- The adoption of a resolution designed to protect the Phil's World bicycle system from oil and gas development will wait a little longer.
The adoption of a resolution designed to protect the Phil’s World bicycle system from oil and gas development will wait a little longer. The Montezuma County commissioners, with Larry Don Suckla absent on a trip to Washington, D.C., opted Monday to continue a public hearing on the so-called “1041” rules until March 7th. The rules, which are part of state law, are intended to give counties who adopt them a say in managing public lands around areas of state interest or activities. In this case, the county hopes to use them to gain some influence over federal and state lands encompassing the trails east of Cortez. However, on Monday three citizens raised questions. M.B. McAfee and Gala Pock said the county’s rule would be invalid because “recreation” is not on the list of possible activities of state interest specified in the law. Pock also said if a county wants to restrict energy development, it must have the concurrence of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Commission attorney John Baxter said the county might “get shot down” in court if it rejects a future oil or gas lease, but only time would tell. Dexter Gill spoke in support of the county gaining control of lands within its boundaries but did not want to see one particular use, namely recreation, locked in. Baxter said the proposed rule would not do that.
