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PRESS RELEASE: Save The Poudre Tries To Defend Larimer County Against the City of Thornton

For Immediate Release
June 20, 2019
Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310

SAVE THE POUDRE TRIES TO DEFEND LARIMER COUNTY AGAINST THE CITY OF THORNTON LAWSUIT

Poudre River: This week, Save The Poudre filed a “motion to intervene” (posted here) to defend Larimer County against the lawsuit filed by the City of Thornton. The lawsuit tries to overturn a unanimous decision by the Larimer County Commissioners to “deny” the Thornton Pipeline from diverting Poudre River water upstream of Fort Collins and piping it across the county and down to Thornton.

Save The Poudre believes the organization has a strong right to intervene and is optimistic the court will allow intervention:

  • Save The Poudre literally started this issue 10 years ago by reaching out to Thornton.
  • Save The Poudre kept in touch with Thornton over the years.
  • Save The Poudre originally brought the “Poudre River Option” to the attention of the Douglas Road neighbors (a coalition now called “No Pipedream”).
  • Save The Poudre participated in all of the Larimer County hearings and Working Group processes, arguing for the Poudre River Option.
  • Thornton discussed the Poudre River Option at length during the County hearings, and also offered the County to put a small part of its water rights back in the Poudre.
  • The issue is solely about Poudre River water and whether to run some or all of the Thornton water rights down the Poudre.

“Our organization and our members have a right to be in this case because this case directly impacts our mission to ‘protect and restore the Cache la Poudre River of northern Colorado,’ said Gary Wockner, Director of Save The Poudre.

The City of Thornton has initially “opposed” Save The Poudre’s intervention, but the judge has now given Thornton 30 days to formally respond to Save The Poudre’s full motion.

“It’s completely ridiculous that Thornton opposes our intervention,” said Wockner. “We have every right to defend Larimer County, represent the Poudre River, and represent our members in this lawsuit.”

***end***

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PRESS RELEASE: Thornton Pipeline TABLED

For Immediate Release August 1, 2018 Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310 Fort Collins, CO: Tonight, the Larimer County Commisioners "TABLED" the Thornton Pipeline application until December 2018. After multiple meetings and public process and testimony, the Commissioners voted unanimously to TABLE Thornton's 1041 permit to run a massive pipeline across northern Larimer County carrying Poudre River water. All three Commissioners said that Thornton did not consider alternatives, especially the 'Poudre River Option'. The Commissioners want more public outreach and information. "Thornton now has a tremendous opportunity to work with, not against, the people of Larimer County and do the right thing for the Poudre River by choosing the 'Poudre River Option'", said Gary Wockner of Save The Poudre. "We'd be delighted to work with the City of Thornton -- as we have told them for 10 years now -- to see them run their water down the Poudre River thereby providing great benefits to the river and the people of Larimer County while still ensuring Thornton's future water supply." **end**   -- Gary Wockner, PhD, Director Save The Poudre: Poudre Waterkeeper Author: "River Warrior: Fighting to Protect the World's Rivers" (2016) PO Box 20, Fort Collins, CO 80522 http://savethepoudre.org http://www.facebook.com/SaveThePoudre https://twitter.com/savethepoudre 970-218-8310

Take Action: Say “NO” to the Thornton Pipeline, and “YES” to the Poudre River!

Hi Amazing Poudre River Lovers! We have a once-in-100 years opportunity to help restore the Poudre River, and your voice can help do that -- don't miss out!! On January 28th, the Larimer County Commissioners will be making a decision on the Thornton Pipeline. Save The Poudre and many homeowners north of Fort Collins have been working with Larimer County for over a year to support the County Commissioners in saying "NO" to the Thornton Pipeline and "YES" to the Poudre River. Thornton can send their water down the Poudre River and remove that water from the river near Windsor, instead of putting the water in a massively damaging pipeline across northern Larimer County. This is a "win-win" for Thornton, Larimer County, and the Poudre River. We need you to click through here to send an email to the Larimer County Commissioners. Please click through today! Please check out our new video about the Thornton Pipeline here! Thank you for Taking Action to Restore the Poudre River!

PRESS RELEASE: THORNTON’S 1041 APPLICATION SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 25, 2018      For Further Information Contact:      Karen Wagner,  970-227-7437 THORNTON'S 1041 APPLICATION SHOULD BE WITHDRAWNUNTIL PHASES 2 & 3 OF THE THORNTON NORTHERN PROJECT ARE MADE PUBLIC Based on Thornton’s own admissions in today’s (4/25/18) Rocky Mountain Collegian article, the grassroots No Pipe Dream organization, Save the Poudre and the citizens of Larimer County call on the Larimer County Planning Department to inform the City of Thornton that its 1041 application is premature and should be withdrawn, until all present and future impacts of the city’s water transfers on land uses in Larimer County can be satisfactorily demonstrated. In the Collegian article, Thornton officials admit that multiple pipelines could be needed in Larimer County in the future; Thornton’s current 1041 application is limited to a single pipeline.  Additionally the city stated that it was currently uncertain as to when the Denver suburb will need to deliver more water from the Cache la Poudre River in Larimer County.  Both statements are at odds with Thornton’s most recent contentions that a single 48” pipeline will be sufficient to meet the city’s needs until 2065 and that the 3-phase project doesn’t include additional raw water or return flow pipelines.No Pipe Dream, Save the Poudre and the citizens of Larimer County publicly call for the City of Thornton to withdraw its 1041 pipeline application for Phase 1 of the Thornton Northern Project, until such time that Thornton adequately lays out the full scope of the 3-phase project, provides a timeline and project description for Phase 2 and Phase 3, and discloses all present and future impacts to land uses in Larimer County as is required by the land use code.   If Thornton declines to withdraw its current, Phase 1 application, we ask the Larimer County Planning Department, in consultation with the Larimer County Commissioners, to once again cancel the upcoming hearings based on a 1041 application that is premature, piecemeal, incomplete and fails to comply with the requirements of the land use code. As residents of Larimer County, we believe it would be a dereliction of duty for the Larimer County Planning Commission and the County Commissioners to consider or approve the current 1041 application without full disclosure of all present and future land use impacts of Thornton’s water transfers and the Northern Water Project .  If Thornton cannot evaluate all present and future impacts at this time, the City should withdraw its application and reapply when all of those impacts can be substantiated.                                                      # # # Submitted by Karen Wagner (kaswagner@me.com) on behalf of the No Pipe Dream Steering Committee and Gary Wockner (gary.wockner@savethepoudre.com) for Save The Poudre

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