The Bureau of Land Management has announced that over 30,000 acres of land in 22 parcels surrounding Paonia, Hotchkiss and Crawford, as well as the Paonia Reservoir, have been nominated for Oil and Gas leasing. Three meetings were being held in Hotchkiss, Crawford and Paonia to answer questions and gather input for the extended February 9 deadline for public comments.

Please send your specific comments and concerns about specific parcels to the BLM Uncompahgre Field Office before Feb 9th.

***BLM Address to send your Comments***

August 2012 Lease Sale

Uncompahgre Field Office

2465 South Townsend Ave.

Montrose, CO 81401

Please send a hard copy of your comments first. If you would like to also send it via fax or email to the BLM, you can:

Fax: 970-240-5368

Email: co_ufo_leasing@blm.gov

Do you need a template for writing your comment? Click Here.

Don't live in the area? Here's a template for non-locals.

If you couldn't attend one of the three town meetings, please also fill out this comment form, and send it to us so we can include it in our comments.

In 2011, the NFRIA-WSERC Conservation Center began a program to monitor various tributaries to the North Fork of the Gunnison River and various water supply sources (springs and wells) that could be affected in the future by proposed nearby natural gas drilling. The purpose of the monitoring is to study surface and ground water quality conditions in 2011 so that changes to water quality will be documented if and when new natural gas wells are drilled and developed within the North Fork Gunnison River basin.

The results from our first year of baseline monitoring are in. The Conservation Center will publish a report detailing the results of this study in early 2012.

If you have any water information related to the gas leases please contact the office.

DRAFT MAP OF GAS LEASE / WATER RESOURCES:

The NFRIA-WSERC board just released a public letter to Senator Udall, urging him to oppose the Bear Ranch Land Exchange.

The letter lists a number of concerns associated with the Land Exchange, including the lack of public process associated with the legislative action.

Other serious concerns that NWCC sites are as follows:

1) Any land exchange that limits or degrades access to public lands is unacceptable.

2) The proposed land exchange would include the construction of parallel trails on public lands that could impact local habitat and wildlife.

3) The legislative land exchange reduces transparency and critical public and environmental review.

To read the full letter, download a copy.

Calling all Conservation Center members, board members, and volunteers! It's time once again for our annual meeting:

3:00 PM Sunday, January 29, 2012

Memorial Hall, 175 N. 1st St., Hotchkiss

The program will include keynote speaker Dan Randolph, Executive Director of San Juan Citizens' Alliance, who will engage us in a conversation about how a broad-spectrum conservation group like the Conservation Center can utilize all of its resources, from volunteers to committees, to protect the water, air, and public lands in Delta County.

4:30 Annual Business Meeting

5:30 Traditional Chili Supper - Please call 527-5307 to sign up to bring food to share for the chili supper: Appetizer, Vegetarian or Meat Chili, Cornbread, Salad, Dessert.

We have tons of more resources about the BLM Gas Lease nominations on our Natural Gas webpage. You can find BLM comment templates, the latest maps, press releases, media coverage, photos, and background information on natural gas fracking.

Find all of these resources here.

On December 19 the Delta County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to establish a recycling station at the North Fork Transfer station. They will take all plastics 1-7, paper, magazines, glass, cans and aluminum.

The county has not yet announced when the new facility will open.

Thanks to everyone who wrote to the Board of County Commissioners and attended meetings to make this happen. It strengthens our potential recycling volume considerably and will surely extend the life of the current landfill.

Have a question about where to recycle what? Find out where to recycle batteries, tires, computers or cell phones and many other household items in the Delta County Recycling Guide. The guide is updated regularly by The Friends of Delta County Recycling and Conservation Center volunteers.

Click on the Recycle Guide above to view and print your own copy and call 399-2940 for additional information or to get involved.