The federal government approved the largest land lease to oil and gas interests in Colorado history.
The Bureau of Land Management approved a lease sale of 156,000 acres of public land in Colorado to oil and gas interests, reports Jennifer Oldham in Capital and Main.
Environmental advocates are sounding the alarm, noting that roughly two-thirds of the area in question is adjacent to Dinosaur National Monument, a certified International Dark Sky Place, and are home to the nation's largest elk herd.
According to Oldham, "A 2,360-line spreadsheet compiled by Denver-based nonprofit Rocky Mountain Wild enumerates 17 rare plants and endangered species whose habitat could be imperiled by fossil fuel exploration and extraction." The lease would be the largest such transaction in the state's history and supports President Trump's plan to open more public lands to fossil fuel extraction. "The June event is one of four large lease sales in Colorado since Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed a bill in 2025 that included provisions to encourage drilling on the nation’s public lands."
Read the full story: Federal agency to open tens of thousands of acres of Colorado wilderness to oil drilling
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