Hunters and Anglers Commend Interior Secretary Salazar For Sorely Needed, Common-Sense Oil and Gas Reforms

Sportsmen coalition says restoring balance to energy development will help ensure that what happened in the Gulf doesn’t occur onshore and jeopardize irreplaceable wildlife habitats

May 17, 2010 (DENVER) – A coalition of hunters and anglers today praised Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for recommending common-sense reforms that will restore balance to the way America’s public lands are managed and no longer allow oil and gas companies to drill wherever and however they want.

Sportsmen Protest Oil and Gas Leases in Colorado’s North Park

Coalition urges BLM to update its management plan before considering drilling that could jeopardize the area’s moose, elk, mule deer, sage grouse and trout

April 28, 2010 (DENVER) – To conserve water quality and wildlife habitat in Colorado’s North Park, a sportsmen coalition today protested the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed oil and gas lease sale in the popular recreation area near the Colorado-Wyoming border.

The BLM’s Colorado State Office plans to put the 14 North Park parcels – totaling nearly 11,400 acres – on the auction block May 13, 2010. The proposed lease area is about 15 miles northwest of Walden, Colo., in a part of North Park considered one of the most biologically rich areas of the state.

Renewable Energy on Public Lands Report

10 ways to be smart from the start

In the West, common sense is as abundant as the wind and sun – and sportsmen suggest using all three as our country rapidly develops its renewable energy sources.

Hunters and anglers realize how important energy is, and we support renewable energy development on Western public lands. We want it done thoughtfully, however, to conserve fish and wildlife habitat and water quality. And, given our passion for the land, sportsmen want a voice in shaping renewable energy strategy.

In the rush to tap new energy sources, it’s important to do it the right way and in the right places. That way, we won’t repeat the mistakes of poorly planned oil and gas development that continues to threaten some of the West’s cherished public lands, including special places where families have hunted and fished for generations.

Download the PDF of the report here.

Western Sportsmen Applaud Common-Sense Leasing Reforms

Hunters and anglers say Secretary Salazar’s announcement could lead to balance and fairness in public lands management

January 6, 2010 (Denver) – Sportsmen across the West today applauded Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s announcement that he intends to restore balance and common sense to energy development on America’s public lands.

In November, Salazar said his agency would conduct a comprehensive review of the country’s onshore energy programs to “find out how we can make them more efficient and more rational.” The initiatives he introduced today were welcomed by hunters and anglers concerned that oil and gas drilling are threatening important fish and wildlife habitats on Western public lands.