Agency draft plan for Western Colorado focuses on climate, nature loss

Today the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a draft plan for public lands in western Colorado that has significant potential to reduce climate emissions and increase protections for sensitive wildlife habitat, cultural sites, and wildlands. The BLM's supplemental environmental review for the Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction Field Offices is the result of litigation filed by The Wilderness Society and our partner organizations in Colorado.

"This is a refreshing change of pace from the agency," said Jim Ramey, Colorado State Director for The Wilderness Society. "We're encouraged that the Bureau put forward a proposal that has the potential to balance conservation as a valuable multiple use on our public lands. For far too long, extractive industries have had outsized access to these lands, and this plan is a tremendous opportunity to utilize all of the conservation tools available to the Bureau of Land Management to protect intact landscapes and reduce damaging climate emissions."  

The supplemental environmental review from the BLM considers closing additional acreage to oil and gas leasing availability, which would lower greenhouse gas emissions at a time when we're experiencing the dire impacts of a warming climate, like more severe drought, more intense and excessive heat, and severe storms. The draft plan also considers expanding areas for their critical environmental concern, protecting old growth pinyon and juniper forests, and expanding an area managed as a Wilderness Study Area to protect the wilderness character of those lands. 

The BLM is expected to publish formal notice of a 90-day public comment period this Friday, with public comments due to the agency by November 1, 2023. More details about the planning process and instructions on how to submit comments are available on the ePlanning website. 

Contact: Kate Mackay, Communications Director – Landscape Connectivity, 602-571-2603