By Mark P. Couch
Denver Post Staff Writer

Colorado Springs Gazette editorial

   The drumbeat is building for a big boost in funding for higher education in Colorado. But picking the taxpayers’ pockets needn’t be the first resort, and might not be required, if Coloradans are willing to make trade-offs. What kind of trade-offs? We’re glad you asked.
    Regular readers by now know that a fight is raging over drilling on the Roan Plateau, a formerly obscure piece of Colorado geography that’s taken on mythical importance to antidrilling activists and politicians friendly to their cause, including Sen. Ken Salazar, Gov. Bill Ritter and others. Several weeks ago we weighed in on whether the BLM’s drilling plan for the Roan responsibly balances environmental and economic values — we think it does. But what’s largely been missing from the debate is the potential windfall drilling on the Roan will generate for this cash-strapped state, some of which could be diverted for the benefit of state colleges and universities, mitigating the need for further tax increases.

Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Editorial

As the preceding editorial suggests, short of a highly unlikely act of Congress, gas drilling on the top of the Roan Plateau is all but a fait accompli in the wake of Reps. John Salazar's and Mark Udall's failed efforts last week to force the U.S. Bureau of Land Management into imposing a one-year commercial leasing moratorium on the top of the Roan.

Even U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar's decision last week to place a hold on the Bush administration's nomination of James Caswell to replace Kathlene Clarke as the new director of the BLM in order to give the new Ritter administration 120 days to thoroughly examine the BLM's Roan Plateau Management Plan will not permanently forestall leasing the top of the Roan. (Note to area BLM managers: This should be a no-brainer. You should extend the Ritter administration that simple courtesy.)