For Immediate Release: June 15, 2007
Contact: Mel Lloyd BLM 970-244-3097
 

BLM Uncompahgre and local counties collaborate to offer new online tool

MONTROSE, Colo.—The Bureau of Land Management Uncompahgre Field Office; Delta, Montrose, Ouray, and San Miguel Counties; along with the SouthWest Data Center, Inc., have collaborated to bring a new online tool to the public.  When you access http://www.southwestdata.org/projects/dip/interagency.htm and select your county of interest, you’ll be taking advantage of a vast amount of information from several different governmental agencies right at your fingertips.  By simply expanding a topic listed in the legend and then checking a data box, one can learn about everything from federal mineral ownership to county zoning to public schools.   

“BLM has been working with the counties for months to find a way to get information—in an efficient and convenient way—to the public on land status related to oil and gas leasing,” said Barb Sharrow, field manager of the Uncompahgre Field Office.  “I’m excited because I think we’ve found it through the online data viewers.”  Sharrow approached the SouthWest Data Center and surrounding counties in summer 2006 about working together to provide valuable data, that the public both wants and needs, online.  This project provides BLM oil and gas lease data, stipulations regarding oil and gas leasing, mineral ownership status, as well as shows parcels nominated for BLM’s current quarterly lease sale—all information specific to much of southwestern Colorado.

“Information vital to the citizens of Montrose County does not stop at political boundaries,” Phyllis Snider, GIS coordinator for Montrose County, said. “Our goal in working with SouthWest Data Center on the information integration project is to provide the citizens of this county with a wealth of useful information that is easily accessible and regional in scope.” 

Michael Elden, GIS and IT manager for Ouray County, added, “It has been our goal to supply as much information as possible to the county and citizens at large.  The data viewer is one more invaluable tool that allows people to zero in on the specific information that satisfies their needs.”

“The primary purpose of this project is to integrate data across jurisdictional boundaries for emergency services and disaster mitigation planning,” said Eric Svensen, with the City of Montrose and president of the SouthWest Data Center.  “But as you can see, once the infrastructure is in place, the application can be extended to provide a much wider range of public service.”  The Southwest Data Center is a nonprofit organization with member participants that include Delta, Montrose, Ouray, and San Miguel Counties.

The public can research information on the data viewers in the convenience of their own home, and then contact the appropriate county or federal specialists to answer further questions.  Links to the data viewers can also be found at www.co.blm.gov/ubra, www.deltacounty.com, www.co.montrose.co.us, www.ouraycountyco.gov, and www.sanmiguelcounty.org.  For information on BLM public lands or federal minerals found in the BLM Uncompahgre Field Office, call (970) 240-5300. 

 
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