Federal agency to open tens of thousands of acres of Colorado wilderness to oil drilling 

This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is reproduced here with permission. A federal agency will offer tens of thousands of acres in northwestern Colorado that the nation’s largest elk herd relies upon for migration, foraging, and winter habitat to oil and gas companies for lease in the state’s biggest such sale in modern history. More than 100 parcels included in a June 16 lease sale , pronghorn, and mule deer migration corridors that extend into southern Wyoming. Many sit in Moffat County, which bills itself as the “Elk Hunting Capital of the World” and relies on the pastime in part for its economic stability. About two-thirds of the acreage in the 156,000-acre lease sale is just south of Dinosaur National Monument, a remote park that’s among the country’s over 40 certified International Dark Sky Places — areas with exceptionally dark night skies. Tourism officials in Moffat, who saw inquiries drop , voiced concern that bright lights and truck traffic that accompany fossil fuel extraction could imperil this hard-won designation. “Things like that could put that status in jeopardy,” said Tom Kleinschnitz, the county’s director of tourism. “In the long run, I think it’s important to keep these areas as pristine as possible.” Grist thanks its sponsors. To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. Here's How The record June lease sale contradicts the Bureau of Land Management’s stated strategy for the national monument, as well as the 2024 amendments to area plans for northwestern Colorado that strengthened habitat protections for ungulates like elk and deer and at-risk birds such as the Gunnison sage-grouse. Read Next ‘I need Chevron’: The oil company at the center of the California governor’s race Jake Bittle Risks to big game and Dinosaur National Park are just a few examples of what’s at stake for the environment, the economy, and public health. 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 .  These include the black-footed ferret, wolverine, boreal toad, and Colorado pikeminnow, and threatened plants such as the Colorado hookless cactus and Parachute penstemon. The lease sale includes acreage relied upon -tailed grouse, greater sage-grouse, ferruginous hawk, and swift fox — all identified . 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.