunters and anglers conducted in 2007 by the TRCP found strong support for responsible energy development on Western public lands, done in a way that protects and conserves natural resources for today and future generations. Learn more about the TRCP’s poll and results. | High-quality fisheries in the Rocky Mountain West facing energy development could see serious declines in fish habitat complexity and population health. In an effort to bring together the most recent and historically relevant scientific literature to serve as a foundation on which to base management decisions, guidelines and recommendations to ensure fisheries sustainability in the face of development, the TRCP has compiled an annotated bibliography, Potential Impacts of Energy Development on Fisheries in the Rocky Mountain West. | |
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