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Make Your Voice Heard By June 9thTHE TIME TO ACT
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Don't Let Your Property Rights Be Ignored
Less than 3 years ago, Adams County voters overwhelmingly voted down Proposition 112 which would have required a minimum 2500-foot setback for new oil and gas development. Prop 112 was an effective ban on oil and natural gas development in Colorado, potentially costing tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in tax revenue. The proposed Adams County regulations, as currently drafted, could effectively ban development of the lands where you own minerals – your real property right.
While Adams County is seeking input from citizen groups opposing oil and gas operations, they have made no effort to reach mineral owners who these regulations directly effect. That is why we are reaching out to you today to ensure that your real property rights, and your voice, are not ignored in this process.
New Adams County Proposals Include |
2000-foot setback from property lines of residences and platted residential lots.This is a hard, mandated setback. The only available avenue to site an oil and gas location within this banned area is to obtain a signed waiver from each and every building unit owner and tenant within 2000 feet. This means that a very small number of neighboring residents have the ultimate say on whether your minerals will be developed by an oil and gas operator. One single renter can determine whether you are able to develop your real property mineral interests that you paid a premium to acquire. | Noise requirements that the County described as a “pseudo-setback.”The proposed noise regulations will require compliance with adjacent zoning standards regardless of the applicable zoning where the development is located. This requirement outwardly discriminates against the oil and gas operator trying to develop your minerals and is not required for any other industrial activity in the County. While we have asked Adams County why oil and gas development is proposed to be held to a different standard than other land uses in the County, they had no reasonable basis for the “pseudo-setback” applying only to our industry. | 3-year hard expiration date on all permits.The County is proposing that all permits granted under their new rules would have a hard expiration of 3 years. If all oil and gas wells on the pad are not developed within this 3-year timeframe, the permit expires and a new one is needed. This proposal bring uncertainty to developers like Great Western who phase their operations to maximize production and, in turn, royalties to mineral owners like yourself. |
We need your voices heard by Adams County.
The second draft of the proposed regulations have been released and public comment is open. You can find more information here.
Please submit public comments by phone or email no later than June 9, 2021.
Additionally, there will be 2 opportunities for public testimony at hearings on these regulations in July.
- July 8, 2021 – Adams County Planning Commission
- July 27, 2021 – Adams County Board of County Commissioners
To assist you in reaching out to the Adams County Commissioners and staff to let them know that your voices are not being heard during this process, please find the form letter below which will be emailed on your behalf, to the County commissioners and staff listed below.
Dear Adams County Commissioners and staff,
I am a mineral owner in Adams County, and I am writing today to express my concern with the proposed 2021 Amendments to the County’s oil and gas regulations. I support developing minerals responsibly and in compliance with local and state regulations and this will become increasingly difficult to do given the proposed Adams County regulations around oil and natural gas development.
Less than 3 years ago, Adams County voters overwhelmingly voted down Proposition 112 which would have required a minimum 2500-foot setback for new oil and gas development. Prop 112 was an effective ban on oil and natural gas development in Colorado, potentially costing tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in tax revenue. The proposed Adams County regulations, as currently drafted, could effectively ban development of our real property rights.
I strongly encourage you to consider the rights of the mineral interest owners in this process. The rights of both surface AND mineral rights need to be considered. We request a seat at the table in the drafting of these rules. I ask that you also include mineral interest owners in the well permitting review process. Property rights are not limited to just the surface and input must include owners of both surface and sub-surface rights. A single property owner should not have veto power over the rights of hundreds or thousands of other property owners. Instead, a balanced approach should be used that takes input from the majority of surface and subsurface property owners.
As a mineral interest owner, these proposed regulations will directly impact the value of my property. If enacted as written, the setback provisions alone could eliminate new development in parts of Adams County. As you know, the value of mineral interests are directly tied to existing and future royalties associated with oil and gas development. If operators are prohibited from responsibly developing minerals in accordance with state rules, then the value of my property will be adversely affected. This could be seen to some as a taking of private property without due process of law or just compensation.
As a Mineral Owner, I want my minerals developed responsibly and any governmental regulations preventing development will have an immediate impact to my real property rights.
Again, I feel that the existing Adams County oil and gas regulations adequately protect public health, safety, welfare, and the environment. I see the new regulations as essentially a ban on development in areas where I own minerals. If these new regulations are implemented as written, I stand to lose potential future royalty payments which in turn will directly impact my ability to invest or provide additional input into Adams County.
Thank you for your attention to these issues that impact all of us. I ask that you also consider the benefits of energy production in Adams County, and see energy resource extraction as a critical part of the County and Colorado’s state economy. By working together, we can and should safely and responsibly produce the resources we all rely on.
Thank you for your consideration, (Your Name, Email & Address Will Be Inserted Here) |
Your letter will be sent via email to the following Individuals.Feel free to contact them directly regarding this matter as well. |
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