Oil Drilling at the Sand Dunes National Park. Options

[EchoBravo]

Living in Minnesota you don't see oil rigs pumping oil in the back grounds. Although I do find it pretty cool to see when traveling thru Wyoming & Colorado due to its novelty of our fading dependency. I just read that our current administration is auctioning off a lot of public land to the oil & gas industry for drilling in this national park. Now being an outsider and loving the current beauty of your state, our country, I find it a little disturbing that we would want to destroy such a beautiful spot with a big ole pump in the background. Not sure what the safety record is for Colorado's oil companies but it seems that if its anything like that pipeline promise, I feel sorry for any of the 'one of a kind' life that is found only in this national park. But mainly I was curious on how Coloradans feel about this? Not your political motivations but your true feeling on this as the land belongs to the people not the CEOs. :^)

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/25/opinions/gre...ller/index.html

[DiggingDad32]

I'm upset by it. Dont like it at all. Part of the allure of Colorado is all of it's natural beauty and some of that will be gone due to these new regs. Unfortunate.

[johnnybravo300]

Not good.

[leonard]

Not good.

If you aren't out there burning the energy that they will be recovering, you won't notice it at all. After a little while all of that stuff just blends into the background. After the oil is gone, things will revert back to the way it was. Kind of like gold prospecting.
Leonard

[EchoBravo]

If you aren't out there burning the energy that they will be recovering, you won't notice it at all. After a little while all of that stuff just blends into the background. After the oil is gone, things will revert back to the way it was. Kind of like gold prospecting.
Leonard

Not sure if it reverts back. Here is one of the wilderness & national park watchdog groups that have pointed out that this does have lasting effects based on other similar situations that are currently going on, or have happened in the past. Point number 2 on my link specifically talks about LaPlat Co in Colorado. Which is why I was curious how The Locals felt.

I know folks can get defensive in their opinions, I am not looking to stoke any fires, Just a good understanding so I can base my own opinions in fact. A healthy conversation leads to a healthy relationship with people & their environment. :^)

https://wilderness.org/seven-ways-oil-and-g...ews-environment

Thanks to all who have taken the time to respond, and to those on the fence who I hope in the near future will have something to say. :^)

[Denise]

I hate to see the national parks looked at as places used for these resources! I live only about 16 miles or so from the Great Sand Dunes, wonderful and amazing place. No matter where they choose to do this, with every action will be an equal or greater reaction. We can not use these resources though and not expect that it didn't have some kind of effect on the community and the wildlife. Doing it somewhere else where we don't see it doesn't make it any better. That's just putting blinders on to make ourselves feel better when using these resources I think.

Reminds me of when Dan was paving roads. They proposed to put in a new road since all the locals were complaining the roads sucked...but when it came to a vote, the people voted it out due to the fact that they didn't want to see or hear the paving plant in their neighborhood. Dan lost good work that summer and the paving went on several years later anyways. Very double standard! We can't have our cake and eat it too folks!

You want to use gas and oil, expect it is disturbing a community and the wildlife somewhere, just might not be in your view!

Just my

[johnnybravo300]

If we used our resources for our own good I'd be all for it but the fact is we won't see the oil or the money from it. The oil will be exported like always and the money will go in someone else's pocket while we live with the aftermath.

If the feds are interested in a deal like that you can be sure there are some backroom handshakes and lots of laughing at the sheeple. I'm sure it's all over Twitter about how good it is for America haha.

[EchoBravo]

I concur. What a process. Why are the G&E industries the only ones who get to bid on it? That question I would love to know the answer too. :^)

[Clay Diggins]

I'm confused, who the heck put out the idea this would be in a National Park, preserve or protected area?

There is no plan to drill in or near the Sand Dunes National Preserve, Park or wilderness area. The nearest oil lease (the land is not being "auctioned off") would be several miles to the east of the Sangre De Cristo peaks near Sharpsdale on May creek. Far away from the sight, sound, environment and geology of the Sand Dunes. Most of that area is already private property. Entirely different environment than the Sand Dunes area.

[johnnybravo300]

That's cool if it's far away from there and not a prob. That's good to be clear on.

[EchoBravo]

I dont think anyone said it would be in the park.. most of the articles I have read talk about land that buts right up to the park being auctioned off. I am not sure what plots are for sale since I am not involved in Gas & Energy but it doesn't mean the areas around any new drilling wouldn't be effected. This is just the time when folks should start paying attention. I have added a few links above that talk about just that.. not saying gas & oil is evil either, just there needs to be a balance or it goes sideways fast (history has proven) and we the people are stuck drinking & eating that stuff later.. I feel it cost more (not just $$) to clean up any mistakes than to be preventative without politics mucking up common sense. my

[johnnybravo300]

I wouldn't be for it in the park at all unless it was a national emergency and life depended on it. Can't really see that happening but maybe in the future when I'm long gone and someday they will want that oil.
I don't support the feds way of exploiting America's resources so I'm generally not supportive when they are involved.
We need oil and gas for everything of course and there are no other realistic options at this time. Switching the world to a different fuel would be generations away but probably won't happen anyway. Hemp oil powered the first diesel engines but that's Satan's plant. They don't want any real answers but to penalize us for the fuel we use and say it's our fault for needing vehicles hehe.
With the state of America today, more poor every generation, 3.5 cent left of purchasing power in the dollar and dropping, massive debt and future tax burdens, loss of jobs and little or no savings, I just don't see the logistics of everyone getting on board with this. The technology of a solar powered kite to fly to work would just be far to expensive for most when the hybrid cars barely sell now.
The world won't be anywhere close to a complete fuel shift in the future I see coming.

[Clay Diggins]

The title of the original post was confusing - as I already stated in my first post.
Oil Drilling at the Sand Dunes National Park
See why I might think someone stated there was oil drilling at the Sand Dunes National Park?

There is no land being sold or auctioned off.

What are being auctioned off are the limited time leases to explore for oil and gas deposits on some parcels of publicly owned lands. Whether those lands are worthwhile for oil drilling and whether oil will ever be produced from them is a different issue that is not part of this lease auction. Oil leases don't indicate oil wells. Very few oil leases ever go into production before the lease expires.

The oil leases are on the other side of the mountain range in a different drainage. None of the leases abut, are in sight of or are anywhere near the park or preserve

[ASTROBLEME]

I submitted comments to BLM that encouraged this proposal to move forward several months ago. Now that the public comment period is nearly completed and the leases are likely to be approved...here comes more fake news to try and stop the legal process.

Presently, the parcels are possibly in the path of the Spring Fire...now one of the largest in Colorado history. I strongly prefer mineral and lumber development over a continuation of the "hands off" forestry/land management of our public property that leads to such catastrophic circumstances.

Here's a map of the proposed lease area.

ASTROBLEME

[EchoBravo]

Yes I would agree the title is a little misleading especially after you see Astrobleme's maps of the land that is for sale. It's on the other side of the mountain for crying out loud. This is why it is so important to talk to people and get the facts on the matter. When we are afraid to talk we put up walls and except what is fed to us. (North Korea is a perfect example of where that leads).

Thanks Astrobleme for the info.. but I have to admit, I hate the term fake news. All news, on some level, is biased but to call it fake gives a bad names to the ones who try and uphold the integrity of the facts. Much like saying all cops are bad because of a few sensational articles. Shock factor always sells best but the facts can still be had even if you disagree with the delivery.. :^)

Thanks for the community education everyone! Most of the articles I have read were the opinion of the writer and none had any info on the actual land auctions. Astrobleme's map took care of all my questions.