Energy companies keep private land open to hunters

Under an agreement with state wildlife officials, two major energy companies have agreed to keep several large private parcels in western Colorado open to hunters.

Shell Frontier Oil & Gas Co. and EnCana Oil & Gas (USA) have separate agreements with the state to allow hunting on land each company owns.

EnCana will keep about 17,000 acres of private land on the Roan Plateau near Rifle open during this year's big game hunting seasons. The area is home to some of Colorado's largest deer and elk herds and large reserves of natural gas and oil shale.

Shell leases more than 19,000 acres of land to the Division of Wildlife for $1 a year to provide access to hunters under a 10-year agreement signed last year.

The agreements with the companies identify specific areas where hunting is allowed to ensure the safety of their workers.

The land was originally overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. A 1980 agreement allowing energy companies to acquire the land included a section requiring the area to remain open to the public for 25 years.

The agreement expired in August 2005 and signs declaring it private property started appearing.

"It was frustrating for some of our hunters when they arrived in these areas where they may have hunted for years, or in some cases generations, only to find that they were no longer welcome," said Bill DeVergie, the Division of Wildlife's area manager. "It's great that these two companies have agreed to keep these lands open to hunters."

Source : www.casperstartribune.net