Watching Government: Necessary conversations

June 23, 2014
"We have the world's best trout fishing 90 min from downtown Denver," the Park County, Colo., official said between sips of coffee in the Longworth House Office Building cafeteria on June 3. "It brings a lot of visitors in each summer. We don't want to lose that."

"We have the world's best trout fishing 90 min from downtown Denver," the Park County, Colo., official said between sips of coffee in the Longworth House Office Building cafeteria on June 3. "It brings a lot of visitors in each summer. We don't want to lose that."

Tom Eisenman, the county's chief administrative officer, came to Washington with four other Coloradans to meet with members of Congress and federal regulators. They support master leasing plans if the oil and gas industry shows interest in developing resources near their communities.

Park County doesn't have that many permanent residents—an estimated population of 16,206 in 2010, according to the county's web site, with 670 in Fairplay, its largest incorporated town. Within its 2,200 sq miles, elevations above sea level range from 7,700 ft at Bailey to 9,957 ft at Fairplay.

The US Bureau of Land Management is preparing master leasing plans to resolve possible conflicts between oil and gas development on land with important wildlife, back country, water, and outdoor recreation values, according to the National Wildlife Federation, which hosted the delegation.

It said BLM is preparing three such plans in Colorado so far, and starting work on a fourth. The South Park plan, which the agency initially rejected, is expected to be part of BLM's Royal Gorge field office resource management plan revision, NWF said.

BLM announced on May 4 that it plans to review the way its RMPs are prepared to encourage more public participation. "We've just started to talk to BLM," Eisenman told OGJ. "Our communities are engaged. We plan to bring the industry in next to get its perspective."

Starting a dialogue

"These preliminary dialogues matter," added Suzanne O'Neill, the Colorado Wildlife Federation's executive director who also was part of the delegation. "Master leasing plans per se are watershed planning and protection. This is an opportunity to start a dialogue. That's important because of Colorado's mosaic of land ownership. Everyone's needs should be balanced."

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) reportedly has made greater community involvement in resource planning a major priority in his administration. "Everyone is respecting the process," Eisenman told OGJ. "BLM's policy shift to look more closely at local leasing plans really shows it respects local communities."

Barbara Vasquez is vice-chairwoman of the North Platte Basin Roundtable, heads a North Park committee working on wetlands with Colorado's Division of Wildlife, and serves on councils formed by the BLM and US National Forest field offices near where she lives.

"People try to find common ground," she explained. "Their vested interests become clear when it's time to reach a decision. But they solve other problems along the way."