Today leaders of Colorado’s conservation community met at the state capitol to outline the numerous 2007 legislative victories for Colorado’s environment.
"This year, Colorado lawmakers ran the most pro-conservation legislature in our state’s history," said Elise Jones, Executive Director of the Colorado Environmental Coalition. "We have seen the passage of new laws that bolster Colorado’s new energy economy, balance oil and gas development with protection of wildlife habitat and local communities, and ensure our state’s water resources are clean."
Over a dozen bills promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency were approved this year -- including the cornerstone of Gov. Ritter’s renewable energy platform -- HB 1281, which increases the Colorado Renewable Energy Standard to 20% by 2020. According to a report by Environment Colorado, the increased Renewable Energy Standard will add over $1.9 billion to the state’s economy by 2020.
"Governor Ritter and the 65th General Assembly made Colorado a true national leader in renewable energy," said Will Coyne, Program Director with Environment Colorado. "Colorado will look back on the 2007 session as the tipping point for our new energy economy."
In addition to HB 1281 which increased the Renewable Energy Standard, the legislature passed bills to encourage the construction of transmission lines for wind energy, provide incentives for renewable energy and efficiency projects, increase energy efficiency standards in building codes, and expand energy efficiency programs for natural gas and electric utilities.
"Governor Ritter and state lawmakers kept their campaign promises to put Colorado on a path to a new energy future," added Coyne. The legislature also passed several bills that will increase environmental and public health protections in the face of unprecedented oil and gas development.
The Department of Natural Resources led an effort to reform the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission by running HB07-1341. This measure reforms the commission so that the oil and gas industry is no longer guaranteed a majority of seats on the committee while also requiring commissioners to avoid and minimize damage to the environment, wildlife resources and public health.
"As oil and gas development expands, these new protections will help balance economic growth with protections for health and the environment from Weld County out to the west slope," said Suzanne Oneil, Director of the Colorado Wildlife Federation. "The 2007 legislature provided much needed protection for the people and the environment of impacted communities."
In addition to reforming the oil and gas commission, the legislature also passed HB07-1298 to increase protection for wildlife in oil and gas development areas. HB07-1298 makes protecting wildlife resources part of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's mission and ensures that the Division of Wildlife plays a more prominent role in protecting wildlife in the face of oil and gas development.
Efforts to protect water quality also met with great success. This year sportsmen and conservationists teamed up to protect Colorado's water resources by supporting HB07-1132, a measure allowing state water courts to protect water quality -- a similar bill to one that suffered defeat in the Senate during the 2006 session. This year, the bill achieved strong bipartisan support in the legislature and backing from water providers and conservationists.
"Keeping the water in our rivers and streams clean is an issue near and dear to anglers," said David Nickum, Executive Director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. "We are very pleased to see the legislature provide this new tool to protect water quality when large amounts of water change hands."
The conservation community also partnered with local governments and agricultural groups to pass HB07-1329 which adds 12 employees to monitor and enforce water quality. In 2004 a report was issued by the Water Quality Control Division Director stating water quality programs were "at risk of failure" due to "virtually no enforcement" of water and wastewater treatment violations discovered during inspections. The legislature also passed HB07-1012 which ensures that people are not penalized when they loan water rights to maintain instream flows, and SB 8, which increases assistance to local communities to create and implement water efficiency plans.
"This session was a banner year for passing strong environmental policy, and we certainly applaud the work of the legislature," said Doyle.
