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August 19, 2008

Red Desert CBM Drilling Proposed in
Sage Grouse Core Area

LARAMIE – The Bureau of Land Management drew criticism today for proposing a 16-well coalbed methane project inside a Core Area designated under the State of Wyoming’s new sage grouse policy. The project, called the Pappy Draw project and proposed by Canadian energy giant EnCana, will entail well densities greater than the one-well-per-square-mile threshold that reduces impacts to sage grouse, and would affect a lek complex south of Crooks Gap in the Red Desert that is one of the three largest sage grouse breeding complexes in the state (the other two are along the Atlantic Rim and in the upper Green River valley).

“No sooner has the Governor designated Core Areas for sage grouse conservation than the oil and gas industry is moving into them,” remarked Erik Molvar, wildlife biologist with Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. “The new state plan won’t help the sage grouse a bit if the BLM allows drilling to move into core areas in ways that are clearly incompatible with maintaining sage grouse habitat.”

According to the BLM’s own analysis, “the cumulative effects of several impacts may result in a downward trend for the sage-grouse population within the immediate vicinity of the project.” Pappy Draw Environmental Analysis, page 4-35.

In addition to drilling at relatively high densities, the project also proposes overhead powerlines, which offer perches to hawks and eagles that prey on sage grouse. Burying powerlines is a standard practice in sensitive sage grouse habitats.

“To add insult to injury, the BLM is only giving the public a week to comment on the Environmental Analysis, instead of the usual 30 days,” added Molvar. “The BLM is trying to rush this project through without an adequate opportunity for public input. To fix this problem they need to extend the comment period to at least 30 days. The comment period is going to be over before many people have even gotten the notice in the mail.”

The Environmental Analysis is available online at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/lfodocs/pappydraw.html. The comment period was announced on August 13th and closes August 22.