MEDIA STATEMENT: Save The Poudre Considering Appeal of Thornton Pipeline Ruling 7/7/2025, Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre On July 3rd, the State District Court judge ruled on our lawsuit against the Thornton Pipeline, siding with the Larimer County Commissioners and Thornton, and against Save The Poudre. The ruling is posted here: https://www.savethepoudre.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ORDER-REGARDING-PLAINTIFFS-COMPLAINT-FOR-JUDICIAL-REVIEW-UNDER-C.R.C.P.pdf Save The Poudre's statement: "Importantly, we believe the court's ruling contains errors and we are considering an appeal. In addition, Thornton has caused incredible acrimony in Larimer County by pounding this pipeline down the throats of neighborhoods instead of using the Poudre River Option that would enhance the health and recreational opportunities of the Poudre. Further, Thornton's proposed mitigation fund -- likely as little as $5 million from the sale of two of the eight farms they will dry up in Larimer County -- feels more like a slap in the face rather than an earnest offering to heal the conflict and improve the River in exchange for their $500 million project to send 14,000 acre feet of Poudre water to the Denver suburb. In comparison, Northern Water is sending part of their NISP water down the Poudre and collaborated with Save The Poudre to create a $100 million Poudre River Improvement Fund to address the impacts of NISP, which is $2,500 per acre foot. Thornton's pathetic offering is about $360 per acre foot. Thornton had the opportunity to do the right thing and collaborate to help restore the river through Fort Collins, but instead chose the path of conflict and litigation that continues to drain the river." -- Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre ***end***
PRESS RELEASE: Save The Poudre Sues Larimer County Over NISP Decision
For Immediate Release
January 18, 2021
Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310
Save The Poudre Sues Larimer County Over NISP Decision
Fort Collins: Last week, one day before the new Larimer County Commissioners were sworn in, Save The Poudre and co-plaintiffs No Pipe Dream and Save Rural NoCo served Larimer County with a lawsuit alleging that:
- First, Commissioners Donnelly and Johnson had publicly advocated for NISP for a decade, and thus they were biased and should not have participated in, or voted on, the NISP 1041 permit. That bias violates both the Larimer County land use code and the Colorado Constitution which requires “unbiased” decision-making on 1041 permits.
- Second, the decision by the two-member majority of the Commission (Donnelly and Johnson) to give NISP a permit violated multiple criteria of the Larimer County land use code.
Larimer County Commissioner John Kefalas, who was appointed to be “Chair” of the Commission the day after Save The Poudre served the lawsuit, voted against the permit. Further, the new Commission – including Kefalas and newly elected Commissioners Kristin Stephens and Jody Shadduck-McNally – will now manage the County’s response to the lawsuit.
“We are suing Larimer County because Donnelly and Johnson should not have participated in, or voted on, the NISP permit, as well as their final illegal ruling to approve the NISP 1041 permit,” said Gary Wockner of Save The Poudre.
Similar to a change of administrations when a new President gets elected, as is occurring right now in the U.S., the new Larimer County Commission has many options for how it can handle the illegal actions and decisions of the previous Commissioners as well as lawsuits against the County.
“We call on this new Larimer County Commission to reconsider the illegal actions and decisions of the previous Commission,” continued Wockner. “NISP would be the biggest and most environmentally damaging project in Larimer County history, and throughout the County permitting process over 90% of public comments opposed NISP.”
This press release is posted here.
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