Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners are set to allow oil drilling and gas fracking on six acres of St. Vrain State Park, a wetlands area that is home to bald eagles, pelicans, and herons. But they haven’t made their final decision yet – tell them that this is the wrong thing to do.

According to PWC Chairman Tim Glenn, "If we can do this with fairly limited environmental impact, I don't see the real downside. " But there is no way to increase fossil fuel production without harming the environment. More oil means more deadly climate change – it’s just that simple.

And of course, any oil drilled could likely wind up in a pipeline, and the dozens of recent pipeline spills have proven there is never a way to be sure of environmental safety. Fracking is no better – as recent studies from Cornell and National Center for Atmospheric Research have reminded us, methane leaks will occur, and that’s bad news for a wetlands area like St. Vrain.

Public parks should be safe havens for residents and tourists to recreate, explore, and learn in a safe and pristine environment. These parks belong to all of us – not to the profit margins of Big Oil. Protect them, don’t sell them, and say no to drilling and fracking in St. Vrain.

Picture credit: The St. Vrain River in northern Colorado. Courtesy Flickr user carolynconner.