How YOU can help!
1. Write Letters
The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) is in process of conducting an environmental review as required under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). The scoping comment period (Aug-Sept., 2007) helped to identify the concerns and alternatives to be addressed in the draft Environmental Assessment. To prevent the USFWS from excluding an alternative (example, permanent withdrawal of the minerals interest) or management option (example, moving the drilling sites away from wetland and riparian areas) we strongly recommend that you write (and tell your friends to write) a comment letter to the USFWS that addresses three questions:
(1) WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST CONCERNS ABOUT DRILLING IN THE BACA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE? – impacts on wildlife, wetlands, groundwater users or aquifer systems? Perhaps you are worried that the beauty, air, and water quality will be degraded or that pipelines and truck traffic will be hazardous to farming and ranching activities. How will gas and oil development impact your quality of life, livelihood and community, the County and the San Luis Valley?
(2) HOW DO YOU VALUE THE BACA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AND SURROUNDING AREA? – the solitude, rural ambiance, clear skies and spectacular views, unique cultural and sense of place values that it supports? Would you visit the refuge to hunt, hike, birdwatch, study the plants or animals, paint and photograph? How might gas and oil development affect these values?
(3) WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL VISION FOR THE BACA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, NEARBY COMMUNITIES AND THE SAN LUIS VALLEY? - what are your personal experiences here? What are your hopes and dreams? What do you appreciate most? What are the values in your community? How could the gas and oil industry change things – what do you see as the long-term cumulative impacts?
SEND COPIES OF YOUR LETTER to your congressional, State and County representatives, Governor Ritter, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. See the contacts page for more information.
REMEMBER YOUR ADDRESS! Your comment can’t be put into the official record unless you legibly include your name and address.
2. Endorse the Core Values Statement
Organizations, businesses and local governments are endorsing the Citizens for San Luis Valley Water Protection Coalition’s Core Value Statement (see above) to publicly affirm their concern that the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, other sensitive areas and the Closed Basin aquifer of the San Luis Valley be protected from destructive, high-risk oil and gas development.
3. Volunteer
Your time is tremendously valuable to the efforts to protect the Baca National Wildlife Refuge and sensitive areas of the San Luis Valley. Help is needed throughout the San Luis Valley with:
] Community Outreach ] Public Meetings
] Letter Writing Campaigns ] Data Entry
] Public Events/Tabling ] Phone/Email tree
] Community Strategy Meetings ] Media Outreach
4. Make a contribution
The San Luis Valley Water Protection Coalition is a grassroots effort that brings together individuals, businesses, communities and conservation organizations. Your tax-deductible contribution is critical to our work.
With your money, we fund outreach activities such as public forums, community board and strategy meetings, citizen action guides, mailings, media outreach, technical experts to ensure that our arguments are based on sound science and economic evidence, legal advocacy to ensure that environmental protection laws are enforced and citizens are able to participate effectively in the public process, and participation in public meetings to ensure that local, state and federal government is responsive to our concerns.
Donations can be made to:
Citizens for San Luis Valley Water
PO Box 351
Alamosa, CO 81101
Please note on your check or money order that your contribution is for the
“Water Protection Coalition” |
