The plan is largely a response to local pressure to keep the area covered by the leases undeveloped. The area, known as the Thompson divide, depends on a rural economy mostly based on agriculture, hunting and fishing, and other recreational activities.
"Development in the Thompson Divide area is not a 'game-changer' for Colorado’s oil and gas industry, but development in the area could seriously impact rich and vibrant rural economies built around existing uses in the Thompson Divide," according to local activist group Thompson Divide Coalition.
However,
