"When our elected officials start realizing there's a large united bloc of the voting public that's serious about this, then they'll become serious about what we're proposing," Elderkin said.

Wonstolen, the senior vice president and general counsel for the oil and gas association, said the energy industry recognizes there are special places on the plateau that should be protected and that it could be made a showcase for development.

Elderkin, who worked on the Roan Plateau while with the BLM, said he wants strong rules in place to make sure development leads to good examples across the West.

"This current gas play is different from anything we've experienced in the past because in the past we were always talking about a specific oil field or specific gas field of limited geographical extent," he said, standing beside the East Fork of Parachute Creek as it flowed toward a 200-foot waterfall. "This gas play is literally from horizon to horizon."

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On the Net:

Colorado Bureau of Land Management: www.co.blm.gov

Trout Unlimited: www.tu.org

Colorado Oil and Gas Association: www.coga.org