ENVIRONMENT

Clean air. Clean water. Open spaces.2005 Annual Report

“We can’t rest on our laurels; we need to

keep fighting for the environment. We need to address the growing

problem of global warming in Colorado. ”

—Matt Baker, DirectorEnvironment Colorado

From the director

The last year was an important one for Colorado’s environment. In November 2004 both the Renewable Energy Initiative (Amendment 37) and the FasTracks light rail expansion were passed by voters.

Also in 2005, some of the biggest utilities in the state moved towards greater sustainability. Colorado Springs Utilities initiated a creative program to promote solar power. Fort Collins Municipal Utility began to implement an aggressive renewable energy standard. Holy Cross Rural Electric Association adopted a policy surpassing the requirements of Amendment 37.

Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility, committed to meet the Amendment 37 goals for wind power by 2008. They also announced the most aggressive solar energy program in the state, and one of the most promising in the country, without caving to pressure to add combustion coal to their power generation portfolio. While Xcel and the other utilities have a long way to go, they have begun to listen to the public demand for energy reform.

The Legislature passed Environment Colorado-backed laws to increase energy efficiency. The Legislature also expressed their displeasure at the federal government’s environmental rollbacks on clean air and water, and handily beat back a proposal to make it easier for a private Front Range beltway to be built.

But while we made real progress in 2005, we need to continue to advocate energy reform, smart growth, clean air and clean water in 2006. We can’t rest on our laurels; we need to keep fighting for the environment. We need to address the growing problem of global warming in Colorado.

Global warming damages our air quality and endangers our water supply. Much of the water we use here in Colorado comes from snowpack stored in the mountains. Our research has shown that, due to rising temperatures, the snowpack in the Rockies is shrinking, putting our water supply at risk.

States across the country have picked up where the White House has failed to address global warming pollution, passing their own global warming emission standards. We are advocating a similar measure here in Colorado.

Building on the momentum of our 2005 victories, we need to continue moving Colorado towards a healthy, sustainable future.

Environment Colorado 2

Environment Colorado fought an uphill battle to keep Colorado’s clean air protections intact despite dangerous federal rollbacks. The rollbacks, which were handed down by the Bush administration through the U.S. EPA, apply to the New Source Review (NSR) program of the Clean Air Act. This program sets pollution limits for new or ex-panded power plants.

For more than 25 years, the Clean Air Act has protected health by requiring industrial facilities to install modern pollution controls when they expand operations and increase emissions. In December 2002, the EPA adopted rollbacks that would allow facilities to in-crease emissions without improv-ing their pollution control mea-sures. In Colorado, these rollbacks would permit more than 17,000 additional tons of air pollution each year.

Unfortunately, Colorado’s Air Qual-ity Control Commission (AQCC) approved these revisions in April 2004 despite strong objections from public health organizations, environmental groups and a coali-tion of local governments.

Environment Colorado scored an important victory when the Colorado state Legislature stood up for clean air by rejecting these revisions. Some joined the Clean Air Coalition and pressured the Colo-rado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to reject the rollbacks. CDPHE has resisted protecting clean air standards.

The Clean Air Coalition and CDPHE reached a compromise when the CDPHE agreed to revisit the rules, after a decision by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Unfortunately, CDPHE violated the compromise agreement with the Clear Air Coalition and submitted the rollbacks without review. De-spite this loss, Environment Colo-rado will work to make sure that the next set of rollbacks is rejected.

Unlike the vast majority of other states, Colorado law prohibits the Legislature from adopting clean air protections stronger than the federal standards, and allows for unilateral actions by the CDPHE without congressional approval. In 2006, the Clean Air Coalition plans to work on legislation that would give Colorado the right to protect air quality and public health.

Factories in Colorado, like the Denver refinery pictured at bottom, will be allowed to emit 17,000 additional tons of air pollution each year. Poor air quality is a major cause of asthma attacks, and mercury pollution contaminates water and fish.

Environment Colorado worked to stop more pollution

Photo credits: P.1 Jan Pelton; P.2 clock-wise from top: sxc.hu, Paul Morley*, Dean Allen Caron*, Anita Patterson Peppers*.

When the Bush administration repealed the Roadless Rule, it left Colorado’s last wild forests open to development. Only Gov. Bill Owens can close the door to the logging, drilling, mining and new roads that could spoil Colorado’s last pristine forests.

Bowing to pressure from the timber industry and its allies, the Bush ad-ministration repealed the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in 2004. Without the protections afforded by the Roadless Rule, timber, min-ing and drilling interests could gain access to up to 4.4 million acres of Colorado national forests.

These threatened areas include the Arapahoe-Roosevelt National Forest’s Cherokee Park Roadless Area, the North Fork Cache La Pou-dre watershed, a source of water for northeastern farmers. Also, the Gunnison National Forest’s West Elk Roadless Area, is targeted for mining by Arch Coal, a move which would threaten the habitat of elk, mountain lions and black bear.

“The good news is that Gov. Owens has the last word,” said Matt Gar-rington of Environment Colorado. “When the Bush administration repealed the Roadless Rule, it left

“The natural beauty preserved in these forests attracts millions of tourist

dollars to the Colorado economy.”

—Matt GarringtonEnvironment Colorado

3 Environment Colorado

Field Organizer Matt Garrington with roadless task force chairman (and executive director of the Department of Natural

Resources) Russ George at a March 17 hearing in Fort Collins.

Colorado’s national forests at risk,Gov. Owens urged to act

an escape clause: governors can petition the federal government to restore protections to national forest roadless areas within their states.”

A bipartisan Roadless Areas Review Task Force was set up to advise the governor. In 2005, initial taskforce meetings to garner public comment were held in Durango and Delta.

Environment Colorado helped form Colorado’s Forest Legacy, a state-wide coalition of environmental, recreation, hunting and fishing groups. The coalition is working hard to protect Colorado’s last wild forests.

Last fall, Environment Colorado and the coalition partnered with Green Corps, a field school for en-vironmental organizing. Organizers worked in areas where forests are threatened to demonstrate sup-port for forest preservation. By the end of 2005, more than 300 busi-nesses, organizations and local of-ficials had endorsed the campaign for Colorado’s Forest Legacy.

The Durango meeting, one of the first opportunities for public interaction on the issue, showed resounding public support for Col-

P.3 Photo credit: Staff photo;P.4: Eric J. Enger*

u 4.4 million acres of Colorado’s national forest were put in jeopardy when the Bush administration repealed the Roadless Rule.

orado’s forests. Nearly 500 people attended the task force meeting, and more than 80 percent testified in support of roadless protection.

Representatives from the conserva-tion, ranch and outfitters communi-ties testified in favor of protection. Also, a timber industry represen-tative testified that maintaining roadless protection in the San Juan National Forest would not affect the local industry.

Environment Colorado will con-tinue organizing for the hearings happening throughout the spring of 2006 to ensure that the Task Force honors the wishes of Colo-radans and recommends that Gov. Owens protect all 4.4 million acres of roadless forests.

“These forests are worth protect-ing for their beauty alone,” added Garrington. “But there are sound fiscal and economic reasons for protecting them too. The natural beauty preserved in these forests attracts millions of tourist dollars to the Colorado economy.”

Since Colorado voters approved Amendment 37, increasing stan-dards for clean energy, Environ-ment Colorado and its allies have been working to promote imple-mentation of the new standards and to increase energy efficiency across the state.

Working with power utilities, En-vironment Colorado and other supporters have been discussing how to incorporate energy plans that include increased energy production from renewable en-ergy sources. They have also been reaching out to farmers about the economic opportunities of renew-able energy and advocating energy efficiency.

Working with utilitiesIn a major victory, Xcel, Colorado’s largest energy provider, announced its updated acquisition plan in De-cember of 2005. In the plan Xcel announced that they will purchase 775 megawatts of new wind en-ergy, enough power to meet the needs of 775,000 homes.

Additionally, the plan does not include new coal-fired purchases. With natural gas prices increasing rapidly, there was enormous pres-sure to build more outdated old

5 Environment Colorado

coal technology, even as coal prices continue to rise.

“The decision to invest in renew-ables and efficiency benefits both the environment and consum-ers,” said Matt Baker, Environment Colorado’s executive director.

Xcel Energy also submitted a pro-posal to the Public Utilities Com-mission (PUC) to meet the solar energy goals of Amendment 37 seven years early. The PUC rejected this proposal, but Environment Colorado is lobbying them to ac-cept the accelerated solar energy plan. Unfortunately, two local utilities chose to opt out of Amendment 37, effectively taking away from their customers the choice to support renewable energy. Renewable energyand rural developmentEnvironment Colorado is also con-tinuing its work in rural Colorado to encourage farmers and ranchers to “grow” renewable energy.

Environment Colorado helped organize the “Harvesting Energy Tour” to make the case for renew-able energy as a rural economic development tool.

Photo credits: Clockwise from top left:sxc.hu, nrel.gov, staff photo

Implementing Amendment 37 and clean energy solutions

Will Coyne has worked with state Rep. Buffie McFadyen and other allies to promote energy solutions like clean, renewable energy and

energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency victories across the countryEnvironment Colorado’s sister groups have won energy efficiency standards across the country. These measures will reduce pollution and save energy.

A joint effort by the Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Working Landscapes, and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, former Colorado House Speaker Lola Spradley and Congressman Mark Udall, the “Har-vesting Energy Tour” took its mes-sage to seven counties in northeast Colorado.

Sen. Ken Salazar personally par-ticipated in tour stops in Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction while members of his staff and that of Sen. Wayne Allard and Rep. Marilyn Musgrave were able to join other tour stops around the state.

Energy efficiencyEnvironment Colorado has also worked to reduce energy con-sumption by making appliances

more efficient. Energy-efficient appliances would save Colorado consumers and businesses $500 million per year.

“Our current energy use is like leaving your front door open in the middle of the winter: wasteful and unnecessarily expensive,” said Isaac Silverman, Environment Colorado’s energy associate. “But just as you can close the door, there’s a simple solution to reducing our energy use: making common products more energy efficient.”

Under pressure from the wide-spread acknowledgement of the need for energy reform, Gov. Owens signed a bill that included funding for increasing energy efficiency in Jan. 2006.

After the success of the “Harvesting Energy Tour” Environment Colorado and the other host groups are expanding the tour across the states into neighboring rural communities.

The “Intermountain Harvesting Energy Summit” will promote the economic advantages of that clean energy sources, such as wind, bring to rural communities across the West and Midwest.

The success of the tour comes from the support of key leaders, like Sen. Ken Salazar, and the hard work of environmental groups amd advocates for agricultural development. The press has also been important in making the tour effective.

One reporter from the Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald wrote: “Stalks of corn blow in the breeze. A hillside is covered with nodding sunflowers. But these fields aren’t for food. They’re growing our fuel.”

Rural development

Arizona

Connecticut

Maryland

Massachusetts

New Jersey

Oregon

Rhode Island

Washington

134,000 650,000 $103 Million

47,000 350,000 $38 Million

158,000 700,000 $91 Million

139,000 1,100,000 $160 Million

25,000 70 0,000 $93 Million

94,500 530,000 $50 Million

26,000 41,000 $20 Million

157,000 825,000 $70 Million

Energy To Power X Number of Homes

Financial Savings

Global Warming Pollution, Metric Tons

After winning a victory for transit-oriented, smart growth in the Den-ver metro region with the passage of FasTracks in 2004, Environment Colorado focused on protecting open space in both the Denver met-ro area and rural Colorado in 2005.

“We need to move away from the age-old paradigm of simply building more highways to tackle traffic and congestion problems,” said Land Use Associate Pam Kiely. “Highways will continue to be a magnet for sprawl, but transit can be a foundation for much smarter, contained growth.”

Stopping sprawling highwaysIn 2005 Environment Colorado worked to stop the construction of two harmful highway projects. Traf-fic studies did not demonstrate the demand for the proposed beltway from Boulder to Golden, nor the pro-posed “Super Slab” toll road east of C-470. Both projects would induce unnecessary, damaging growth.

One of the most hotly debated is-sues of the 2005 legislative session, the “Super Slab” proposal aimed to place a private toll highway on the Eastern Plains. The issue attracted attention when the developer tried to squeeze a law through to make it easier to build a private toll road.

7 Environment Colorado

When the purpose of the proposed legislation was realized, Environ-ment Colorado and its allies rallied against the bill. The Legislature responded by stopping the bill and proposing two new bills.

Both House Bill 1342, championed by Environment Colorado and introduced by Rep. Jack Pommer, and Senate Bill 230, introduced by Sen. Tom Wiens, would have made it tougher for a private developer to make a toll road like the “Super Slab.”

Gov. Owens vetoed both bills, despite bipartisan support in the Legislature.

“With these vetoes, Gov. Owens has put the interest of one wealthy highway developer over the will of the Legislature and the people of Colorado,” said Will Coyne of En-vironment Colorado. “Gov. Owens seems to be the last and only friend of the ‘Super Slab’.”

During the 2005 legislative session, thousands of residents flocked to the Capitol to attend long and heat-ed public hearings about the proj-ect. Even though the two proposed bills were vetoed, enough opposi-tion was displayed to make it doubt-ful that any toll roads will be built.

P.7 Photo credits: Clockwise from top:Aaron*, Sxc.hu, sxc.hu, staff photo

P.8 Photo credit: amygdala imagery*

Environment Colorado and its allies helped beat back efforts to build a private toll road. Instead of encouraging more sprawl, we

advocate smart growth projects like FasTracks.

Environment Coloradofought reckless development

u Reckless development theatens Colorado’s open spaces. Environment Colorado continues to work to preserve our natural heritage.

Urban growth boundaryTo promote smart development, Environment Colorado has also worked with the staff and the board of the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) to establish a new committee investigating semi-urban land use that began work in March of 2005.

By the end of the year the group decided to move forward with developing a boundary for semi-urban growth in addition to the already-existing boundary for ur-ban growth.

Environment Colorado is also working to oppose a proposal to develop publicly held land on the former Lowry Bombing Range. The development would violate the Denver metro area’s urban growth boundary and threaten wildlife habitat in the range.

“The land in the Lowry Bombing Range was set aside to protect open space and wildlife habitat,” said Kiely. “Allowing development here would threaten habitat in the area and encourage sprawl.”

Environment Colorado

In the wakes of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, members of Congress had been pushing not only for drilling in the Arctic, but also for drilling off the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts, despite a decades-old moratorium that protected the coasts from drilling.

Environment Colorado and our allies worked to counter efforts to drill in pristine and protected places like the Arctic, and to show Congress the benefits of conserva-tion, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Studies have shown that the Arctic Refuge contains less oil than the U.S. uses in just one year. To date, hundreds of thousands of Ameri-cans have contacted congressional leaders or taken other actions to protect this last pristine section of Alaska’s North Coast.

Arctic Refuge threatenedOn Nov. 9, in the face of opposi-tion from both Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives, the House dropped drilling language from their budget bill.

On Dec. 21, the Senate defeated yet another attempt by drilling sup-porters to allow oil drilling in the

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coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Led by Sen. Ted Stevens (Alaska), drilling propo-nents tried to include Arctic drill-ing language within the defense appropriations bill—emergency legislation to fund the military. Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar joined Arct ic champion Sen. Maria Cantwell and others in a success-ful filibuster against drilling, and the Senate was forced to drop the measure from the defense bill.

Sen. Stevens chose to use the de-fense bill as his pro-drilling vehicle after an historic win for environ-mentalists earlier in the House’s legislative session.

“This is a huge win for America’s Arctic Refuge and the American people, who once again over-whelmingly—and successfully—opposed this backdoor attempt to drill in the Arctic,” said Environment Colorado Field Organizer Matt Gar-rington.

Congress defeated proposedArctic Refuge drilling

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was once again spared from oil drilling. The refuge is host to a wide range of animals,

including polar bears and caribou.

P.p Photo credits: Clockwise from top:Sxc.hu, Fish and Wildlife Service, Getty

Images

monthly supporters giving $25 to $39 each month.

Arrone & Taulere Appel • Brad Armstrong • Patricia Ayd • Marc Bartels • Kevin Bradshaw • Lee Breckenridge • D. Broncucia • Michelle Broyles • James Bryant • Jim Budde • Jim Burds • Valerie Christensen • Michael Christie • Daniel Conrad • Melanie Coslor • Stephen Craig • Mike Flack • Marian Franta • Tracy Frickey • Joseph Garc ia • Jody Georgeson • Rachel Gomez • Mike Hale • Sandra Haynes • Cindy Hellgren • Patricia Hoffman • Mary Janss • Gabe Kadell • Nancy Kearney • Renae Kofford • Mark Laity Snyder • Rick Levine • Linda Lewis • Dylan Luyten • Iona Mackenzie • Christine Mastro • Stephen Miller • Ed Mooney • Steven Morrow • Patricia O’ Niell • Louis Parslow • Glenda Pemble • Neal Peterson • Mercedes Ramas • Robb Riviera • Randy Ross • Kim Sanders • Eric Schachter • Richard Schaden • Justin Schupp • Christopher Shannon • Kim Shore • Lenora Starr • Kathleen Stringer • John Taylor • Mary Timmons • Julie Wrend • Mary Wright

Foundation SupportThe Environment Colorado Research & Policy Cente, a 501(c)(3) organization, con-ducts research and public education on emerging public interest issues. Contributions to the Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center are tax-deductible.

The following foundations supported the Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center’s work in 2005. To find out more, call Elena Nuñez at (303) 573-3871 ext. 300.

• Argosy Foundation• Colorado Coalition for

New Energy Technologies• Educational Foundation of

America• Energy Foundation• Southwest Energy

Efficiency Project• Surdna Foundation• The William & Flora

Hewlett Foundation • Western Clean Energy

Campaign• Wyss Foundation

The following financial information reflects the combined financial resources of Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center, Environment Colorado and Environment Colorado’s citizen outreach projects for 2005.

Financial Information

Citizen Contributions 70%

Foundation Grants 30%

FY05 Income

FY05 Expenses

FY05 Program Expenses

Environment Colorado SupportersCitizen support is the cornerstone of Environment Colorado and Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center. Thousands of Coloradans supported Environment Colorado by making membership contributions in 2005. The members listed below were particularly generous in backing the organization. Names in italics denote monthly supporters.

Development CommitteeMembers of the Development Committee supported Environ-ment Colorado with contribu-tions of $1000 or more or are monthly supporters giving $80 or more each month.

Chad Kenney • Elizabeth Klemme • Richard Melnick • Steven Moore • Cindy Nelson • Meg O’Shaughnessy • Douglas H. Phelps • Brooke Rigg ins • Pat ty S tu lp • William & Heather Weeks

PatronsPatrons supported Environment Colorado with contributions of $500 to $999 or are monthly supporters giving $40 to $79 each month.

Nanon Anderson • Dalbey Belinda • Heather Campbell • Priscilla Corielle • Christopher Edwards • Cecily Grant • Ann Hodel • Debra Lane • Jason Lawrence • Jeff Lebesch • Karen Merriam • Loisa Phipps • Joseph Shepard • Joshua Staller • Alice Starek • Greg Tiemeier • Denise Waddell • Daren Scot Wilson

SponsorsSponsors supported Environ-ment Colorado with contribu-tions of $300 to $499 or are

Program 71%

Fundraising 22%

Administrative 7%

Preservation 41%

Clean Energy 31%

Clean Air 14%

Land Use 14%

(Other 1%)

Environment Colorado

1536 Wynkoop St., Ste. 100

Denver, CO 80202

Address service requested

Matt BakerExecutive Director

Will CoyneLand Use Advocate

Isaac SilvermanEnergy Associate

Matt GarringtonField Organizer

Pam KielyLand Use Associate

Elena NuñezAdmin. Director

Environment Colorado Staff

Staff Photos: Jan Pelton, Cover Photo: Eric J. Enger*

* copyright and used under license from Shutterstock.com

Jake MeffleyEnergy Advocate

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Athan ManuelFederal Preservation Advocate