Changes to Zoning Resolution Section 35, Drilling & Production of Oil & Gas

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I suspect this update to our zoning regulations is in response to the recent Colorado Legislature ruling which stated that city and county regulations cannot override State. That was specifically in regard to fracking, but our county, ever on the leading edge of caving in to big industry, is obviously ready to fold. Read for yourself the the red-lined regulation with proposed changes: ZR Section 35 D&P O&G 073114 draft 14_107842AM

and the email cover letter follows. If you have any concerns regarding these changes to the drilling offsets from residences, or any of the other proposed changes, please contact Patrick O’Connell at poconnel@jeffco.us or 303-271-8707, and plan to submit comments by August 13, 2014. If you plan to attend the hearings, the Planning Commission hearing is scheduled for August 27, 2014 at 6:15 pm, and the Board of County Commissioners hearing is scheduled for September 16, 2014 at 8:00 am.

From: Pat OConnell [mailto:poconnel@co.jefferson.co.us]
Sent: Friday, 01 August, 2014 11:16 AM
Subject: Jefferson County Zoning Resolution Section 35, Drilling and Production of Oil and Gas, Proposed Amendments – Case No. 14-107842AM

The County is proposing changes to the Zoning Resolution, Section 35, Drilling And Production of Oil And Gas

Jefferson County staff is drafting an amendment to Section 35 of the Zoning Resolution regarding the Drilling And Production of Oil And Gas. This Section is being amended to clarify the process for drilling and production of oil and gas in different zone districts and to address the discrepancies between setback requirements with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission rules and regulations.  The setbacks are being amended to match those in the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission rules and regulations.

The remarked version for the following Section is available for public review and comment, Case Number 14-107842AM:

  • Zoning Resolution – Section 35 – Drilling And Production of Oil And Gas

Information can also be found on the Regulation Revision webpage which can found here: http://jeffco.us/planning-and-zoning/regulations/regulation-revision/

For more information contact Patrick O’Connell at poconnel@jeffco.us or 303-271-8707.

Please submit comments by August 13, 2014. Planning Commission hearing is scheduled for August 27, 2014 at 6:15 pm. The Board of County Commissioners hearing is scheduled for September 16, 2014 at 8:00 am. Both hearings will be held in Hearing Room 1 of the Jefferson County Administration and Courts Building, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden. Public testimony is encouraged at both hearings.

Pat OConnell, poconnel@co.jefferson.co.us

Rocky Flats Update, the 25th Anniversary of the FBI raid on Rocky Flats

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What’s Happening at Rocky Flats Today?

For nearly 40 years the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant near Denver produced plutonium pits for nuclear weapons, with extensive toxic and radioactive contamination on- and off-site.

Colorado continues to struggle with the long-term environmental and historical legacy of Rocky Flats. Upcoming events include an unprecedented symposium at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities June 6-8, community organization meetings, meetings for citizens concerned about a new dog park on contaminated land, and more. Find out what you need to know at http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b091790d7900d4ee97eaee42b&id=8deb35ca37&e=7a743fe88a

Calling All Nature Photographers!

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The Clear Creek Land Conservancy is holding its Summer Solstice Photography Workshop with professional photographer Larry Caine on June 21st, 2014 from 6am – 10am.
Where:  Clear Creek Canyon (precise meeting place to be determined)
Level:  Beginning to Intermediate
Cost:  Suggested $50 tax-deductible donation (No charge for 2012 or 2013 CCLC calendar contest winners!)

Space is limited, reservations are required, closes June 1st. Call 303.718.9546 or email info@clearcreeklandconservancy.org.

CCLC Solstice Photo Workshop 2014

To print your own flyer, download CCLC Photo Workshop Poppies

There’s a New Version of the 2014 Master Plan…

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…for you to read at http://jeffco.us/parks/about/open-space-master-plan/.  Following the February 11th Board of County Commissioners public hearing, the BCC considered approval of the Master Plan.

At that time, members of the development community requested more time to review maps and make comments before approval. They were granted a 30-day extension.

The Open Space Advisory Committee will again review and consider the staff-recommended Master Plan at their regular meeting (open to the public) on Thursday, March 6, 2014 at 7:00 p.m, at the Open Space building, Ponderosa meeting room. Following this meeting, the BCC will consider the Master Plan at their regular hearing on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, 8AM. This meeting is open to the public; it will be in Hearing Room 1, Administration and Courts Facility (the Taj), 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden.

The Nature Conservancy protects 1M acres in Montana

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Sometimes land preservation is done on a big scale. Last week, The Nature Conservancy closed on a 515-acre conservation easement, to bring the total of Montana land which is now preserved and protected from development to just over 1 million acres. One million acres of Montana protected in the 35 years that TNC has been working in the state; that’s about one acre per person. I am impressed; thanks to the efforts of the TNC and others, Montana will stay a “big sky country”. http://helenair.com/news/local/state-and-regional/the-nature-conservancy-protects-m-acres-in-montana/article_0f821f60-7698-11e3-a4ef-0019bb2963f4.html

PLANjeffco headline

Friends of Dinosaur Ridge Announce New Visitor Center Golden, Colorado

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Great news from Joe Tempel (joe_tempel@dinoridge.org) of Dinosaur Ridge (www.dinoridge.org):

The Friends of Dinosaur Ridge has purchased a building that will be renovated to become a visitor center at the north entrance of Red Rocks Park. The 4,000 sf building, dubbed the Discovery Center, will complement the existing Visitor Center on the east side of Dinosaur Ridge.

Aerial View of Dino RidgeThe Discovery Center will feature indoor and outdoor educational exhibits on dinosaurs, scientific displays, a gift shop and picnic areas for families and school groups. This new location will allow visitors at Red Rocks Park to have better access to Dinosaur Ridge. Guided bus tours of Dinosaur Ridge will be provided from both locations.

Dinosaur Ridge was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974 by the National Park Service because of the historical importance of the dinosaur discoveries (tracks and bones) that were made beginning in 1877 and the need to preserve the remaining fossils as a unique outdoor museum for educating school children and the public. Currently, Dinosaur Ridge hosts over 100,000 visitors annually with over 65,000 of those receiving a guided outdoor educational experience provided by trained volunteers and staff.

New Discovery Center Dino RidgeThe Friends of Dinosaur Ridge is a nonprofit organization that has been preserving the fossils on Dinosaur Ridge and educating the public about them since 1989. Renovation has begun and the building will be open to the public in January 2014. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $520,000, funded entirely by donations. Almost 90% of the funds have been raised, with major funding ($410,000) from the following foundations:

Harvey Family Foundation

Adolph Coors Foundation

Gates Family Foundation

Exxon Mobile Foundation

Denver Foundation Scientific and Cultural Facilities District

Greater Denver Area Gem and Mineral Council

Chevron Foundation

Xcel Energy Foundation

Bandimere Family Foundation

Additional funding ($50,000) was provided by 85 individuals including board members, members of the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge and other scientists and dinosaur enthusiasts. “We have been incredibly grateful for the support we have received for this project,” said Joe Tempel, Executive Director of The Friends of Dinosaur Ridge. “People in Colorado know what a unique and interesting scientific artifact we have right in our own backyard, and they have been excited to help us share it with school children and visitors alike.”

The Friends of Dinosaur Ridge purchased the building and property in February and are in the process of raising additional funds to renovate the building to bring it up to code, add handicapped bathrooms, install indoor and outdoor educational exhibits, and set up displays for merchandise. The Friends plan on raising another $60,000 from interested individuals, corporations and other organizations to complete the final phase of the project. This final phase will consist of installing the outdoor educational exhibits, a front porch to provide a covered area for people waiting for a tour bus, and repaving the existing 40-car parking lot.

If you are interested in contributing to the project or have questions with regard to the project, please contact Joe Tempel, Executive Director of The Friends of Dinosaur Ridge at Joe_Tempel@Dinoridge.org or call him at 720-971-9649.

Hot Particle Politics on the Rocky Flats Highway

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If you’ve lived in Colorado for any length of time, you know about Rocky Flats and the protests of decades past — protests not just because of what was being manufactured at Rocky Flats (nuclear weapon parts), but because of the dispersal of plutonium in the topsoil and into the atmosphere. Time has passed, and some groups have forgotten that plutonium is 1) always lethal, and 2) never goes away.

In the northwest corner of the metro Denver area there’s a plan to construct a superhighway. Actually, the plan for this “last leg of the beltway around Denver” has been on the books for 50 years or so, and like plutonium, it simply won’t go away. The draft plans today show that the construction zone will pass through what was once part of Rocky Flats.

From the article in our News section: “The parkway is controversial for a number of reasons, including funding, [and] concerns over increased traffic and sprawl and safety. Some worry about the roadway crossing the southeast edge of Rocky Flats – the former government facility that produced plutonium bomb triggers from the 1950s until 1992. Small traces of plutonium still exist on the surface of Rocky Flats soil.”

No amount of plutonium is safe, and plutonium, released into the air, is especially toxic. From Wikipedia: “…calculations show that one pound of plutonium could kill no more than 2 million people by inhalation. This makes the toxicity of plutonium roughly equivalent with that of nerve gas.[96]”

Development is inevitable, but is development at any cost a wise choice?  The new highway will bring commerce and new housing to the northwest quadrant (http://www.candelasco.com/), and will most likely release plutonium into the atmosphere during the roadway construction phase. It’ll be a sad day when what is now open lands is converted to suburbs and shopping centers, and when the number of bone and liver cancers escalates in the decades following.

Open Space Strikes Gold with Colorado Lottery

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Thirty years ago this summer the Colorado Lottery started distributing monies to Colorado parks, recreation, open space, conservation and public-school construction. When this program started, supporters hoped that it would generate $35 million for these projects and parks. In the first year alone, the Lottery generated $41 million in proceeds – an amazing tribute to Coloradans’ support for their parks and open space recreation.

Or maybe Coloradans just like to gamble? Despite the economic roller-coaster since that time, the Lottery system has distributed more than $2.4 billion. In fiscal 2012 alone, the Lottery posted a record $545.3 million in sales, and directed $123.2 million towards efforts to protect land, water and wildlife, and to promote outdoor recreation, especially for our kids.

I know that, when I step up to the counter and lay my dollar down, I choose the Colorado Lottery, even over the ginormous payouts offered by Powerball.  I am pragmatic; I know that my odds in the Lottery are better than those in Powerball, and I know that my tiny contribution will add to the millions of dollars that will be spent on open space, parks, recreation, and better health and mental outcomes for our future citizens.  Besides, I think I can get by with a jackpot of a few million, don’t you?

To read more on the article that appeared on last Sunday’s Denver Post, go to http://www.denverpost.com/ci_23662011/colorado-lottery-turns-30-years-old?IADID=Search-www.denverpost.com-www.denverpost.com

And good luck!

~Michelle~