Dear Acting State Director Heinlein,

I am writing in response to the Scoping Comment period to request that you withdraw parcel 6589 in the Uncompahgre Field Office from the proposed December 2026 Colorado oil and gas lease sale.  

This parcel is within East Muddy Creek Watershed, which provides critical water resources to our community and support the wildlife and landscapes that we treasure. It is also within state designated High Priority Habitat for Big Game. There are already nearly 70,000 acres leased to the oil and gas industry in the upper North Fork Valley including this sensitive area, and only about 30% are developed and actively producing.

There is no reason to lease these two new parcels and add additional stress to our wildlife, water resources and climate. This parcel was deferred in the March 2026 lease sale.

For over a decade, the North Fork Valley community has been fiercely opposed to new leasing due to the rarity of its ecosystem, treasured recreational areas, prime hunting and fishing locations, risk to the state’s largest concentration of organic farms, disproportionate level of local warming, and the geologic instability. The Wilderness Society’s Too Wild To Drill report and Wilderness Workshop’s 2025 Wild for Good report illustrates why the North Fork Valley deserves special management treatment and protection from any more oil and gas leasing and development.

The North Fork Valley is still an inappropriate place for oil and gas development. Our public lands, farms, vineyards, and orchards attract visitors from around the globe. The wildlands, streams, and rivers around us attract hunters, anglers, and recreationists.

Please use your discretion to withdraw this parcel offered in the Uncompahgre Field Office from the Proposed December 2026 Lease Sale.

Respectfully,