Over the next two years, 8.3 million acres of BLM-managed lands and 4 million acres of Colorado’s national forests will be subject to federal conservation planning processes, determining whether they will be conserved or open for development. Currently, the oil and gas industry maintains hundreds of thousands of acres of Colorado’s public lands under lease across the state. The climate resiliency and biodiversity of Colorado’s public lands are sharply impacted by the impacts of oil and gas development. Outdoor recreation activities, including hunting, angling, and others, are also greatly affected by the land use decisions.
Colorado Conservation Education Fund (CCEF) will engage in all of these efforts, with a particular focus on the BLM’s Uncompahgre Field Office (UFO) Resource Management Plan Amendment. This will cover 900,000 acres in Colorado’s southwest district, including the Gunnison, San Miguel, Dolores, and Uncompahgre rivers. BLM will reconsider the eligibility of lands open for oil and gas leasing, the designation and management of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, and the management of lands with wilderness characteristics. CCEF seeks to ensure that federal land managers are developing and implementing plans that adhere to the best available science with regard to climate resiliency, wildlife management, and recreation. Final plans for the management plan amendment are expected in Fall 2024.
