With an eye toward human and wildlife health, the proposed rules would look at area-wide and long-term effects of drilling, rather than the well-by-well approach to drilling permits the state uses today.

The Oil and Gas Conservation Commission unveiled the plan Thursday in a joint meeting with the Wildlife Commission. Wildlife and health experts in the state government would have to be consulted about some drilling plans under the rules.

"It's an initial proposal, not a final proposal. This is something to begin the dialogue, not to dictate terms," said David Neslin, acting director of the oil and gas commission.

The commission expects to work on the rules over the next six months.

The changes come from a pair of bills passed last spring that remade the membership of the oil and gas commission and told it to write rules to protect health and wildlife. The Legislature put a July 1, 2008, deadline on the new rules.

But it's too fast for some people in the gas industry.

"This proposal has bitten off a big bite. We're not convinced we can get that done efficiently by July," said Ken Wonstolen, an attorney for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, an industry lobbying group.

Josh Epel, who represents the industry on the reformed COGCC, said the same thing.

"I'm just cautioning all of us about what it's going to take to get to the starting line, much less across the finish line," Epel said.

But Division of Wildlife employees have been concerned about energy development.

"When you fracture the landscape with roads and pipelines and people, you're going to have an impact on wildlife," said John Bredehoft of the Division of Wildlife.

Bredehoft said the same concerns apply to new subdivisions.

The commission plans to hold a public meeting about the rules in January in each major gas basin, including the Durango area.

Also Thursday, the Wildlife Commission handed out awards for conservation to five energy companies for their work in the Piceance Basin - Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell, Williams and EnCana.

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