Hunters, anglers praise effort by Rep. Polis to yank oil shale leasing measure from highway bill

BOULDER, Colo. – A sportsmen’s coalition is praising a move by Colorado Rep. Jared Polis to eliminate a measure that would mandate commercial leasing of public lands for the unproven technology of oil shale development.

Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development voiced support Wednesday for Polis’ amendment, which would strip the oil-shale provision from a highway bill up for debate in the U.S. House. Opening our public lands in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah to leasing before environmentally and economically viable technology and processes exist doesn’t make sense, said Keith Curley, director of government affairs for Trout Unlimited.

Trout Unlimited, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and the National Wildlife Federation lead the SFRED coalition, made up of more than 500 businesses, organizations and individuals.

"Trout Unlimited and the other members of SFRED support the responsible development of energy resources on public lands,’’ Curley said. "Responsible development is development that is done in a way that balances energy extraction with the conservation of fish and wildlife habitat and water resources.’’

The recommended scenario in the Bureau of Land Management’s draft proposal for oil shale development would be a responsible path forward, making public land leases available for research and pilot projects and protecting key wildlife and fish habitat, SFRED members said. Commercial leasing could move forward when the conditions of the research leases were met.

In contrast, the provisions of the bill requiring commercial oil shale leasing are not prudent, according to SFRED. We should wait for the results of existing research into ways to produce oil from the shale and until we have a better idea of potential impacts on wildlife, water quality and supplies and air quality, Curley said.

Industry officials have even said that commercial production of kerogen, a precursor to oil, is years away, coalition members noted.
 

Contacts:
Judith Kohler, National Wildlife Federation, 303-441-5163;kohlerj@nwf.org
Shauna Sherard, Trout Unlimited, 307-757-7861; ssherard@tu.org
Katie McKalip, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, 406-240-9262; kmckalip@trcp.org