Contact Information
For immediate assistance, please contact Jason Bane, Communications Manager, at (720) 763-3721 or jason.bane@westernresources.org, or Joanna Nasar, Communications Coordinator, at (720) 763-3728 or joanna.nasar@westernresources.org.
Recent Press Releases and Statements:
- May 15, 2013:Western Resource Advocates issued a statement in regards to Gov. John Hickenlooper's Executive Order directing the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) to commence work on the Colorado Water Plan.
- April 30, 2013:Colorado reaffirmed its role as a national leader in renewable energy today when the State House approved the only bill in the country seeking to expand the use of wind, solar, and other alternative resources. Senate Bill 252, setting Renewable Energy Standards for Rural Colorado, received final approval by the House today and now heads back to the Senate for consideration of new amendments (the Senate approved SB-252 earlier this month).
- April 24, 2013: The only current bill in the United States seeking to expand renewable energy was discussed in a Colorado House Committee. Senate Bill 252, setting Renewable Energy Standards for Rural Colorado, will move to the House Floor for a final vote if approved by the House Transportation and Energy Committee.
- April 17, 2013: The Colorado River is the most endangered river in the United States, according to the 2013 list of America's Most Endangered Rivers® released today by the nonprofit group American Rivers. Western Resource Advocates issued comments in response to the new listing.
- April 8, 2013: Energy Program Director John Nielsen issued a statement on Senate Bill 252. The bill will expand access to solar, wind and other clean energy for rural Colorado by increasing the renewable energy standard (RES) for cooperative associations that provide wholesale electricity in Colorado.
- March 19, 2013: As the Utah Water Users Association (UWUA) meets for its annual workshop today, Western Resource Advocates is releasing a new report titled The Local Waters Alternative to the Lake Powell Pipeline. This report details how Southwest Utah could meet its future water needs at a fraction of the $1.2 to $2 billion cost estimated for the "Lake Powell Pipeline."
- January 29, 2013: The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) today voted overwhelmingly to end funding for the 'Flaming Gorge Task Force,' which had been considering future large-scale water diversion projects such as the 'Flaming Gorge Pipeline.'
- January 18, 2013:The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) gave preliminary approval to a broad set of new rules on oil and gas drilling that will do little to ease concerns of families living near drilling operations. The rules are more exception than law.
- January 16, 2013: Western Resource Advocates President Karin Sheldon issued a statement regarding the announcement that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will step down from his post in March.
- January 7, 2013: Today the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) agreed with the recommendation of the Colorado Attorney General's Office and denied industry requests to ban citizens from testifying on fracking.
- December 13, 2012: Western Resource Advocates announced a new alternative solution to meeting future water demands in northern Colorado while also preserving the Poudre River. A Better Future for the Poudre River demonstrates that a secure, reliable water supply already exists to meet future water needs for decades to come.
- December 12, 2012: Western Resource Advocates today called on the seven Colorado Basin states and the Bureau of Reclamation to get to work immediately on implementing conservation, reuse and efficiency measures outlined in The Colorado River Basin Water Demand and Supply Study (CRBS). The CRBS, released to the public today, includes several water conservation and efficiency measures that were agreed upon by all parties involved in the process.
- December 11, 2012: Ten regional organizations and a prominent mineral extraction company have worked out an agreement aimed at ensuring that minerals returned to Great Salt Lake will not negatively affect the lake or surrounding ecosystem.
- November 7, 2012: The Colorado Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in a case that has significant implications for the entire State of Colorado. The Yellow Jacket Water Conservancy District (YJWCD) of Rio Blanco County is appealing a Water Court ruling that strips the district of massive amounts of water rights intended to be leased for oil shale production.
- October 24, 2012: The Utah Water Quality Board voted in favor of allowing US Oil Sands to proceed with plans to mine tar sands in eastern Utah without first requiring a comprehensive groundwater permit.
- October 16, 2012: New population growth estimates released by Western Resource Advocates show that the proposed “Lake Powell Pipeline” is an unnecessary expense.
- August 30, 2012: A new report by Western Resource Advocates shows that for the first time in 20 years, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the electric power sector have leveled off and have even begun to decline in the West.
- July 25, 2012: Western Resource Advocates and two other conservation groups formally request increased setbacks for oil and gas drilling in Colorado.
- June 27, 2012: The only commercial oil shale project in the country hits a wall thanks to Western Resource Advocates and Living Rivers.
- June 20, 2012: Western Resource Advocates new report "Fracking Our Future" details water requirements for hydraulic fracturing and provides the most comprehensive numbers available on the topic.
- June 13, 2012: Groundbreaking new "Rushing Rivers" program shows water users how their conservation benefits nearby river.
- May 17, 2012: Western Resource Advocates comments on the second denial of the Flaming Gorge Pipeline by the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission.
- May 4, 2012: Western Resource Advocates had high praise for the Bureau of Reclamation in its decision regarding operations of the Aspinall Unit in Western Colorado.
- May 4, 2012: Western Resource Advocates today urged the Bureau of Land Management to adopt the most conservative option available for oil shale and tar sands research. This recommendation was submitted by WRA on behalf of 15 other conservation organizations. Full comments are available HERE.
- April 18, 2012: A new decision announced today clear's the way for cleaner air in the Southwest, transitioning one of the nation's dirtiest coal plants towards more renewable energy.
- April 5, 2012: Western Resource Advocates, the National Parks Conservation Association and the Colorado Environmental Coalition filed a brief with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission disputing a request for a new permit hearing for the Flaming Gorge Pipeline.
- March 7, 2012: Western Resource Advocates announces the release of a comprehensive new report on oil shale, titled Oil Shale 2050: Data, Definitions, & What You Need to Know About Oil Shale in the West.
- February 28, 2012: Western Resource Advocates, Trout Unlimited and the Colorado Environmental Coalition unveiled a new Colorado water report today: Filling the Gap: Meeting Future Water Needs in the Arkansas Basin.
- February 23, 2012: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has denied a preliminary permit application for the Flaming Gorge Pipeline. WRA has long opposed this project. UPDATE: Click here for an updated press release (The Zombie Version).
- February 13, 2012: Vicky Mandell, Senior Staff Attorney and energy policy expert at WRA, testified today in front of a Colorado legislative committee in opposition to a measure that would classify methane gas from coal mines as a renewable resource.
- February 2, 2012: In recent weeks proponents of large infrastructure projects have exaggerated the consequences of low snowpack levels to justify elaborate, and unnecessary, water storage plans, but it is too early to suggest that Colorado is in danger of facing a significant drought in 2012.
- January 12, 2012: Conservation groups, including WRA and the Colorado Environmental Coalition, ask Colorado water leaders to focus on realistic, cost-effective ideas instead of the Flaming Gorge Pipeline.