There are some key examples where special interest groups used forethought and pre-emptive strikes to thwart troubling developments, but for the most part sportsmen and sportswomen in Utah usually stand back and let somebody else explain their passion for wildlife and the lands that provide them a home.

Things have changed with our country's ever-increasing demand for energy. As oil and gas exploration and development rages, obvious concerns for wildlife have emerged.

To provide a venue for hunters and anglers, and anybody else with a concern about pulling oil and gas from the land and the impacts on wildlife, Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development was formed.

The main players in the group include Trout Unlimited, the National Wildlife Federation and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. All three groups have stood in Washington, D.C., backrooms fighting for preservation and conservation in the West. Now they are asking hunters and anglers to stand with them united.

To make one thing clear, the idea is not to fight energy development as a whole. The groups realize energy exploration and tapping is something the country should be doing, but there are ways to do it without wiping out wildlife and they want to make sure it is done with that in mind.

The group created a Bill of Rights, which can sound repetitive at times, and seems obvious, but getting something on paper and with a couple million signatures behind it carries the important message to politicians and federal land agencies.

Literature from the groups points out that nine blue-ribbon fisheries, 23 limited-entry elk hunting units and seven limited-entry deer hunting units in Utah are in areas being considered for energy development.

Also pointed out is that between 1996 and 2008 nearly 4 million acres of public lands in Utah were leased for oil and gas development. Another 16 million acres of public land in Utah is under consideration.

So visit www.sportsmen 4responsibleenergy.org and snoop around to see what the movement is all about. And, if you are ready to do more than submit an electronic signature, head to Wyoming May 21-24 for the Responsible Energy Development Symposium. Visit the Web site for details.

brettp@sltrib.com

The Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development Bill of Rights

1. The public lands that hunters and anglers depend upon shall remain in the public's hands for the use of future generations.

2. Hunters and anglers shall have a voice in decisions affecting oil and gas development on public lands.

3. Public lands shall be managed for many uses, including hunting and fishing.

4. Our hunting and fishing heritage shall not be jeopardized by oil and gas development that fails to account for the future, long-term impacts to fish, wildlife and water resources.

5. Oil and gas drilling shall not harm water resources that are priceless to people and vital to wildlife.

6. Hunters and anglers shall not be forced to pay for the costs associated with poorly planned oil and gas development on public lands.

7. Oil and gas development shall comply with common-sense regulations put in place to minimize the impact oil and gas drilling on fish, wildlife and people.

8. Vital fish and wildlife habitat on public lands shall be protected. Sage grouse habitat, fragile trout streams, deer and elk winter range and irreplaceable riparian habitat must not be sacrificed.

9. The oil and gas industry shall pay for its fair share of the cost for permitting and habitat restoration on public lands that are drilled for oil and gas.

10. State and federal fish and wildlife agencies shall have adequate funding to ensure the long-term health of fish, wildlife and water resources on our public lands.