On November 23, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), the state board that approves drilling permits and regulates the oil and gas industry, finalized a rulemaking process that amended its permitting regulations for oil and gas locations in Colorado. These amendments allow stronger protections for wildlife and wildlife habitat, including cold-water fisheries, streams and riparian zones across Colorado. Key wins include new protections for streams, riparian areas, and wildlife corridors, strengthened protections for migratory birds and sage-grouse, and a commitment to mitigating unavoidable adverse impacts.
Specific fisheries benefits include…
500 ft buffers around all aquatic High Priority Habitat (HPH) streams identified by CPW – nearly all of Colorado’s Trout habitats will benefit from this protection
Spill prevention measures within 1,000 ft of aquatic HPH streams
Requirement of boring beneath HPH streams rather than trenching across them
Stay tuned for a High Country Angler article by Barb Sheedlo that will go through all the details of this fantastic collaborative win.