An environmental watchdog claims that a cagey maneuver in the waning days of the Bush administration could open 87,147 acres of national forest in Colorado, including 13,663 acres near Carbondale, to oil and gas exploration. The Pew Environment Group said Wednesday that the administration is expected to issue new rules this month, possibly as soon as Friday, that could unlock lands in Colorado’s roadless areas. The group issued a report called "Leasing Colorado’s Legacy: New Roadless Plan Opens Backcountry to Drilling" to detail the stakes. The report claims that 17 gas leases that are currently off limits for exploration and production southwest of Carbondale could be unfrozen if the administration is successful. Those leases are in the Thompson Creek area, southwest of Carbondale. ‘Oil and gas development here could quickly and permanently change the landscape, threatening hiking and climbing along Thompson Creek, a popular destination, providing excellent hiking, climbing and boasting great views of Mount Sopris and the Roaring Fork Valley,’ the Pew Environment Group study says.

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