Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development

[Oak]

Sportsmen keep eyes on energy companies

By DAVE BUCHANAN
The Daily Sentinel
Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Saying it shouldn’t take an act of Congress to protect valuable wildlife resources across the West from development, a coalition of sportsmen and conservation groups Wednesday announced the formation of Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development.

Key to a campaign aimed at bringing balance between the demands of energy development and the preservation of wildlands and wildlife habitat is the Sportsmen’s Bill of Rights, a 10-point declaration that outlines the rights hunters and anglers can expect when pursuing their activities on public lands.

“Energy development is becoming more and more of a hot-button issue” across the West, said Shoren Brown, campaign manager for the new sportsmen’s advocacy group. “There’s a rising chorus of voices and a strong desire to see change in how energy development is being done.”

Heading the campaign are the conservation groups Trout Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

Chris Wood, chief operating officer for Trout Unlimited, said the “Forest Service and (Bureau of Land Management’s) usual order (of energy development) is lease first, ask about water and wildlife next.

“But it shouldn’t take an act of Congress to ... ensure a place like the Roan Plateau is protected from energy development,” Wood said.
Outfitter Gary Amerine, owner of Greys River Trophies of Daniel, Wyo., said energy development in the Bridger-Teton National Forest has reduced the mule deer herd by half in some areas.

Well-known television and radio personality Tony Dean of “Tony Dean’s Outdoors” said a recent flyover of Wyoming left him “shocked and appalled” at the amount of development impacting public lands.

Wood said the campaign “has become a position of last resort for us.”
Saying Trout Unlimited values long-standing partnerships with federal land-management agencies, he said he felt as though sportsmen weren’t being listened to when it comes to energy decisions.

Relying solely on legislation to slow development “demonstrates that something is fundamentally broken within the system,” Wood said. “It shouldn’t take a new piece of legislation to responsibly manage a landscape.”

More information about Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development is available at www.sportsmen4responsibleenergy.org.
•
E-mail Dave Buchanan at [email protected].

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/04/16/041708_responsible_energy.html

Last modified: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 9:27 AM MDT
New group seeks to define balance



Seems like everywhere I go, people are dropping the big B-word.

Balance, balance, balance - I hear it all the time.

We need balance...

There's got to be balance...

Balancing habitat and wildlife with energy is ...

We're not against drilling, we just want balance...

It's all got to be balanced...

It's all the craze here in Wyoming. If you can say you want balance between energy development and wildlife, well you must be environmentally conscious, which if you haven't noticed is tooootally in style.

Even companies like Ultra Petroleum, Questar and Shell are saying it. They, of course, hire deep-voiced narrators to say it for them in low, soothing tones, but it's all the same: ultra trendy.

I, too, am totally, environmentally "in vogue" as I have found ways to work it into both academic and casual conversation.

Balance, balance, balance, balance, balance.

Sigh.

It's hard being this cool.

It's too bad none of us really knows what it means.

We all talk a big game, but none of us really know what balance looks like in practice.

Maybe it's time we figure that out...

This week, a group of conservation heavy hitters will unveil a group that might be able to answer that question.

The group, Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development, is the brainchild of the same people who created Sportsmen for the Wyoming Range and includes pre-existing groups such as Trout Unlimited, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and the National Wildlife Federation.

It is a diverse bunch of entities, coming together to form one cohesive voice in the negotiation between energy needs and the protection of habitat and wildlife. Rather than go to Congress every time they want to preserve a small chunk of land, they decided to attack the problem at its core.

In short, they are trying to define balance.

From the looks of it, we're going to need it.

An analysis by The Wilderness Society estimated 126,000 new oil and gas wells across the west over the next 20 years. That's double the current total.

Wyoming leads that pack with 58,209, which in my mind is astounding. We whine and moan about the current pace of development, but unless the system is fixed, we can't even begin to fathom the impacts we might endure as a state.

Shoren Brown, campaign manager for Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development, says sportsmen are going to have to create the roadmap.

"It's going to be up to the sportsmen to figure out a balanced approach and what that means and then advocate for it," he says.

The group will hold a symposium in Grand Teton National Park in May to gather the "best and brightest" minds in one place to let them duke out the issue. The hope is to come up with some sort of solution that will appease all sides - at least a little.

Brown says sportsmen are in a unique position to change policy.

And he's right.

Sportsmen carry two things that politicians value: votes and money.

A report by the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation estimated there were nearly 40 million sportsmen of voting age. Within that group, nearly 8 in 10 hunters have voted in every presidential election and 6 in 10 hunters have voted in non-presidential elections.

But it's not just votes. They control dollars, too.

The report found that hunters and anglers contribute about $76 billion to the economy, supporting about 1.6 million jobs.

With that kind of power, it's a wonder something like this hasn't come about sooner.

It's time for the cool kids to stop calling for balance and to try to decide what that actually means.

Shauna Stephenson is the outdoors editor at the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. You can reach her at 702 W. Lincolnway, Cheyenne, WY 82001, by phone at (307) 633-3186 or at [email protected]

http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2008/04/16/outdoors/2_out_04-16-08.txt

 

[1_pointer]

Chris Wood, chief operating officer for Trout Unlimited, said the “Forest Service and (Bureau of Land Management’s) usual order (of energy development) is lease first, ask about water and wildlife next.

I find this comment a bit interesting. I have yet to see leasing of minerals affect wildlife...

 

[ELKCHSR]

Balance is a great word...

In one sentence, people want to "balance" their immediate environment, while in the next sentence; they couldn't give a rats about the next environment over...

Even if that environment is half a world away...

If these groups are going to be honest about what they stand for, they need to be honest about their own consumption, where it comes from, and if there is actually more "damage" to the environment than what is visual damage, not tangible damage

Simple example would be, two trees lying on the ground next to each other

One is snapped off at the ground due to wind damage

Second is cut off at the stump

Normal reaction from most...

Those damned loggers...

The end result is still the same, two downed trees, only one has visible saw cuts instead of naturally broken off and that just hurts some peoples feelings

I suppose there is damage to the environment to a point with all the drilling, but on the same token, the damage is here, not conveniently swept under the rug on a different local on the planet

Maybe if people see more of the "damage" created by the very products so craved, there may be a little more conservative usage

Otherwise, it's just what the markets will dictate happens in our back yards

I've been a strong proponent over the years, that if you don't like the extraction industries but still can't keep yourself from using them....

Tough...

If you’re going to be honest about what you’re beating the drum about and quit utilizing these resources, then you have a leg to stand on, other wise it's just another whiny special interest group trying to hide from the truth...

JMHO...

 

[Oak]

I find this comment a bit interesting. I have yet to see leasing of minerals affect wildlife...

As you know, leases are developed within the rules and stipulations in place at the time of leasing. It does no good to consider potential impacts after leasing. I do know what your point was, though. Semantics...

 

[mtmiller]

I find this comment a bit interesting. I have yet to see leasing of minerals affect wildlife...

NSO maybe?

 

[mtmiller]

Well-known television and radio personality Tony Dean of “Tony Dean’s Outdoors” said a recent flyover of Wyoming left him “shocked and appalled” at the amount of development impacting public lands.

Yeh, Tony appears to be pretty naive on the subject. I was surprised to see him as one of the panelists for the symposium next month.

I would love to go to the symposium, but between bear season and a sibling getting married the timing is poor. Maybe they should touch base with me next time for scheduling.

 

[1_pointer]

I do know what your point was, though. Semantics...

Yeppers...

NSO maybe?

I love to listen/read to different folks interpretaton of NSO. Seems like a stip that is not created equally, everywhere...

 

[mtmiller]

Seems like a stip that is not created equally, everywhere...

Absolutely correct. As you already know and Oak also mentioned, stipulations are applied at the leasing stage. I have some very old leases that have no or limited mitigation for some critters, in particular greater sage-grouse. Speaking of inconsistancies, let's compare Waivers, Exceptions and Modifications.

In the past, there was a No Surface Occupancy (NSO) for 500' around a sage-grouse lek. I have gotten greater protecting since the grouse status was escalated to a BLM sensitive species and I am now utilizing a 1/4 mile NSO and a Timing Limit for drilling in nesting habitat (two mile buffer of active leks).

We are now drafting a new Resource Management Plan for my area. The current one is 20 years old and is a POS in my opinion. We were sued a couple years ago on the document since the Reasonable and Foreseeable Development only appeared in the FINAL and lacked public comment. With no Lease Parcel Reviews passing my desk it has allowed me to not spend all of my time in the Oil & Gas arena. Should pick up a bit after the Record of Decision in signed.

I am glad that Montana FWP is an active participant on our planning process. Just for some humor Tyler, their alternative for greater sage-grouse mitigation is a 3k (1.8 mile) NSO buffer for leks. This is based on some recent research from Moynahan not far from my area. We shall see how science and real-world compete for a preferred.

 

[Oak]

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is in the process of re-writing state rules concerning oil and gas development in response to a house bill that passed last year requiring the COGCC to regulate energy operations "...in a manner that balances development with wildlife conservation in recognition of the state's obligation to protect wildlife resources...." A second bill requires the COGCC to draft rules "...in consultation with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to protect the health, safety and welfare of the general public in the conduct of oil and gas operations...."

The draft rules were released about 3 weeks ago and are found at the following link. The wildlife portion begins on page 154. Note that this section is entirely new. There is some good meat there, but unfortunately, it is largely cut from the bone in rule 1208.d and in the first 11 words of rule 1209.b.

http://oil-gas.state.co.us/RuleMaking/RulesLegislation/COGCC-Draft Rules-033108.pdf

 

[mtmiller]

There is some good meat there, but unfortunately, it is largely cut from the bone in rule 1208.d and in the first 11 words of rule 1209.b.

Nice loop-hole.

The wildlife stips are much more relaxed than the BLM ones I use. TL's only during the drilling phase won't protect some of the critters in my area.

 

[Oak]

There were some concessions made for the industry during the development of the draft rules. Originally, there were timing stips on sage-grouse winter habitat, and may of the stips that are still in place were for longer periods. The industry argued that the stipulations were much too strict and would drive them to other states that were more friendly to development. Indeed, with the original language, some areas in the Piceance Basin would have only been open for one month of the year with all of the relevent stips in place. The question is, does that mean the stips are too strict and need to be relaxed, or is the habitat in question so exceptional that it should be protected?

With the three month limit on stips, they had to chop some down to a point that they make little sense. How do you decide which three months to protect a Golden Eagle nest during their 6+ month nesting season? How does restricting development for two months out of the year in prairie dog colonies with black-footed ferrets protect ferrets?

 

[1_pointer]

You two are really making me think that if they hole they are drilling this spring came up dry it wouldn't be that bad of a thing... You're starting to make my head hurt, I'm just gonna go count some grass...

 

[MarvB]

I'm just gonna go count some grass...

Nothing say happiness like throwing the hoop and counting the weeds

We used to call it the Range Warrior's mind douche!

 

[noharleyyet]

You two are really making me think that if they hole they are drilling this spring came up dry it wouldn't be that bad of a thing... You're starting to make my head hurt, I'm just gonna go count some grass...

1-p, that'll break up the 'ol watercooler tech talk.

 

[1_pointer]

We used to call it the Range Warrior's mind douche!

I may have to get that put on a t-shirt!

 

[MarvB]

But you've got to decide if you're going to run a transect or go with the random-toss over the back method

 

[mtmiller]

random-toss over the back method

My favorite way....woops, maybe you were talking about range monitoring techniques.

 

[Oak]

As much as I enjoy conversations about tossing all over the back.....back on topic.

Looks like they are reconsidering the loophole...

Wildlife panel wrestles with energy drilling

By DAVE BUCHANAN
The Daily Sentinel
Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Limiting energy company access to sensitive wildlife areas and fine-tuning requirements for after-drilling cleanup led discussion Wednesday as the Colorado Wildlife Commission hammered out a resolution to send to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

The final resolution will be adopted today at the wildlife commission meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn, 755 Horizon Drive.

House Bill 1298 requires the oil and gas commission to balance energy development with wildlife conservation and to consult with the wildlife commission on ways to minimize the affect of development on wildlife.

The oil and gas commission already has a set of draft regulations on the table, and the wildlife commission Wednesday tackled what it saw as shortcomings in the oil and gas commission draft.

Chief among those concerns are timing restrictions, surface-occupancy limitations and reclamation.

The wildlife commission wants reclamation, particularly the reseeding of disturbed land including well pads and pipelines, done quickly, using a proper seed mix of wildlife-favorable forbs, shrubs and grasses.

“Reclamation and restoration are critically important,” said wildlife commission member Dennis Buechler, a former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist. “Reclamation has to be done as soon as possible, and industry’s record on reclamation is not good.”

The stand of the oil and gas commission draft on reclamation has “a lot of stuff missing,” said Tom Burke, wildlife commission chairman.

Several commissioners advised looking at the state’s coal mine reclamation regulations, which have done “great things for wildlife” in northwest Colorado, Commissioner Roy McAnally of Craig said.

“Under the current regulations, (the energy industry) is not required to do things for wildlife,” said Mike King, assistant director of the state Department of Natural Resources.

The timing stipulations, which would limit when and how long an energy company can operate in sensitive areas, centered on impacts to greater sage grouse and mule deer.

Affects on mule deer include displacement and habitat fragmentation and loss. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing the status of greater sage grouse to determine whether the bird is eligible for Endangered Species Act protection.

“Sage grouse already are a significant issue with or without energy development,” said Rick Kahn, acting Division of Wildlife state terrestrial section manager.

Timing restrictions are “one area the energy companies pushed back real hard,” DOW Director Tom Remington said. “These directly affect their profitability. Bureau of Land Management (timing stipulations) are routinely waived. We want to find a way to keep some. They are our leverage to get industry to come to the table to discuss other impacts.”

Some of the DOW recommendations, including timing and areas of limited or no surface occupancy, are less restrictive than the BLM seeks, something Remington said was part of the compromises between the DOW and energy companies.

But that didn’t sit well with some commissioners.

“To have less time than the federal government would be unacceptable and not do ourselves or wildlife a favor,” Commissioner Tim Glenn of Salida said.

The commission also is concerned about “sacrificing one species over another” when differences in timing restrictions occur.

“Currently there’s nothing in statute” about timing restrictions, King said. “The regulation only calls for balance.”

HB 1298 requires the oil and gas commission have its regulations in place by July 16.

 

[1_pointer]

But you've got to decide if you're going to run a transect or go with the random-toss over the back method

I always run the transect and let miller have the back tossing! Actually, I only use a hoop anymore if clipping & weighing's involved...

are less restrictive than the BLM seeks

If this is the case what good are they? Unless they aren't waived?

PS- Had a 3000mi 3D siesmic project turn into a 2D project with the hopes of going from an EA to a CX. So far that's not working out for them...

 

[Oak]

If this is the case what good are they? Unless they aren't waived?

State regs vs. federal. Right now a relatively small amount of drilling is occurring on federal land. The state regs will be in effect statewide, private or public. Right now, regs on private property do not cover wildlife at all (see the newly added section at the link in post #9).