Biodiversity Conservation Alliance

FLAMING GORGE DRILLING OUT OF THE CLOSET

Devon Energy is pushing deep-gas drilling into the previously undeveloped juniper hill country east of Flaming Gorge Reservoir, near Little Mountain. BCA was the primary conservation group behind an effort to publicize the new drilling activity in this area, which resulted in an outpouring of comments opposing industrial development in this area from hunters and environmentalists. Thanks to all of the publicity and public comments, the BLM has decided to undertake a formal public input process instead of approving the drilling permits behind the scenes. This is a small but important victory for our public lands; watch for your opportunity to have your say!

MED BOW LYNX PROTECTED FROM CLEARCUT

The Medicine Bow National Forest has proposed a massive logging project called "Spruce Gulch" ostensibly in response to the recent mountain pine beetle epidemic and in the name of hazardous fuels reduction. The Spruce Gulch area is near Fox Park and WyColo. Pelton Creek, Illinois Creek, and Highway 230 run through the area proposed for logging. Clearcuts are planned in this high quality wildlife area, totaling over 1,859 acres, and so-called “Adaptive Management” (which can include clearcutting) totals 1,833 acres. The total clearcut acreage could be as high as 3,700 acres. Road Construction and reconstruction would total nearly 12 miles.

Critical lynx corridor habitat occupies the eastern part of the area, but because of BCA advocacy, the Forest Service either eliminated or considerably minimized the proposed 630 acres of logging within the corridor. Since the lynx has been successfully re-introduced in Colorado, this corridor is important for its recovery in southern Wyoming.

Still, the Spruce Gulch project as currently proposed is a bad idea because of its heavy emphasis on clearcutting (see http://www.voiceforthewild.org/general/pubs/ClearcuttingWhitePaperFina2.pdf for why clearcutting is bad) and major threats to wildlife. Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming BCA alert and remember: Spruce Gulch = Clearcutting!

BAD NEW ALTERNATIVES FOR PINEDALE ANTICLINE

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has revised its Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Pinedale Anticline in Western Wyoming, and is offering two new alternatives in response to comments received last year.

Alternative D, the BLM’s Preferred Alternative, would allow year-round drilling with few, if any, seasonal protections for wildlife in the Core Area of drilling on the ridge of the Anticline. That means the traditional rules that protected seasonal game crucial winter ranges or nesting and breeding habitat would be gone. Under this alternative, up to 4,399 new wells would be permitted in addition to the 700 already authorized in 2000. The Core Area, which is scheduled for the most intense drilling activity, would be expanded under Alternative D, while the flank areas surrounding it would be off limits to drilling for 5 years. Impacts to wildlife under Alternative D would be unacceptably highwith year-round drilling and production. The new Alternative E was crafted to reduce impacts to wildlife by retaining seasonal wildlife stipulations. It too, however, would include a larger Core Area where intense activity and disturbance would occur for up to 60 years. Watch for a BCA alert with talking points later this month. You can obtain an electronic copy of the BLM's documents at: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/pfodocs/anticline/seis.html.

JUDGE DENIES STAY OF ATLANTIC RIM DRILLING

In the U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C., a judge has denied a BCA-led effort, with representation from partner NRDC, to halt coalbed methane drilling along the Atlantic Rim while the lawsuit proceeds. Together with our conservation allies, we will press forward with the suit, hoping for a favorable ruling on the merits of the case, likely a year or more away. The denial of the stay is a major setback for big game populations, which stand to lose migration corridors and winter ranges, and for one of Wyoming's two biggest sage grouse breeding and nesting concentrations, which could be lost before the lawsuit is over.

HOBACK BASIN THREATENED BY MORE DRILLING

The Bridger-Teton National Forest has just announced a proposal to expand gas drilling efforts in the forested Hoback Basin area near Bondurant. They plan to expand from a single wellpad with multiple exploratory wells, to 133 wells drilled directionally from 17 different well sites. The proposed development will negatively impact an important wildlife linkage along the Hoback Rim, including crucial big game ranges and important lynx habitat. It will also invade roadless lands in the northern Wyoming Range; because the oil and gas leases in this area were purchased before the Roadless Rule went into effect, drilling and road construction, with all its impacts, could occur within these roadless lands.

Plains Exploration and Production, the lease holder, appears to want to lock in a full-field development scenario while a pro-drilling administration controls our public lands, leading to a potential repeat the ecological disaster that has occurred on the Pinedale Anticline. Please write to the Forest Service at comments-intermtn-bridger-teton@fs.fed.us by February 7th and tell them not to consider approving full-field development at least until the three test wells have proven up.

YOUR HELP NEEDED: BCA OFFICE FLOODS

In the wee hours of Dec. 31, 2007 some 5,000 gallons of water at high pressure flowed from a broken pipe upstairs through the BCA office, leaving a big mess in its trail. We need your help cleaning up, and can offer food and coffee as perks. If you can offer an hour or two please respond to this email. Thanks in advance!

WE WISH YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR!