ROCK SPRINGS - It was more than 20 years ago that resident hunter Monte Morlock drew a much-coveted elk permit for Little Mountain south of Rock Springs.

Morlock remembers his world-class trophy elk hunt like it was yesterday. "Hunt of a lifetime," he says simply.

The longtime union/labor representative said scenic, as-yet undisturbed Little Mountain is a favorite recreation area for thousands of hunters like him, who try year after year to draw one of the most sought-after elk tags in the state.

He fears Little Mountain will become the latest casualty in the rush to lease and develop public lands in southwest Wyoming.

"Imagine this opening up like the Jonah or (Pinedale) Anticline (gas) fields, which it could," Morlock says as he scopes the seemingly empty countryside from the top of Little Mountain during a tour Friday.

"I'd hate to see a half-dozen rigs and pump stations and roads out there … imagine what that would to do this spectacular area," he said. "But if they're going to drill, and they're going to … I just hope they do it right and minimize their footprint."

Only time will tell if a loosely formed coalition of blue-collar workers like Morlock, conservationists, churches, hunters and anglers can stave off energy development in one of the county's last wild places.

The most recent drilling foray into the juniper-laced Little Mountain area was launched last year by the Oklahoma-based Devon Energy Co.

The company received federal approval this summer to drill the two-well Baxter Natural Gas Exploration Project within the Bureau of Land Management's Red Creek Management area, a stone's throw from Little Mountain's west side.

Located some 35 miles south of Rock Springs along U.S. 191 south, Little Mountain lies east of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and west of the area known as Adobe Town in south-central Sweetwater County.

Little Mountain supports thriving populations of elk and mule deer and is considered by some to be one of the premier hunting spots in the country. The area also provides habitat for several trout populations, including the Colorado River cutthroat trout, a revamped beaver population and other species.

Devon officials contend drilling in the area can be conducted in an environmentally sensitive manner and without significant harm to wildlife and other recreational resources.

Devon spokesman Chip Minty says the company is devoting the necessary time, money and resources to reduce environmental impacts, to minimize their footprint on the mountain and to address the concerns of all the stakeholders in the area.

Read more about the fight over drilling on Little Mountain in Tuesday's Star-Tribune and in Thursday's Energy Journal magazine, which will be distributed in the Star-Tribune.

Contact Southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino at 307-875-5359 or gearino@tribcsp.com.