MICHAEL F. BENET astineTON, De Wnited States Senate WASHINGTON, DC 20510-0609 HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, ieee "AND PENSIONS September 11, 2018 Greg Shoop Acting State Director Colorado Bureau of Land Management 2850 Youngfield St. Lakewood, CO 80205 Dear Acting Director Shoop, Lam writing to convey my concerns ~ and reiterate state and local concerns - regarding the pending December 2018 oil and gas lease sales in Colorado. To date, the State of Colorado, the ‘Town of Paonia, Gunnison County, citizens and agricultural organizations have expressed opposition to leasing in valued landscapes near their communities. Colorado has a long and proud history of responsible energy development on public lands, balanced with other uses such as agriculture and outdoor recreation, We have a growing population and these lands are an essential part of what makes our state a desirable place to live, work, and visit. To balance energy development with agricultural and ecological resources in Colorado, we believe it is incumbent on the BLM to facilitate public participation and carefully weigh state and local input when considering oil and gas lease sales. On July 17, 2018, Governor Hickenlooper sent a letter requesting that several lease parcels be deferred because leasing would affect wildlife, communities, and the environment. Many parcels in the proposed lease sale are located in greater sage-grouse habitat or would affect big game winter range and migration corridors. Leasing these parcels would undermine ongoing efforts to improve greater sage grouse habitat, which helped to avoid a listing under the Endangered Species Act by balancing habitat conservation and energy and agricultural development. Although we understand that the BLM has responded to the State and deferred some parcels, we request that you fully honor the State of Colorado’s recommendations at this time and defer all the parcels requested by the state. ‘The BLM should operate through a fair process with opportunities for widespread community engagement for oil and gas lease sales. To date, Gunnison County and the Town of Paonia have provided recommendations and requests related to the December 2018 lease sale, The Resource Management Plan (RMP) for this region, the Uncompahgre Field Office, is currently undergoing revision with a Final EIS anticipated this fall. As a result, Gunnison County has requested a deferral of all proposed leases in the North Fork Valley until the RMP is completed. They believe that oil and gas leasing should only move forward if it is done in a way that protects the County's natural resources, public health, safety, and way of life. They also have concerns withthe rushed leasing process that results from insufficient public comment periods. Similarly, the ‘Town of Paonia is concerned that these areas are part of the RMP currently under revision and believe itis inappropriate to conduct lease sales under the existing outdated RMP. They also are concerned that the lease sale places their water supply, air quality, and existing economic opportunities at risk. Coloradans expect the opportunity to weigh in on the management of their public lands. Iam concerned that the BLM’s new oil and gas leasing process, set forth on January 21, 2018 in IM 2018-034, is leading to a rushed process for oil and gas leasing in Colorado. Short review periods ‘mandated by the IM de-emphasizes participation by local governments, the public, and the state of Colorado. Transitioning to statewide lease sales places an undue burden on state agencies and other interested parties to provide thoughtful review and recommendations for the extensive acreage. | understand that IM 2018-034 is policy direction from the BLM’s Washington Office. However, IM 2018-034 also provides BLM state offices discretion to expand public participation, evaluate conflicts with other resources, and make leasing decisions that reflect that analysis. | appreciate that BLM Colorado provided public scoping opportunities and 15-day comment periods prior to official protest periods for most lease sales. Nonetheless, BLM Colorado should take additional discretionary steps to inform the public of the status of potential lease parcels and defer parcels that have unacceptable effects on local communities and Colorado’s natural resources. Based on the concerns summarized above, | ask that you defer all of the parcels requested for deferral by the State of Colorado, the Town of Paonia and Gunnison County. Thank you for your attention to this matter and please keep my office informed of any actions taken regarding oil and gas leasing in Colorado and this lease sale. Sincerely, f-n FB Michael F. Bennet United States Senator