Larimer County, Colorado, commissioners on 16 March halted permitting of oil and gas and "1041" land use applications until 15 April while county leaders work to revise regulations for the sometimes-controversial processes.
Democratic Commissioners John Kefalas, Kristin Stephens, and Jody Shadduck-McNally approved the temporary moratoriums on permitting with a 3–0 vote.
The county has worked for months on its rules for oil and gas permitting after the Democrat-controlled Colorado legislature gave municipal and county governments more control over future development during its 2019 session. County leaders adopted their first ever regulations on oil and gas facilities in April 2020, but citizen groups have asked for increased public health and safety measures.
While oil and gas development in Larimer County is a fraction of that in neighboring Weld County, citizen concern over effects related to the Front Range's poor air quality and climate change have led to efforts to further limit development within the county.
A citizen-approved moratorium on hydraulic fracturing within Fort Collins city limits was struck down by the Colorado Supreme Court in 2016.
The county's 1041 permitting process most recently caught public attention when commissioners in 2019 denied Thornton's plan to build a water pipeline through the county. A Colorado judge has since upheld that decision, stating that Thornton failed in its application to meet three of 12 criteria for the project.