Contact: Angela Benander (202) 495-3048 or angela.benander@sierraclub.org
Last week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it was pulling 20 parcels from Colorado’s upcoming quarterly lease sale on March 28th. Out of the original 14,000 acres planned for sale, just six parcels, totalling 1,092 acres, will be offered for sale.
This is a hard-fought victory for Coloradans who have mobilized their communities and pressured elected leaders to oppose the Trump administration’s reckless plans for dirty fuel extraction on public lands.
According to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel:
“…The town of Palisade and Palisade Chamber of Commerce were among those who had opposed the inclusion of the Cameo lands in the sale, citing concerns including possible impacts to recreation and tourism and risks to nearby communities.
“The Mesa-area acreage would have bisected Colorado Highway 65, a designated scenic byway. The acreage is surrounded by leased but non-producing acreage. Several people wrote to the BLM to raise concerns about possible traffic, wildlife, water and other impacts from leasing the acreage.”
In addition to pulling these parcels, BLM did not include its previously proposed parcels near Great Sand Dunes National Park and the Huerfano River Valley community. These lands were deferred by BLM in July after immense public pressure from individuals, organizations including Sierra Club and elected officials. BLM also neglected to consult properly with the Navajo Nation regarding the proposed land parcels. Last fall, BLM pulled one million acres of public lands up for lease in Colorado, Utah, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming after public pressure to preserve greater sage-grouse habitat. The deferral of those parcels was a clear win and has galvanized support for fighting back on oil and gas lease sales across the state.
The Trump Administration’s dirty fuels agenda has come up against a harsh reality in Colorado. In December, only 12% of the acres offered were sold, bringing in a whopping $7,864 to the federal treasury. And we’re seeing a similar trends in other western states as well. In September 2018, Nevada sold zero of their offered 295,000+ acres, only sold 12% of their offered parcels in December all at the minimum bid of $2 per acre and postponed their March 2019 sale.
These deferments and denials are a great victory, but the fight isn’t over. Sierra Club will continue our fight, in Colorado and across the West, until lease sales are permanently halted. We will work with local communities every step of the way in making sure corporate polluters don’t get their hands on America’s natural treasures.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.