Collaborative effort underway to provide wildlife winter range

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.—The Bureau of Land Management Grand Junction Field Office and the Colorado Division of Wildlife are working closely with Laramie Energy and Laramie Land & Cattle on a one-year pilot project to assess alternative habitat for wildlife this winter. Development of Alternative Mitigation has resulted in an agreement signed by all parties that will be a win-win situation benefiting wildlife and key riparian habitat.

“The agreement enables BLM to assist in providing low-elevation big game winter range that is higher quality than that found on the adjacent public lands administered by the BLM,” said Catherine Robertson, BLM Grand Junction Field Manager. “We’re looking at this on a case-by-case basis—not every situation will be the same.”

As provided in the agreement, Laramie Energy will concentrate drilling activities in the northern portion of the East Plateau field located east of Collbran, keeping livestock off of approximately 660 private acres of pasture through spring 2007. Forage left will be for deer and elk winter use only. In addition, approximately one mile of fence will be constructed to preserve riparian habitat, benefiting aquatic life, waterfowl, and non-game migratory birds. The agreement allows BLM to grant a season-long, one-year exception to the standard winter timing limitation that would otherwise restrict drilling and completion activities on big game winter range. The project provides DOW with an opportunity for significant input and involvement in the process of evaluating winter range exception requests.

"Working with industry gives us the chance to investigate innovative habitat protections and enhancements," said Dean Riggs, DOW Area Wildlife Manager. "This limited pilot project will allow us to analyze offsite mitigation efforts, best management practices
and winter timing exceptions."

The DOW concurred with the BLM’s Environmental Assessment, which found that, in this specific instance, allowing drilling operations to remain onsite through the winter while creating alternative habitat, could be less detrimental to wildlife than the otherwise likely drilling activity on private land. New drilling technology allows multiple wells to be drilled from a single pad, which can minimize surface disturbance through reduced road and well pad construction.

“The agreement with the BLM and the DOW allows for a much more efficient operation which shall result in less impact to wildlife and a minimization of surface disturbance,” said Jim Schroeder, president of Laramie Energy.

The project will result in both short-term, direct mitigation to winter forage and longer-term habitat protection for many species, including non-game wildlife, through riparian restoration. Laramie Land & Cattle will also be developing a Ranch Management Plan with the DOW and Natural Resources Conservation Service that will identify other habitat enhancement projects that can be done on their ranch to provide other wildlife benefits.

The process developed for this pilot effort will be documented and evaluated for potential use as a model for other areas.

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