Western Wildlife Federations Form Coalition To Advocate for
Habitat Protection, Call for Responsible Energy Development

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sept. 19, 2005

CONTACT:
Colorado Wildlife Federation, Dennis Buechler, (303)506-4588
New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Oscar Simpson (505)345-0117
Wyoming Wildlife Federation, Dave Gowdey, (800)786-5434
Montana Wildlife Federation, Craig Sharpe, (406)458-0227

Dear Email Sentry:

The wildlife federations of Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico, concerned by energy development's impact on the West's wildlife, have formed a coalition to urge federal and state agencies to take specific steps to ensure that energy exploration and development is done responsibly to protect Western wildlife species and landscapes.

"The tens of thousands of wells and accompanying roads and pipelines over the next decade will have more impact on our public lands, water and wildlife habitat than anything we’ve seen before," said Dennis Buechler, Issues Committee chairman for the Colorado Wildlife Federation. "It will require a strong, coordinated effort by all conservationists, including hunters and anglers, if we hope to prevent major, permanent damage to fish, game and other populations of our native species."

The passage of the 2005 Energy Act last month provided new incentives for energy companies and will spur energy development throughout the West where much of the drilling for oil and gas is expected to occur, leaders
of the groups said.

"Our state wildlife federations are coming together as a coalition for the first time in our history on energy development because of our mutual concern for the regional impacts that will occur to our wildlife resources," said Dave Gowdey, Executive Director of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation. "We recognize that energy production needs to occur, but it needs to be in a responsible, sustainable manner. None of our members want that production to come at the expense of losing our wildlife and hunting and fishing traditions that define our Western landscapes."

The four states are the heart of the Rocky Mountain West's high country and contain the highest mountain ranges, largest wildlife herds and most of the landscape energy companies have proposed for oil and gas drilling. Together, these wildlife federations represent thousands of hunters, anglers and other wildlife advocates making them the largest collective conservation voice in the Rocky Mountain West.

Hunting and fishing together bring more than $4 billion to region's economy and wildlife photography and observations bring billions more according the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. And wildlife recreation is a sustainable economic resource with the potential to increase in importance if Westerners come together to protect the wildlife resource. "We are coming together to reclaim the middle ground from special interests," said Oscar Simpson, president of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. "We have to step forward and promote what's best for the people as a whole because our public lands are increasingly being used by Washington, D.C. politicians for sweetheart deals to reward special interests. We simply have to come together as a united front across the West, because if we don't the average hunter and all Western residents will be left in the cold," Simpson emphasized.

In Montana last year, the collective action of sportsmen, ranchers and citizens'’ groups convinced ederal officials to pull back on proposals to begin energy exploration along the Rocky Mountain Front where the Great Plains meet the high Rockies.

"If the current shift in public land management practices is not countered by a collective citizens' effort on the part of our organizations, the more sustainable agriculture and recreation-based economies of the new West could be impacted, in some cases for generations," said Craig Sharpe of the Montana Wildlife Federation.

"All of us recognize the need for energy production, but there are some publicly owned stretches of critical habitat, like Montana's Rocky Mountain Front, that hunters and anglers aren't willing to sacrifice for short-term energy gains and corporate profits," Sharpe emphasized. "What we do ask is that federal and state officials put in place regulations to protect our land, air water and wildlife and to enforce those regulations to ensure our Western traditions and economies are not sacrificed."

The four groups called for:

• Requiring all operators to use "best available technology" and implement "best management practices" to protect water and air quality, minimize the impacts of exploration and drilling operations on wildlife and wildlife habitats, minimize impacts to riparian areas and fisheries, control noxious weeds and ensure full reclamation with native vegetation.
• Increasing staffing of federal and state regulatory agencies and requiring them to collect baseline data, conduct comprehensive research on the impacts of exploration and drilling on wildlife and wildlife habitat, enforce leasing stipulations and take substantial action including fines and lease revocation in particularly egregious cases for non-compliance and conduct timely, thorough monitoring and frequent inspections as energy development proceeds.
• Phased development plans that allow federal and state agencies, local government, energy companies and landowners to work together to reduce impacts on natural resources.
• Controlling the expansion and location of new energy development, prohibiting drilling in critical wildlife habitat and riparian areas, limiting vehicular traffic to the absolute minimum necessary, reclaiming roads and restoring land damaged by energy development as soon as work ends.
• Stipulations in leases that minimize the amount of land physically disturbed by exploration and drilling operations, minimize the disruption to wildlife movement and use, restrict the number and location of wells that may be drilled to maximize open space, minimize road building and pipeline construction and prohibit drilling in sensitive riparian areas, on steep slopes and in critical wildlife habitat.
• Recognition that there are some special places where oil and gas drilling should not occur. Some special places such as Montana's Rocky Mountain Front, parts of Wyoming's Great Divide and Upper Green River Valley, Colorado's Roan Plateau and HD Mountains and New Mexico's Valle Vidal and Otero Mesa need to be protected because of their unique economic, biological, geographic and social values.

This message is brought to you by the Montana Wildlife Federation ... Montana's largest, statewide wildlife conservation organization with over 7,000 members.