By U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce
Dec 9, 2011 Issues: Economy and Jobs, Energy
Like all Americans, I want to protect wildlife in both good and bad times. Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the US Forest Service once said, “Conservation means the wise use of the earth and its resources for the lasting good of men.” I concur wholeheartedly. Mr. Pinchot was one of the most publicly known conservationists of the 20th century, and recognized that to have healthy forests controlled thinning operations must take place. He believed as I do that conservation should never mean tying our hands to economic development or good stewardship of our lands, but instead should be about finding a balance between jobs and resource protection.
I have always advocated balance, which is why I support the cooperative efforts between private stakeholders, federal officials and local governments through the Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA), which allows private landholders to enroll their land and money in a program designed to protect the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard without listing it. This is a reasonable approach that will serve New Mexico well by protecting our environment and our economy simultaneously. Of course, common sense is usually in short order when it comes to DC lawyers and lobbyists with their hands on taxpayer dollars.
FARMINGTON — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has granted an exception to a seasonal wildlife closure for Williams Exploration and Production’s proposed drilling project on Middle Mesa. The exemption, approved Thursday, removes a hurdle to Williams’ ambitious plans to extract natural gas from the Mancos Shale using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques. The agency’s decision allows Williams to drill during winter. It does not approve drilling permits for the project, a step to come later. Williams proposes to drill 53 horizontal wells from eight well pads. The project also would require two ponds for fracturing fluids. Williams plans to begin drilling in fall 2012. The company drilled test wells in 2009 and ’10. BLM officials forecast the project will produce 275 billion cubic feet of natural gas during the next 25 to 30 years. “We’re obviously pleased with the outcome of the review process, considering the amount of planning we put into the project,” Williams spokesman Kelly Swan said in an email message Monday. “This should ultimately create benefits in the area both economically and environmentally. And for us as a company, it allows us to show that we bring tremendous care to drilling and development.”