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Monday letters: Protecting nature, climate change, and pipeline opposition

Protect West Mamm from further development

In response to the West Mamm Pipeline Project, I would like to encourage anyone who enjoys the outdoors of western Colorado to take a drive or hike the West Mamm Road. In the winter, you will see elk tracks and a variety of animals, including white weasels. In the summer, you will enjoy breathtaking views and even more wild creatures.

I was told years ago that the Beaver Creek Project, one gully over, would be so small that “you will hardly know we are here.” That has been a huge “misunderstanding” apparently, since roads, well sites, and locked gates have absolutely ruined this slice of nature that was once pristine.



I am well aware of the oil and gas industry and the jobs it has created in the last 60 years that I have lived here, but just this time, let’s contact the BLM and Forest Service and save this small area for a peaceful place to have for years to come.

Rhonda Bell, Rifle



We are in a new era

As Los Angeles burned for days on end, scientists made an announcement that 2024 was the hottest year on record.

With temperatures rising around the globe, scientists are warning that the world has entered a dangerous new era of chaotic floods, storms, and fires made worse by human-caused climate change.

The firestorms ravaging our country’s second-largest city are just the latest in extreme weather that is growing more furious and unpredictable. Wildfires are highly unusual in Southern California in January, which is supposed to be the rainy season. The same is true for cyclones in Appalachia, where Hurricanes Helene and Milton tore through mountain communities in October.

Wildfires are burning hotter and moving faster. Storms are getting bigger and carrying more moisture. Soaring temperatures worldwide are leading to heat waves and drought, which can be devastating on their own.

Around the globe, extreme weather and searing heat killed thousands of people last year and displaced millions. In Europe, extreme heat contributed to at least 47,000 deaths in 2023. In the United States, heat-related deaths have doubled in recent decades.

“We’re in a new era now,” said former Vice President Al Gore, who has warned of the threats of global warming for decades. “These climate-related extreme events are increasing, both in frequency and intensity, quite rapidly.”

The question remains: When are we going to stop killing our planet by burning fossil fuels to power our homes, cars, and industries?

Ron Sadler, Greeley

Opposing the West Mamm Creek Pipeline Project

This letter is to respond to the West Mamm project. Please join me in protesting this project. I’ve been away from the valley for a number of years, and upon returning, I found the places I most enjoyed are now controlled by the gas and oil industry. Where I used to explore and enjoy the breathtaking sites of the Rifle area are now locked gates and no trespassing signs.

I understand progress to make things better, but how is this making western Colorado better? I see fewer deer, elk, bears, and all natural wildlife gone! It’s not because of us. It’s because of wide roads, drilling rigs, high tanks, and the desire of the gas and oil industry to make more money while we lose our freedom to explore the places God gave us to enjoy.

Don’t you think over the past 20 years you have done enough to destroy what was once Mother Nature’s gift to all of us who enjoy the outdoors? Think about what we have lost and think again about what we continue to lose if we let gas and oil take it all.

Don Schrotberger, Rifle


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