Does Wilderness Impact Resource Industries Like Natural Gas?
Some areas in the Citizens’ Wilderness Proposal have natural gas potential, and the majority of public lands will remain open to gas development even if all the areas in the Citizens’ Wilderness Proposal are protected. Within each wilderness area, only valid mineral rights established prior to the designation of the wilderness area, or prior to BLM’s identification of an area as a Wilderness Study Area, can be developed. “Subject to valid rights…existing (at the time of wilderness designation), the minerals in the lands designated …as wilderness areas are withdrawn from all forms of appropriation under the mining laws and from all laws pertaining to mineral leasing and all amendments thereto.” (Wilderness Act, Section 4(d)(3)) Even with lands off-limits to new leases, wilderness protection has not significantly impeded gas production in the state. On Colorado BLM lands, gas production has increased 555% since 1976, when about 10% of agency lands were first put off-limits to develop
