FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ranchers and Conservation Groups Collaborate to Protect Critical Sage Grouse Habitat

Coalition Challenges Road Construction in Colorado’s Largest Sage Grouse Breeding Grounds

The Three Forks Ranch north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado and a coalition of conservation groups joined today in working to protect Colorado’s largest greater sage grouse breeding ground.

The Three Forks Ranch north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado and a coalition of conservation groups joined today in working to protect Colorado's largest greater sage grouse breeding ground. The proposed gas drilling operation would harm this critical grouse habitat, cause substantial water pollution, and degrade the Three Forks Ranch. The coalition today filed in Federal District Court seeking a temporary restraining order halting construction of the road to give the court time to consider issuing a permanent injunction against the road building and drilling. The court scheduled a hearing today for 2:00 pm at the Federal District Court in Denver.

The proposed drilling operations would result in 13 miles of road along the northern boundary of the ranch and would slice through delicate sage grouse habitat in northwestern Routt County. The proposed road and gas well would destroy the sage grouse breeding grounds, dump an estimated 1,200 tons of sedimentation into the Little Snake River and cause enormous water pollution problems, and harm other critical natural values, such as deer and elk habitat as well as habitat for the imperiled Columbian sharp-tailed grouse.

"The Bureau of Land Management claims they care about protecting the character of our rural communities," observed Erik Molvar, wildlife biologist for Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. "But when it comes down to it they’ll destroy anything so that a few oil and gas corporations can make an even bigger profit."

The Three Forks Ranch and its partners asked the Bureau of Land Management and Routt County to require that the road construction and drilling be done responsibly to protect the sage grouse and other natural values. The BLM refused, formally rejecting the requests yesterday. The developer, Clayton Williams, Inc., has already started road construction on public land while it awaits approval from Routt County to begin construction on adjacent private land.

"To risk the loss of Colorado’s largest sage grouse breeding grounds is a terrible betrayal of the public trust," said Erin Robertson, staff biologist for Center for Native Ecosystems. "The Bureau of Land Management is supposed to protect our natural heritage, but here they are destroying irreplaceable treasures."

"Their proposed road and drilling is illegal and immoral," said Robertson. "It is the worst kind of unbalanced and irresponsible land management, selling out locals and the public land for corporate profits."

The Three Forks Ranch was joined by Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, The Wilderness Society, Colorado Environmental Coalition, and Center for Native Ecosystems in filing the lawsuit.

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