Albuquerque Journal

Tuesday, January 6, 2004

BLM OKs Expanding Otero Mesa Drilling

By Tania Soussan
Journal Staff Writer

Expanded oil and gas drilling on Otero Mesa can go forward with some restrictions under a federal Bureau of Land Management plan released Monday.Otero Mesa in southern New Mexico includes thousands of acres of biologically rich Chihuahuan Desert grassland that supports pronghorn, mule deer and hundreds of bird species. It also has a largely untapped but potentially huge new reserve of natural gas.

The area has become a key battleground in the national debate over competing demands for increased domestic oil and gas production and for environmental protection.

"It's a good balanced plan that does provide for protection of a number of important resources ... while providing the opportunity to explore and develop the natural gas resource," said Amy Lueders, manager of the BLM's Las Cruces field office.

Conservationists cried foul Monday, saying the plan doesn't do enough to protect the fragile grasslands and doesn't reflect New Mexicans' wishes. "There is nothing about it that is good for New Mexico at the end of the day," said Stephen Capra, associate director of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, a member of the Otero Mesa Coalition.

Bob Gallagher, president of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, said the industry is unhappy with the restrictions, which could make some drilling projects economically infeasible, but pleased that development can go forward.

"This document will allow— although limited— for the development in an environmentally responsible way," he said.

People who commented on the draft plan now have 30 days to protest, and Gov. Bill Richardson has 60 days to review the plan and make sure it is consistent with state policies.

The BLM plan governs about 2 million acres in Otero and Sierra counties, where 140 new wells and 1,600 acres of surface disturbance— roads and pipelines, for example— are expected over the next 20 years.

Drilling in some environmentally sensitive areas is forbidden, and core habitat for the endangered Aplomado falcon will be off limits for five years. Some other sensitive areas will have restrictions, but most of the land will be open.

Otero Mesa has been the plan's focus of controversy, and the BLM adopted special rules for about 100,000 acres of the mesa's important grasslands. Drilling projects there must be coordinated to minimize new roads and only 5 percent of each development unit could be occupied by roads, well pads and other facilities at the same time.

Conservationists say the 5 percent plan is inadequate, partly because the land disturbance would be spread out over a broad area and also because it will be virtually impossible to reclaim the fragile grasslands.

"You're talking about destroying the grasslands, the core area of Otero Mesa," Capra said.

The BLM and the oil and gas industry disagree. They say revegetation will be possible, even though it will be more difficult than in other areas of New Mexico.

The proposed increased development has drawn broad and vocal opposition. Richardson, five former state Game and Fish Department directors, the heads of several sportsmen's groups, area ranchers, the private property rights group Paragon Foundation and five former members of the BLM's Resource Advisory Council oppose expanded drilling.

"Governor Richardson remains skeptical that any drilling in Otero Mesa could be done without damage to the environment," said Richardson spokesman Billy Sparks.

Richardson has appointed a task force of state agency heads to evaluate the BLM plan quickly and report back to him.

Also Monday, the BLM backed off a plan to have an advisory committee meet Thursday to work on details of the Otero Mesa grasslands restrictions. Conservation groups had filed suit last week, saying the meeting was illegal because it blocked public participation.