Deadline 12 pm Friday, December 12, 2025

No New Leasing in the Upper North Fork Valley

The North Fork Valley is framed between the Ragged Mountains to the east, the West Elk Mountains to the southeast and the Grand Mesa to the northwest. It is one of the most beautiful and unique places in the nation. Today, it is known for exceptional outdoor recreational splendor, natural beauty, unique geological formations, its gold-medal fishing, prized big game hunting, award-winning wines, fruits and vegetables.  As a community, we have worked hard and invested in the resiliency of this economy.

There are already nearly 70,000 acres leased to the oil and gas industry in the upper North Fork Valley including the sensitive Hubbard Creek and Muddy Creek watersheds. Only about 30% are developed and actively producing. There is no need to lease more lands and minerals when 70% of what has already been leased for several decades remains undeveloped and nonproducing.

Upstream oil and gas development threatens the lifeblood of North Fork Valley: clean water and clean air, wildlife habitat, and healthy ecosystem.  Our strength is rooted in compatible industries working together to enhance the land, water, soil health that we depend upon today and into the future. These lands deserve special management treatment and protection from irreparable harm. Therefore, we request that the Bureau of Land Management withdrawn parcel 6157and 6169 in the Uncompahgre Field Office from the March 2026 Colorado oil and gas lease sale.

Signed,