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<br />Bul others fear that wafer diverted for oil shale witl dn
<br />up the agricultural land in north\\est Colorado, for the
<br /><,fate's farmers and ranchers no\\ account for a full 90
<br />percent of the waler con-.unled.
<br />According to MeSparran of Colony, oil-..ha]e devel-
<br />opment does not threaten d~ri(ultura] \...-ater right".
<br />"When you LOmert a~ricultural right.. to industrial
<br />rights," he explain.., "vou lo.;e a largl> portion OT the
<br />right,..o it'" not a n'r,' allractivf.' .;,ouree for indu..tr\."
<br />MeSparran add<" however, that peoplp do po<,e a
<br />threat fo agriculture. "I think the grpatest impacf on
<br />agriculture will bp caused bv the dispersion 01 the
<br />increa<,ed population. whether indun'd b\ oil .;hale or
<br />other developmt"nts," he o;,avo;"
<br />Other source.. do point fa \....at('r .1<' the main culprit
<br />that could clme down rancht".. in the Mea. Atthe EPA,
<br />Hardawa~' 5avs: "The oil companie.. have bought up
<br />some waTer right<, that will take water awa\ irom
<br />agricultural use," which could have impJCfS on pro.
<br />SP('cli\'e food ..hortage... And Gigoux OT Club 20 ..av<,:
<br />"\\'e went to Wa<,hington 10 falk about thi.. (water
<br />problem) but \\(' can't <'('('01 to gel Ihe people tlwre
<br />interested." Bul. he add.., oil <,hdle certainl..- isn't the
<br />onlv (.lust:' oi the problem. In laLl. hp <,,1\<', "Tht'
<br />oil...hale companie<, have done a good job 01 evalua-
<br />ting the <,ituation. But we al..o han' coal and uranium
<br />mining in Ihi<, .nea, and tht'\ u<,e walt'r. And, DeO\er
<br />lake.. a large chunk 01 our w,lter. All oi the..t' ('nlitie..
<br />are pursuing thf'ir own interesh and I ha\'en't been
<br />.1ble to find an\' group thai is evaluating what .111 aT
<br />these things together will do," And, he .1dds, if no
<br />plan.. .1re m.1de ior an "inlt'grated u..e at \\hat \\l' do
<br />with thi... finite resource, agriculture will be .;tam-
<br />peded. "
<br />
<br />Of;??
<br />
<br />Oil Shale: liger in lourism's lank?
<br />II agriculturt' i.. <'\ampeded and, as many obsef\ers
<br />predict, the re~ion evenluallv become.. an indu'i.frial-
<br />urban comple>., the change" will also certain Iv affect
<br />tourism in the region. Touri<,m is certainlv not as
<br />importanl 10 the oil-..hale region ,I.. it is in other areas
<br />at Colorado, but todav tourists J.fe a signiiicant, dnd
<br />Krowin~, iactor In Iht, region'" economy. A DRI work-
<br />ing paper on oil shale points oul thai it agricullural
<br />.lctivity is ""eriou..1v reduced, , . Ihis \\ould damage
<br />thf" .leslhetir values upon which touri..m depend..."
<br />lohn Gilmore, the (Q.aulhor oj the paper, add.. that
<br />oil-sh.l1f'" worker.. and tourist<; could find rhem...elves
<br />competing ior hou..ing in the region. And oil shale
<br />might be a hard blo\\ 10 ..nab appe-a1. "A..pen and V.lil
<br />haw built up an exclu..ive almosphere (in the areal,"
<br />he <'.1V", "and tht.\, are vt'rv worried aboutlhe eilect.. oj
<br />lem at thou..ands at blue-collar workers comin~ into
<br />the region."
<br />Othl.r.. ..ee oil ..hall' .1" ,1 potenlial boon lor tourism
<br />in thl' region ,lOd the state, ,\\cSparran give... the
<br />example 01 a propo..t'd ..ki area ,1(fO"S irom Riih', "One
<br />at the thing.; thai m.l\" (it'ride whether or not this ski
<br />Jrt'.l i.. dt'V('lopt'd i.. \\hl,ther oil sh.llt' come<; in," he
<br />explain... And ..amp ob..ef\'er.. point out that oil-shale
<br />developmenT should help oiiwt the <'\atewide tourism
<br />downtrend, ior rt'(t'nt fuel 'ihorlage<, have punctured
<br />hole.. in Colorado's important tourism industry.
<br />
<br />Business multipliers
<br />
<br />The oil-..hale industf\ obdou..lv i.. not going to exi..t
<br />in an economic vacuum. Although Iht' SCJ.fcih ofwaler
<br />in Iht' region OlaV turn other indu<,trial water user...
<br />awav, the area will ..till need man',-' new busine...st....
<br />
<br />
<br />(above), prepare for the commg boom,
<br />
<br />l\!ClT!\! \\("1 fll"H""R" 101ll0' '..b'u.n 1<1~. 23
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