The Piceance Basin in western Colorado is blessed with one of the most abundant and diverse wildlife populations in North America. It’s a place where hunters can find animals such as elk, mule deer, antelope and mountain lions. The area is home to one of the largest migratory deer herds in the nation and one of the country’s largest elk herds. The Piceance is critical winter range for big game and other wildlife. In addition, the White River — located near the heart of the Piceance — is home to several endangered fish, including native Colorado cutthroat trout.

In the midst of this irreplaceable big game and trout habitat, energy development is occurring at an unprecedented rate, and the vast oil shale deposits in the Piceance Basin are no secret. Oil shale development uses vast amounts of water — up to five barrels of water for the production of just one barrel of oil. The BLM estimates that large-scale oil shale development would result in the permanent loss of up to 35 percent of Colorado River cutthroat trout fisheries.

In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, Colorado voters were asked about the best way to solve the energy crisis. They chose renewable energy over oil and gas by a margin of 54 percent to 21 percent. As a big game hunter and former Air Force officer who cares deeply about our country and its rapidly dwindling wild lands and wildlife, I’m cognizant of the fact that 65 percent of the world’s known oil reserves are in the Persian Gulf; the United States has only 3 percent, but we account for 26 percent of the world demand.

More drilling or oil shale development in western Colorado or anywhere else in this country will not do us any good long-term. It’s simple fifth-grade math and common sense.