Sept. 18, 2008

Vote YES on Amendment 58

San Juan Citizens Alliance urges a YES vote on Amendment 58, to make oil and gas severance taxes more equitable in Colorado. Amendment 58 closes a 30-year-old tax loophole that lets oil and gas companies avoid paying millions of dollars in severance taxes. Amendment 58 would make Colorado closer, though not yet equal, to mineral severance tax rates in neighboring New Mexico and Wyoming that are enjoying robust state budget surpluses.

Amendment 58 would generate $300 million annually in additional revenues. Of this, 60% goes to college scholarships for low and middle-income students, 15% back to impacted counties, 15% for wildlife habitat conservation, and 10% for renewable energy development. Visit www.asmartercolorado.com for more information.

August 22, 2008

Act to Protect Colorado Roadless Areas!

You can support the protection of Colorado’s Roadless Areas, including thousands of acres in the San Juan National Forest, by providing written comments.

BACKGROUND: Today, 4.4 million acres of Colorado’s roadless national forests are protected by the landmark Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001. On its way out the door, the Bush administration is moving forward with plans to remove the current protections now in place for Colorado’s roadless backcountry forests.  The proposed Draft Colorado Rule creates a second-rate management scheme that would allow industrial activity for some of the state’s most sensitive wildlands, leaving them with less protection than any other state in the lower 48. 

The Bush plan does not reflect – or respect – the intent to protect Colorado’s roadless national forests, as expressed by the public, the Governor, and in the State Task Force process.  Our written comments need to remind them of these important points:

1. Take More Time: The Bush administration is attempting to rush the process to a conclusion instead of taking the necessary time to comprehensively review the proposed rule for ALL of the effects it would have on Colorado’s roadless backcountry.

2. Support the 2001 Roadless Rule: This rule offered adequate protections for Roadless Areas and is the high standard necessary to protect all of our nation’s roadless lands - Colorado’s roadless backcountry deserves this measure of protection. More than 1.6 million public comments backed this rule when it was first proposed!!

3. Any version of a roadless rule enacted must provide these basic protections:

• The cessation of road construction including the “long-term temporary roads” noted in the Draft Colorado Roadless Rule that would last up to 30 years!
• Halting further oil and gas leasing and associated development such as pipelines and compressor stations.
• A stop to logging, coal mining and powerline construction.

Here is a thorough analysis (Word doc) of the proposed Colorado roadless rule.

Learn more about San Juan NF roadless areas.

Deadline is October 23, 2008