Poorly planned energy projects could irreparably harm 10 cherished hunting and fishing destinations on Western public lands, according to a report released by a coalition of 500 sportsmen, businesses and organizations.

The report, "Hunting and Fishing Imperiled," from Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development, focuses on the impacts oil and natural gas extraction could have on irreplaceable landscapes vital to fish and wildlife and prized by hunters and anglers. The 10 threatened places - overseen by the Bureau of Land Management or U.S. Forest Service - are in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. (Please see list at end of document.)

The public lands cited in the report include Colorado's Roan Plateau, where natural gas development could devastate native Colorado River cutthroat trout and trophy big-game elk and mule deer. The list also includes Utah's Uinta National Forest, New Mexico's Otero Mesa and the Middle Yellowstone River Valley in Montana, among other special places where proposed oil and gas development could adversely affect fish and game populations.

During the past decade, an unprecedented energy boom transformed huge tracts of Western public lands. Between 2000 and 2008, the number of permits to develop oil and gas tripled, and an estimated 126,000 new wells are planned for the next 20 years. Another 26 million acres - an area larger than Ohio - already are leased for development, the report says.

"Oil and gas extraction can be done in a responsible manner that protects habitat and recreational opportunities," said Brad Powell, former U.S. Forest Service Regional Forester and Trout Unlimited's energy policy director. "But there are certain places where responsible development means leaving areas just as they are. By no means are we asking industry to quit drilling. We're simply asking for a cautious approach that protects the hunting and angling heritage so vital to the West."

For a full report, please go to www.sportsmen4responsibleenergy.org and follow the links to "Hunting and Fishing Imperiled." -- Jay Cassell