NW CO land status map: oil/gas leases, roadless, etc.

[Elkduds]

Found this online :

http://rockymountainwild.org/_site/wp-c ... slease.pdf

[ElkNut1]

Mark, that looks pretty darned helpful, how does one view the rest of the State to find that info?

ElkNut1

[Elkduds]

I stumbled on this map, I'll do a more focused search when time permits.

[teeton]

Hi Elkdud, I don't understand the point of the map with the leases on them.. I know in Pa there is lots of gas leases, but there all mostly on private land.. I also know that some pieces of blm land in Colorado was sold out right to the gas and oil Co's and some are open to hunting. Teeton

[Elkduds]

Howdy and welcome to the forum, Teeton. Maps are essential tools for elk hunting. Why post this one?
1. This map shows roadless areas in addition to designated wilderness areas. Elk cherish roadless areas.
2. Most federal and state lands are eligible for leasing for drilling or mining. Most hunting in CO is on public lands.
3. Drilling, mining and associated activities impact game and hunting on the lease and nearby.
4. If your hunting spot is leased to drillers, someday it will be "developed," w roads, pipelines, ponds, platforms, compressor stations, rigs.
5. The price was right. Plus, I feel left out when everone else posts maps.

FYI, there are places in CO where motorized industrial use by drillers/miners is allowed by the USFS inside wilderness area boundaries. Imagine your surprise when you pack into the West Elk wilderness above Somerset and find a road, heavy equipment and drilling rigs.

I emailed the group that published this map, asked if they have similar ones for the rest of the state. I'll post more when I find them.

[easeup]

Howdy and welcome to the forum, Teeton. Maps are essential tools for elk hunting. Why post this one?
1. This map shows roadless areas in addition to designated wilderness areas. Elk cherish roadless areas.
2. Most federal and state lands are eligible for leasing for drilling or mining. Most hunting in CO is on public lands.
3. Drilling, mining and associated activities impact game and hunting on the lease and nearby.
4. If your hunting spot is leased to drillers, someday it will be "developed," w roads, pipelines, ponds, platforms, compressor stations, rigs.
5. The price was right. Plus, I feel left out when everone else posts maps.

FYI, there are places in CO where motorized industrial use by drillers/miners is allowed by the USFS inside wilderness area boundaries. Imagine your surprise when you pack into the West Elk wilderness above Somerset and find a road, heavy equipment and drilling rigs.

I emailed the group that published this map, asked if they have similar ones for the rest of the state. I'll post more when I find them.

just so I know.....where would be an example of gas activity inside a wilderness area?

[Elkduds]

Here are links to one example, the West Elk Coal Mine and Sunset Roadless area @ Somerset, CO:

http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2011 ... dless-area

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ ... -exception

http://www.wildearthguardians.org/site/ ... U5Gezn_EYs

To be clear, this drilling is part of coal mining operations. It is methane gas drilling. The Sunset Roadless area is not included in the West Elk Wilderness, it is a roadless area on the boundary of the WEW. Because of the name of the mine, I mistook the ruling for authorizing "surface occupancy" inside the WEW. I was mistaken, sorry to mislead. The Sunset Roadless is elk heaven, and the plan is to expand coal mining there, as 3rd article above discusses.

[Elkduds]

Here is a website that measures and records impacts on wildlife in CO big gas plays: the Roan Plateau, Little Snake, Piceance, etc. Maps galore.


http://rockymountainwild.org/gis/map-archive/coloradonw