Energy

Challenge:

Photo credit: Cameron Davidson

Increases in oil and gas development on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service — and attendant losses in hunting and fishing opportunity — have concerned many of us who hunt, fish and appreciate the outdoors. In recent years, companies have moved aggressively to tap oil and gas reserves in states such as Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. From 1996 to 2007, nearly 26 million acres of the West were leased for energy development — an area comparable in size to the state of Virginia. 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 show that oil and gas extraction can dramatically affect fish and game populations if their needs aren't studied and met before, during and after the development process. (Read more about potential impacts of energy development on fisheries in the Rocky Mountain West.)

Strategy:

From the legendary mule deer country of Wyoming's Atlantic Rim to the blue-ribbon trout fishery on Montana's Beaverhead River, the TRCP is working to conserve your hunting and fishing traditions by ensuring that energy development is balanced with the needs of fish and wildlife.

The 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 — the FACTS — when making decisions on whether and how to allow energy development on lands that belong to all Americans.

To request copies of TRCP's FACTS brochure to distribute at a sportsmen's meeting or conference, please contact Energy Initiative Manager Steve Belinda.

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 poll and results.

Action:

Join Hunters and Anglers for Responsible Development.

Learn more about the TRCP's action on the Pinedale Anticline.

Learn more about the TRCP's action on the Atlantic Rim.

Learn more about our Sportsmen Values Mapping project.

For more information, contact:

Steve Belinda — Policy Initiative Manager
Bill Geer — Montana
Dwayne Meadows — Wyoming, northern Colorado
Ross Tuckwiller — New Mexico, southern Colorado
Joel Webster — Utah
Katie McKalip — Associate Director of Communications