The U.S. Bureau of Land Management proposed changes to resource management plans for oil and natural gas development to promote conservation of wildlife corridors and big game habitat on public lands in Colorado.

The BLM coordinated with the state of Colorado, tribes, local governments and citizens to create and evaluate alternative management approaches for oil and gas development to minimize effects on high priority habitat for big game species.

“The BLM is at the forefront of big game habitat conservation efforts for public lands in Colorado, taking this transformational step to align management with the state of Colorado, which has some of the strongest protections for wildlife in the U.S.,” said Doug Vilsack, state director of the BLM in Colorado.

Migratory patterns require minimal disturbance to migration corridors to allow big game species to access sparsely available wintering habitats. With consideration of multiple uses of public land and consistent with existing rights, the plan would also require oil and gas operators to develop and implement mitigation plans to minimize and offset direct, indirect and cumulative effects.

Under the preferred alternative, where lands remain open to oil and gas leasing under existing resource management plans, the BLM would prescribe measures consistent with state regulations to conserve seasonal habitats and connectivity within big game high priority habitat in support of Colorado Parks and Wildlife big game population objectives.

Authorizations for new oil and gas facility locations within high priority big game habitats would be avoided when density exceeds one active oil and gas location per square mile or contributes to an increased density beyond one active oil and gas location per square mile.

The plan, associated documents and instructions for filing a protest are available at the BLM national NEPA register.