6 environmental groups want regulators to toughen rules to consider regional and climate impacts of increased drilling activity in Colorado.
Rio Blanco County
Posted inBusiness
Oil, gas, coal mining on federal land in Colorado generates $393M in revenue, most in 14 years
Increasing royalties for the first time since the 1920s is credited for some of the extra revenue due to Colorado governments this fiscal year
Posted inWater
A shrinking county on the Western Slope wants to grow with the help of a new dam. Some say “No, thanks.”
Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District hopes to build an off-channel dam at Wolf Creek and pump river water north to fill it. A nearby landowner and river groups say it’s the wrong idea at the worst time.
Posted inNews
When Colorado oil and gas wells are sold to small companies, can the new owners afford the cleanup costs?
While a bunch of aging Rio Blanco County wells haven’t moved a whit, or produced much oil and gas, their corporate address has jumped in the last six years from Kansas to Texas to Highlands Ranch. Owner 1: Koch Exploration was located on the sprawling Wichita, Kansas, campus of Koch Industries, the privately-held conglomerate with […]
Posted inEnvironment, News
BLM to remove 80% of wild mustang herd from Sand Wash Basin in Colorado’s second helicopter roundup of the summer
For the second time this summer, a helicopter hired by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management will round up hundreds of wild horses roaming northwest Colorado in what the agency is calling an emergency operation to thin the herds. The roundup in the Sand Wash Basin, in far northwestern Colorado near the Wyoming border, is […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Outdoors, Water
The Yampa River is overdrawn and running out of water. And it’s hardly the only one.
The first public warning sign that the Yampa River in northwest Colorado was running out of water came during a scorching summer three years ago. Cross Mountain Ranch, a sprawling cattle, guest and hunting operation near Maybell and the Yampa’s confluence with the Little Snake River, needed water to flood meadows for sheep and other […]
Posted inEnvironment, News, Wildfire
Here are the wildfires currently burning across Colorado
UPDATE: This story was updated at 10:27 a.m. on Thursday, July 22, 2021, to include the latest information on the wildfires. Morgan Creek | Sylvan | Oil Springs | Trail Canyon | Muddy Slide | West | Wild Cow Morgan Creek fire Routt CountyA wildfire that ignited about 15 miles of north of Steamboat Springs […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Outdoors, Water, Wildfire
Northwest Colorado under “extremely critical” fire warning for first time in 15 years as Western Slope drought worsens
As drought conditions worsened on the Western Slope, the National Weather Service has issued its first “extremely critical” fire danger warning in 15 years for northwest Colorado. The warning, in effect through midnight, covers parts of Moffat and Rio Blanco counties that also are in a state of “exceptional drought,” according to the weekly U.S. […]
Posted inClimate, Coloradans, Economy, Environment, News, Outdoors, Politics and Government
Hard-right rooted group has made inroads in Colorado opposing Biden’s vision for public lands
Land grab or precious-resource preservation? The battle over where the truth ̶ and where Westerners’ hearts ̶ lie on that matter is rumbling through Colorado counties as a federal government initiative nicknamed 30×30 gains momentum, and opposition. Colorado has become the beachhead in a Texas-based group’s efforts to use local governments to thwart the Biden […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Citizen group asks Rangely, Rio Blanco County to invoke “Constitutional Sanctuary”status
Rangely residents have drafted resolutions seeking “Constitutional Sanctuary” status for Rio Blanco County and the town of Rangely. During work sessions for the Rio Blanco County Commissioners Tuesday, they asked the board to consider adopting the resolution, which they said would “make a statement” about the county’s position on state mandates and executive orders, including […]