Big Game Habitat Conservation for Oil and Gas Management in Colorado

Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment for Big Game Habitat Conservation for Oil and Gas Management, Colorado

The Bureau of Land Management Colorado State Director signed a Record of Decision on October 17, 2024, approving a Resource Management Plan Amendment for Big Game Habitat Conservation for Oil and Gas Management in Colorado. The amendment amends twelve existing RMPs covering approximately 8.3 million acres of BLM-administered surface land and approximately 27 million acres of Federal mineral estate across all Colorado counties. It aligns BLM oil and gas management in big game High Priority Habitat with Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission rules for elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep, and imposes a one-well-per-square-mile surface density limit with requirements for avoidance, minimization, and compensatory mitigation.

Notice of Availability of the Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement for Big Game Habitat Conservation for Oil and Gas Management in Colorado

The Bureau of Land Management has released a proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement for Big Game Habitat Conservation for Oil and Gas Management in Colorado, announcing a 30-day protest period beginning upon EPA publication of its Notice of Availability. The planning area covers all counties in Colorado, encompassing approximately 8.3 million acres of BLM-administered surface land and approximately 27 million acres of Federal mineral estate. The EIS analyzed five alternatives; the State Director's proposed alternative is Modified Alternative B, which aligns BLM oil and gas management in elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep high priority habitat with Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission rules and limits facility density to one active oil and gas location per square mile.