Lawmakers went for a spin on the rhetorical Tilt-A-Whirl for a second day Wednesday over a bill to blunt the effect of a portion of the state’s new rules for oil and gas drilling.
“I have a feeling I’ll need more caffeine for this hearing,” Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, said in kicking off a committee’s second day of debate over House Bill 1255.
The bill from Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, would end a requirement that drilling companies must consult with the Division of Wildlife so a new well won’t hurt local wildlife.
It also would require that wildlife regulations on private land be agreed to by the surface owner before the state could enforce them. (Because Colorado law recognizes a “split estate,” people can own the land their house sits on but not mineral rights beneath it.)
Proponents of the bill said the state should respect private property rights and trust landowners — in most cases ranchers and farmers — to do what’s right for wildlife.
“It’s the surface owner who knows what’s best for wildlife on their land,” Gardner said.
But critics asked that if landowners can waive wildlife regulations, what’s the purpose of the rules?
Opponents said protecting wildlife is critical to preserving the tourism economy.
Attorney Michael Freeman of the environmental group Earthjustice called the bill “an extreme rule, that wildlife loses when there is a dispute.”
Curry ultimately postponed a vote on the bill until next week at the earliest so lawmakers could craft amendments.
