Blue Heron
A Great Blue Heron uses an area near natural gas rigs. Antelope graze in the background.
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Wildlife and Development
A Great Blue Heron and pronghorn are found alongside a road with heavy truck traffic and adjacent drill rig activity.
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Cattle and drill rig
Cattle graze in a field below a natural gas drill rig. The New Fork River flows along the line of trees between them.
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Paradise Road
by Dawn Ballou
September 6, 2004
We have often said that here in Pinedale you can jump in the truck and point it in any direction and you'll see wildlife no matter what direction you go in. Most of the time we head for the nearby mountains or lakes where we know we'll find incredible scenery, forest, tumbling streams and wildlife around every turn.
Recently we decided to go a different route, into 'the Mesa' south of Pinedale, to follow the New Fork River south from Boulder to where it flows into the Green River near Big Piney. This route following the New Fork goes along the now-famous Paradise Road, in the heart of the natural gas development areas taking place south of Pinedale. This is the Pinedale Anticline area that has been so much in the news on national TV programs and in big city newspaper articles as environmental groups challenge energy development's every step. If you don't live in this area and can't see it for yourself, publicity would no doubt have you believe this is a lush wildlife haven and recreation playground laid waste by energy developers. With all the many new natural gas drill rigs popping up, and the heavy truck traffic on this road, we didn't expect to see much in the way of wildlife along this route.
We were surprised to see herds of antelope contentedly grazing IN fenced off well pad areas. After puzzling over that for a short while, we realized it was because the grass was better there than in the open sagebrush areas. We saw great blue heron, swans, flocks of Canada geese and an osprey sitting on a nest right along the busy road, seemingly oblivious to the trucks driving along the road just below the nest. In fact, we saw more migratory birds along this road than we have seen anywhere else on our many tours this summer. We also saw fishermen fishing the banks of the river and floating downstream in drift boats enjoying the weekend on the river.
Certainly, the people who live along this road are being heavily impacted by the development currently happeniing in this area with the noise, constant truck traffic and night-time lights. The rigs here now will be gone in a few months, but others will come to replace them to drill in other locations. This is activity that is likely to go on for years and it is definitely not something the people bargained for when they moved here for the solitude and scenic beauty. Still, the energy resource being retrieved is desperately needed and there are huge economic benefits to the country, state, and this county from this activity. The one thing all seem to be able to agree on is wanting responsible stuardship of the land.
Despite all the hub-bub of activity taking place along this road, both for agriculture and energy development, it was obvious on this one weekend drive that there still is plenty of wildlife living here that has adjusted to the activity levels. Paradise road, along the New Fork River, is still a haven for a variety of species of wildlife.
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