Report: 'Leave the Roan Alone' or the Tourists Might Head Home
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
A new Sierra Club report looks at the new economy of the West and finds there's more value in the natural resources above ground than the fossil fuels underneath. It says Colorado's Roan Plateau is one area that will be worth much more in the long run if it's left intact. The club's Kristina Johnson says that hunting in the area alone generates $4 million a year.
"If oil rigs go into the Roan Plateau, it'll disrupt the wildlife habitat, and in doing that, it'll disrupt the hunting opportunities."
Proponents of drilling argue that much of the western slope's boom across many different sectors is owed to oil and gas development. Johnson counters that the Roan Plateau and other public lands should be protected as a long-term investment.
"They provide an economic resource that's sustainable and that will be there for generations to come if we protect it right now."
The report calls for a balanced approach to developing the area that protects the top and cliffs of the plateau and keeps recreational dollars flowing. Johnson believes the benefits from drilling are limited.
"Drilling in Western states would only supply us with three months of oil. If we protect these lands, they will supply us with a source of tourism dollars for years to come."
She adds that over 1,400 hunters visit the area every year.
The report is online at: www.sierraclub.org/wildlegacy/downloads/2007publicwildlandsreport.pdf.
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