An August 11 article in The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction omitted gubernatorial candidate Rep. Bob Beauprez's (R-Arvada) support for the controversial sale of oil and gas leases on U.S. Forest Service roadless areas.
In the Daily Sentinel article, reporter Gary Harmon wrote: “Most of the Western Slope roadless-area forest tracts offered for oil-and-gas leasing Thursday [August 10] were sold, the Bureau of Land Management said. Of the 22 roadless parcels offered on U.S. Forest Service land, 17 were bid on, the BLM said in a press release.”
Harmon further reported, “All the roadless tracts are under protest by environmental and other organizations, as well as by Gunnison County. The lease sale also drew criticism from U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, U.S. Rep. John Salazar and gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter, all Democrats.” Harmon's article did not mention Beauprez.
By contrast, the Associated Press reported in an August 9 article that Beauprez supported the sale of the roadless area leases. According to the AP, “Both gubernatorial candidates have weighed in, with Democrat Bill Ritter adding his request that the leases be put on hold until the task force and Gov. Bill Owens decide what to do, and Republican Bob Beauprez saying the process should move forward.”
From Harmon's August 11 Daily Sentinel article, “17 of 22 roadless tracts sold at oil, gas auction”:
Most of the Western Slope roadless-area forest tracts offered for oil-and-gas leasing Thursday were sold, the Bureau of Land Management said.
Of the 22 roadless parcels offered on U.S. Forest Service land, 17 were bid on, the BLM said in a press release.
All the roadless tracts are under protest by environmental and other organizations, as well as by Gunnison County. The lease sale also drew criticism from U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, U.S. Rep. John Salazar and gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter, all Democrats.
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For four months, the BLM considered protests of leasing on Grand Mesa watersheds, ultimately approving the leases, then suspending them immediately for a year for the drafting of a community-development plan for drilling.
The BLM ultimately will decide on the roadless-area protests, BLM spokeswoman Jaime Gardner said.
It would be “highly uncommon,” however, for the BLM to reject the desires of the Forest Service, Gardner said.
Most parcels on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests sold for $55 to $300 an acre, though one parcel sold for $2 an acre, the agency said.
White River National Forest tracts sold for between $7 and $297 an acre.
