Leaving a Legacy: Colorado Oil & Gas Rules Protect Wildlife
New regulations for oil & gas development increase protection of 12.7 million acres of wildlife habitat - our legacy for future generations
Leaving a Legacy: Colorado Oil & Gas Rules Protect Wildlife
On January 15, 2021 new rules regulating the development of oil and gas in Colorado went into effect. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission developed these regulations to identify where companies can drill and minimize impact to wildlife migration corridors, critical habitats, wetlands, and watersheds. They map out a more balanced future for our State where wildlife and industry coexist, and oil and gas companies are held accountable for their impacts. The result is a big win for protecting wildlife, our Colorado way of life, and communities that depend upon clean air, water, and outdoor recreation.
The following maps and analysis provide an overview of the areas that are protected, and look at the impact on four of Colorado’s iconic wildlife species.
Unlike humans, most wildlife species can’t just pick up and move when their environment changes. They are reliant on the food, water, and other resources in their immediate surroundings and along their migratory routes for survival. This makes certain habitats just too sensitive to drill. The new COGCC rules identify and protect these areas from all ground disturbance, putting an additional 5.5 million acres of habitat off-limits for the protection of our birds, fish, big game, and at-risk animal species.
Over 5.5 million acres added to Best Wildlife Protections
Swipe to compare wildlife habitat areas with the strongest protections in the old and new rules.
Wildlife requires room to roam and seasonal areas for feeding, mating, and raising young. These areas may require fewer development restrictions than the no ground disturbance designation, and the areas may change over time. To accommodate this, the new COGCC rules require developers to consult with wildlife experts from Colorado Parks and Wildlife before drilling permits are issued on an additional 12.7 million acres.
Over 12.7 Million Acres added to All Wildlife Protections
Swipe to compare all high priority habitat consultation trigger areas with protections in the old and new rules.
Bighorn Sheep in Purgatoire Canyon
Bighorn sheep are one of the most popular watchable wildlife species in Colorado, and have become a symbol of our rugged mountains and alpine areas. They are our state animal, the quest of nature photographers, the mascot for schools and sports teams, and a sought after hunting opportunity for roughly 300 hunters per year. Yet few Coloradoans know that these magnificent animals also make their home on the eastern plains of Colorado in a place called the Purgatoire Canyon.
Surrounded by otherwise flat prairie, the steep rocky gorge of Purgatoire Canyon and the Purgatoire River area is home to the state’s largest bighorn herd. The new rules will protect almost 7,000 acres of bighorn habitat in the Purgatoire Canyon area, and 239,000 acres statewide.
Bighorn Sheep in Purgatoire Canyon
Swipe to compare protections for bighorn sheep breeding and lambing areas and other strongest wildlife protections in the old and new rules.
Big Game Migration in North Park
North Park Colorado contains some of our state’s wildest landscapes. Rimmed by four mountain ranges, this high mountain basin provides perfect habitat to hundreds of birds and wildlife species. It is also the southern end of the Platte Valley Mule Deer Migration Corridor.
Each year 11,000 mule deer migrate throughout the Platte Valley Mule Deer Migration Corridor which extends from north of I-80 in Wyoming to North Park Colorado. These deer are moving seasonally to access resources and avoid harsh winter conditions. The new oil and gas regulations add protections for big game migration corridors. Over 143 thousand acres are protected for mule deer migration in North Park alone.
Big Game Migration in North Park
Swipe to compare protections for mule deer migration and other high priority wildlife habitat consultation trigger areas in the old and new rules.
Colorado Pikeminnow
The Colorado pikeminnow is the largest minnow in North America and is a native fish to the Colorado River. Historical records document Colorado pikeminnows up to 6 feet long and weighing up to 80 pounds, but today they are more commonly between two to three feet in length. They are known for their long-distance spawning migrations of up to 200 miles.
The Colorado pikeminnow was listed as endangered in Colorado in 1976, and reclassified as threatened in 1998. One of the major threats to pikeminnow survival is the human alteration of its habitat through stream flow modification and development. The new oil and gas rules restrict ground disturbance in many critical aquatic habitats across the state.
Colorado Pikeminnow in the Colorado River Valley
Swipe to compare protections for endangered Colorado pikeminnow and other at-risk native aquatic species in the old and new rules.
Gunnison Sage-Grouse
The Gunnison sage-grouse is one of the ten most endangered birds in North America. They once ranged widely over southwestern Colorado and Utah, but today they occupy just 10% of their historic range. With fewer than 5,000 of these birds remaining, action is needed to protect their habitat and ensure their survival.
The Dry Creek Basin in remote Southwestern Colorado is home to several small populations of Gunnison sage-grouse. The new rules will increase the no-ground-disturbance buffers around leks (the mating grounds used annually by the Gunnison sage-grouse) from 0.6 miles to 1 mile, and require consultation in other critical habitat.
Gunnison Sage-Grouse in Dry Creek Basin
Swipe to compare protections for Gunnison sage-grouse and other strongest protections in the old and new rules. Sadly, some Gunnison sage-grouse leks (mating grounds) in the east end of Dry Creek Basin have disappeared since the old rule map was last updated in 2013.
Here in Colorado, we take pride in our way of life, our wildlife and outdoor spaces, and our robust economy. Now we have oil and gas regulations that do the same.
