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PRESS RELEASE: THORNTON’S 1041 APPLICATION SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN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THORNTON’S 1041 APPLICATION SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN
UNTIL 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Larimer County Planning Department to inform the City of Thornton that its 1041 application is premature and should be withdrawn, until all present and future impacts of the city’s water transfers on land uses in Larimer County can be satisfactorily demonstrated.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
for Save The Poudre

Colorado Water Plan Prepares To Drain Front Range Rivers?

For Immediate Release
April 23, 2018
Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Colorado/Save The Poudre, 970-218-8310

Colorado Water Plan Prepares To Drain Northern Front Range Rivers?

CWCB Proposed “Regional Water Development Projects”

Front Range, CO: Today, Save The Colorado is sounding a statewide alarm about an apparent effort by the Colorado Water Conservation Board to launch a large-scale “Water Development” strategy to identify to new dam and diversion projects on Front Range rivers. The CWCB sent out an email at 1:59pm on Friday April 20, 2018, announcing “workshops” aimed at “Water providers and stakeholders in the South Platte River basin interested in a regional water management and storage project.” The email, with flyer (posted here), goes on to say that the “South Platte/Metro Basin Implementation Plan” says the “projects will need to be developed.” The workshops, both in May, are scheduled at the state’s two biggest water agencies — Denver Water and the Northern Water.

The “implementation plans” were developed during the “Colorado Water Plan” process, with the South Platte/Metro Basin Roundtable being the center of extreme controversy around the state. The Roundtable and its Implementation Plan identified a spider’s web of dam and pipeline projects, diverting water from rivers all over the state and sending that water to the Denver/Northern Colorado metroplex. This new Front Range “Water Development” strategy seems to be the first salvo in the next wave of dam proposals.

“The Colorado Water Plan was extremely controversial and too heavily focused on draining and destroying rivers, not protecting and restoring them,” said Gary Wockner of Save The Colorado and Save The Poudre. “We will continue our vigilance as this process moves forward and we will fight to protect the rivers across the state.”

**end**

PRESS RELEASE: Larimer County Must Use “1041” for NISP, not IGA

For Immediate Release
March 29, 2018
Save The Poudre, Gary Wockner: 970-218-8310

Larimer County Must Use “1041” for NISP, not IGA

Cache la Poudre River, USA: Today, Save The Poudre sent a legal letter to the Larimer County Commissioners notifying them that they must use a “1041” permit process for evaluating and regulating the Northern Integrated Supply Project (“NISP”) rather than an Intergovernmental Agreement (“IGA”). The letter (posted here) states that Larimer County’s IGA provisions “are unconstitutionally vague and violate due process”. Further, the letter cites numerous legal precedents where other Colorado counties have used 1041 regulations for projects exactly like NISP.

“Larimer County’s IGA provisions are unconstitutionally vague and violate due process,” said Gary Wockner of Save The Poudre. “The County must use a 1041 permit process — just as other Colorado counties have done — to give the people of Larimer County their legal due process to evaluate and speak out about this important issue facing the county’s future.”

***END

 

 

The NISP “Final Environmental Impact Statement” is coming

Hi Poudre River Lovers!

After 15 years, it appears the “Final Environmental Impact Statement” for NISP will be released in May or June. We have word from the City of Fort Collins that the timeline is likely, and so we need to gear up!

We have a team of scientists and attorneys who standing by to sink their teeth into the documents. We’ve been at it for 15 years, and we’re just getting warmed up! We also ask all of you — our AMAZING supporters — to also gear up! We will need volunteers to help review the document, and we will need funding to help pay scientific experts.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Gary Wockner
Director, Save The Poudre

Great News, Poudre River Lovers! NISP HAS BEEN DELAYED AGAIN!

Great News, Poudre River Lovers!

NISP HAS BEEN DELAYED AGAIN!

We recently found out that the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) has now been delayed until 2018. So, in 2018 that will be the FIFTEENTH YEAR we have been fighting and Stopping NISP.

HOORAY!

Thank you for all of the support for the last 14 years! Your support has made all of the difference, and we’d be grateful for your support again.

Please click here to donate to Save The Poudre:
http://savethepoudre.org/donate.html

But the news isn’t all good. Due to the Trump administration’s lock on the federal government, we can almost guarantee that the permitting process for NISP will get fast-tracked in 2018. Further, it’s becoming increasing clear to us that the system is rigged. Over the 14 years of our fighting to stop NISP, we’ve been relentless in providing objective, scientific information to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, every time they come out with a new draft of the Environmental Impact Statement, they pretty much blow off our comments and agree with the NISP side of the story.

More recently, we provided objective, scientific information to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, but they also blew us off and supported the “mitigation plan” for NISP which is filled with loopholes in the even minimal mitigation it proposes.

All of that means we are likely headed to court.

When our forefathers and foremothers in Congress in the 1960s and 1970s passed laws to protect the environment, they included provisions that allowed for citizens and groups like Save The Poudre to enforce the law. If we feel that the federal and state govt have violated the law, then we can enforce that law by filing lawsuits against those governments.

But we can’t be successful without your help.

Your financial support has and will continue to make the difference. Every time a public comment period is open in the permitting process, we throw ourselves into it – hiring outside scientific consultants and spending hundreds of hours packing the legal record for the eventual lawsuit. Over the next 12 months, there will be more critical periods where we will once again throw ourselves into it.

You have been a great member of the Save The Poudre team for 14 years! We greatly appreciate your support, but more importantly, you’ve allowed us to speak for the Cache la Poudre River in this long, crazy battle to stop NISP and Save The Poudre.

Every $10 or $25 makes a real difference.

If you can afford $50 or $100 or more, that’s great too!
CLICK HERE TO DONATE:
http://savethepoudre.org/donate.html

Thank you for your support!

Mark Easter, Chair of the Board; Gary Wockner, Executive Director

PARTY TIME: Join Us At Save The Poudre’s End-Of-Year Party, Dec. 4th

Hi Poudre River Lovers!

Please join us on Dec. 4th for our year-end party! We will update you on all of our work, tell you what happened this year, and what’s going to happen next year with our almost-15 year fight against the Northern Integrated Supply Project.

In addition, our guest speaker will be former Fort Collins City Councilmember and Sierra Club Raconteur Alan Apt who has a new book out. Published by the Colorado Mountain Club and titled, Ski and Snowshoe Routes on Colorado’s Front Range, the book describes and maps the best routes all along the Front Range mountains all within easy driving distance of Larimer County. Alan will also generously donate a portion of book sales to Save The Poudre at the event! Alan has a great slideshow, and his book might make a perfect holiday gift for a snow-loving friend or family member.

WHAT: SAVE THE POUDRE YEAR-END PARTY
WHERE: AVOGADRO’S NUMBER, 605 S. Mason Street, Fort Collins
WHEN: MONDAY, DEC. 4th, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Please click thru to the Facebook event to let us know you’re coming here: https://www.facebook.com/events/306486349867915/

SEE YOU THERE!
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!

 

PARTY TIME: Join Us At Save The Poudre’s End-Of-Year Party, Dec. 4th

Hi Poudre River Lovers!

Please join us on Dec. 4th for our year-end party! We will update you on all of our work, tell you what happened this year, and what’s going to happen next year with our almost-15 year fight against the Northern Integrated Supply Project.

In addition, our guest speaker will be former Fort Collins City Councilmember and Sierra Club Raconteur Alan Apt who has a new book out. Published by the Colorado Mountain Club and titled, Ski and Snowshoe Routes on Colorado’s Front Range, the book describes and maps the best routes all along the Front Range mountains all within easy driving distance of Larimer County. Alan will also generously donate a portion of book sales to Save The Poudre at the event! Alan has a great slideshow, and his book might make a perfect holiday gift for a snow-loving friend or family member.

WHAT: SAVE THE POUDRE YEAR-END PARTY
WHERE: AVOGADRO’S NUMBER, 605 S. Mason Street, Fort Collins
WHEN: MONDAY, DEC. 4th, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Please click thru to the Facebook event to let us know you’re coming here: https://www.facebook.com/events/306486349867915/

SEE YOU THERE!
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!

Welcome to our new website!

Hi Poudre River Lovers!

At the end of Nov. 2017, we launched this new website! We believe it will be easier, faster, and more mobile for you all to stay in touch with us and learn what we are doing. Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we finalize it.

And thank you for your support!

Gary Wockner
Executive Director
Save The Poudre

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