[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6236097,"mediaKeyId","3380218-49286651a4c432a06c8c095702e725ac","parentId",3380218,"title","DNR executive director summarizes 2025 legislative outcomes and launches Colorado Outdoor Strategy","audioSeconds",493,"startMs",217000,"endMs",710000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3380218-49286651a4c432a06c8c095702e725ac&start=217&end=710","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3380218-49286651a4c432a06c8c095702e725ac/thumbnail_217000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6236097/Colorado/DNR-executive-director-summarizes-2025-legislative-outcomes-and-launches-Colorado-Outdoor-Strategy","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236097-e4ed590c433541fc17be84acc2768b9b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450700&Signature=GJj805PI4IcmNJZpiJl-Ulao8k~RdGtwgloT17-ANvUr8RC7G5p5nloAwOvgH9vdmHHv4gTTIOGj91a6B~2qVdyl0aWvnEhtEXHWkqVs1sRXybXG1H3y6GjCmdPHwAIJSaJyswazDTXr~NfJFmYm79MKoPO~iJR7atU-LE4XOMwxIMcPaZnZ5xiWsLVmri~1mLQyPvC74Z0xyubMIZBrRfdxi8yMURJ45SMcxxhw4La-ZsayOnVRAUKglzrs0JNOd9D3~kZMLyogf3Sgnn9oIpOnucioH-Iruk8aXb8t05aAq6c0dg~6lswXDviWp0rtaQbgzH-uMcRXhHD-o3hX7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","DNR State Land Board","date","2025-05-19T17:28:12Z","article","Dan Gibbs, executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, briefed the Colorado Board of Land Commissioners on legislative activity and policy developments affecting state land stewardship and cross-agency initiatives.

Gibbs said the 2025 session concluded and highlighted bills the department tracked during the session. He described a study bill he identified as House Bill 13 22, which will require the State Board of Land Commissioners to convene a state trust lands conservation and recreation work group to study opportunities to advance conservation and recreation on trust lands while maintaining fiduciary duties; staff must consider the work group’s recommendations and adopt administrative policy by Dec. 15, 2026.

Gibbs summarized other enacted bills the department supported or tracked, including: Senate Bill 81 (the BUILD Act) enabling capital-financing tools and partnerships, and a bill (referred to as Senate Bill 167 in the briefing) expanding the permanent public school fund and connecting it to the unclaimed property trust fund to support K–12, housing and community investments (including provisions on annual distribution and growth targets). He also noted enacted measures strengthening wildlife trafficking prevention, improving state park access for enrolled members of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes, advancing abandoned mine reclamation, and establishing water-supply mapping and forecasting.

Gibbs announced the statewide \"Colorado Outdoor Strategy,\" launched by the governor at a partners conference in Colorado Springs. He said the strategy centers on three goals: advancing climate-resilient conservation and restoration, ensuring exceptional and sustainable outdoor recreation, and coordinating planning and funding across agencies and regions. Gibbs said Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) committed $50 million to jump-start the strategy.

Gibbs also updated the board on federal developments and the department’s coordination on potential impacts to federal grants and programs. He said DNR administers approximately 350 federal grants that fund roughly 490 positions and more than $300 million in programs across fire mitigation, abandoned mine cleanup, flood mitigation and other work. Gibbs said the department is monitoring federal executive orders and potential changes in federal funding that could affect reimbursement timing and program continuity.

Regarding energy and produced water, Gibbs outlined that the Colorado Produced Water Consortium will meet to study impacts on disproportionately impacted communities and to tour produced-water infrastructure; a consortium deliverable on analytical and toxicological methods is due July 1, 2025. He also noted ongoing work on renewable-energy siting guidance required by a referenced senate bill (24-212) and that Parks and Wildlife is updating the State Wildlife Action Plan.

Ending: Gibbs thanked board members for their voluntary service on the State Board of Land Commissioners and said DNR staff will continue to coordinate on cross-agency priorities and share regulatory or legislative materials affecting state trust land stewardship.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 2025 State Land Board Public Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Dan Gibbs, executive director of the Department of Natural Resources, briefed the State Board of Land Commissioners on the 2025 legislative session and launched the Colorado Outdoor Strategy with a $50 million commitment from Great Outdoors Colorado.","taxTitle","Natural Resources - Colorado State Land Board, State Agencies, Organizations, Executive, Colorado","taxId",27365,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6236101,"Board approves Dusty Rose wind production lease; project to produce up to 502 MW with $3.9 million to school trust",3095,9305000,12400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3380218-49286651a4c432a06c8c095702e725ac&start=9305&end=12400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3380218-49286651a4c432a06c8c095702e725ac/thumbnail_9305000.jpg","/articles/6236101/Colorado/Board-approves-Dusty-Rose-wind-production-lease-project-to-produce-up-to-502-MW-with-39-million-to-school-trust","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236101-941cee7bf0c0696e8f1efc86a3034564/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450700&Signature=WdfhQqvK6v1JeD3Csv4IS2NarUATKh49BNLP9l8CLp3cuzdF3SfrzgG5KolsoHbICu~BVtnxZSQQKWr-Xnb8SN4yVTJjExm8kljR6M4du0XKjgjpixw0Nz8ZYstS6d4v6khTABJRbmiCQE9pfP~-l4HkE8iEAMMLt~hBuOBT4WjiiS~n2~fbv0fbHxT-oz5c2lj2yuqJiI77Tfg-QxXXRKmrTDb9jm09pWTzRDATcMBzFg442Wi3Rkg0qfVWwyIW3jVHMpo2RoXxBYGFxDv3CBQOrdr-sdFOcRWt~DamckYlkdE0j8s6t53lobtMRBykgbugVU2ZdWkefyGWKll9yQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Colorado Board of Land Commissioners approved a production lease with Dusty Rose Wind LLC, a NextEra Energy Resources subsidiary, for three state trust land parcels in southern Kit Carson County. The project sits within a larger 54,000-acre proposal and would place up to nine turbines on state trust sections as part of a planned up-to-78-turbine, up-to-502-megawatt wind farm.

Staff said the production lease is the final step in the board’s three-phase renewable leasing process and that NextEra has completed local land-use approvals for the wind farm. Renewable energy staff told commissioners the board’s share of the negotiated consideration will total about $3.9 million over the 25-year production term (plus a two-year construction period) and that a performance bond of $589,000 will be held for the life of the lease to ensure restoration and compliance.

David Rodenberg, renewable energy program manager, said the three trust sections would supply 1,920 acres to the project boundary and were included previously in a planning lease awarded in February 2024. Staff reported the state-trust acreage represents about 4.6% of the project’s total acreage and about 4.4% of the project’s proposed generating capacity. Rodenberg said two of the three affected state agricultural lessees are participating with private land in the project and that the state lessees had not raised objections to the proposed lease.

Key economic terms staff presented included a one-time installation and access payment of about $115,000 due at lease execution and an annual production payment equal to $5,000 per megawatt per year (about $112,800 in year 1 for the state’s 22.56 MW allocation), escalating at 2.5% annually. Staff noted the lease contains a most-favored-nation clause so the trust will receive no less than the best site terms offered to similarly situated landowners in the same project.

NextEra representatives participated remotely and told the board they were nearing execution of a power-purchase agreement (PPA) with Public Service Company of Colorado (Xcel Energy). Company staff said construction was expected to begin in summer 2025 and that first sales of electricity were planned late in 2026. NextEra also explained it would fund access roads and underground collection lines associated with the project and would seek separate rights-of-way from the board if the transmission interconnection required additional state trust acreage.

The board voted 4–0 to approve the production lease. Staff said the ECMC, county governments and wildlife agencies had been consulted during project development and that the project team had completed environmental studies and local permitting steps required by the counties.

Ending: The production lease authorizes the company to construct facilities on the specified trust sections; staff will collect the upfront payments and the performance bond and oversee lease compliance and eventual reclamation obligations under the terms of the lease.","The board approved a production lease with Dusty Rose Wind LLC (NextEra Energy Resources) for three state trust sections in Kit Carson County. The project includes up to nine turbines on trust land and a 25-year production term; the board will receive about $3.9 million over the lease life plus a performance bond.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6236105,"Board approves $841,100 for Williams Park Ranch repairs and upgrades amid debate about scale and payback",2189,9081000,11270000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3380218-49286651a4c432a06c8c095702e725ac&start=9081&end=11270","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3380218-49286651a4c432a06c8c095702e725ac/thumbnail_9081000.jpg","/articles/6236105/Colorado/Board-approves-841100-for-Williams-Park-Ranch-repairs-and-upgrades-amid-debate-about-scale-and-payback","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236105-cf0d7b7c523433e0a439cc999afe98b7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450700&Signature=LF7gn6DBqz5lcbhm0qdy0LBh5MLNKiTPZjEAzYt9rTn4jBhc1AiQ7eMdDwszxAXmmiZiuklXAaTe3Vh8vhxqvQP8jwIgHQY78otpUkuRxARN7~720MJ7j~9ggJqFzx9b~nyDF3F~ZqaXpKDI~BFRke6avijtVoNo839NN4IcthqLfEBxlWUQKIHIKFz7zTgkXcJvfKfBx855Zaq8GDEFBsvlF6CImqGM8R7MxmQn85IMdByCzlZI0bh9KS8I-J-~EwlbWuW7v9GV0whXE0GFcu9OmZ7OfQbcuOyoDLBROhLKUV1M6zdWU20V51sJLM5iVT5aJuzEqOCkp-1yLhiy0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Colorado Board of Land Commissioners approved an $841,100 interim-need (IND) funding request to repair water control structures, irrigation ditches, roads, fences and to add livestock-working facilities at the Williams Park Ranch in Routt County.

Staff said the improvements are needed to restore property infrastructure so the agricultural lessee can run livestock year-round. Commissioners approved the request 4–0 after a detailed discussion about whether the scale of proposed spending is commensurate with expected agricultural rent and long-term stewardship objectives.

Jared Smith, northwest district manager for the State Land Board, told commissioners the ranch is roughly 7,300 acres and was acquired by the board in late 2023. He said the agency had completed a competitive RFP and selected High Desert Ranch and Outfitting as lessee for combined agricultural and recreation uses. During a site tour and in lessee proposals, staff identified deferred maintenance that impeded agricultural operation: breaches in stock ponds and dams, damaged measuring flumes and headgates, eroded roads, broken fencing and a removed patio-cover on the ranch house.

Smith presented a prioritized work list and a cost estimate. Major line items include repairs to stock-pond infrastructure and measuring structures, reconstructing and regrading roads, cleaning and repairing irrigation ditches and headgates, installing pasture and perimeter fencing, adding stalls to an existing horse barn, and construction of a covered livestock-working barn to enable winter operations. Staff said the lessee will perform substantial labor and some in-kind work; staff estimates local equipment rental and certain contractor costs to total roughly the requested amount.

Board discussion focused on three themes: the scale of near-term spending compared with expected rent, the distribution of benefit between agricultural and recreational uses, and process questions about acquisition due diligence and future RFPs. Commissioners noted the projected payback from agricultural rent alone would be very long (rough arithmetic in the meeting indicated decades), and several asked for stronger pre-acquisition cost analysis on properties that require immediate capital.

Commissioner comments emphasized that many of the repairs (water control, roads, fencing) also serve recreation and resource stewardship goals — not only livestock production — and could raise the property’s long-term value. Staff said improved infrastructure would likely broaden future bidder interest for both agricultural and recreation uses and help the land to function as a working ranch.

Abe Medina, recreation program manager, and district staff described cost-sharing aspects of the proposal: the lessee will contribute labor and some onsite resources, which staff estimated could produce material savings versus contracting all work externally. Commissioners asked that invoices and project costs be documented through standard purchase order and verification procedures.

Decision: The board voted 4–0 to approve the $841,100 IND request from the agency’s IME fund for the Williams Park Ranch improvements, with staff to oversee implementation, verify invoices and report on outcomes. Commissioners asked staff to return with improved acquisition diligence and to consider alternative funding chains and possible revenue-sharing or repayment mechanisms in future similar requests.

Ending: Staff said it will manage construction and maintenance contracts, monitor lessee contributions, and report project progress and final expenditures to the board. Commissioners also asked staff to refine RFP processes so expected up-front infrastructure costs are clearer before future acquisitions.
","The Board of Land Commissioners authorized $841,100 in improvement funding to repair dams, ditches, roads, fences and add livestock and ranching infrastructure at the Williams Park Ranch in Routt County. Commissioners and staff debated costs, expected payback timelines and whether some work primarily benefits agricultural operations.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6236110,"Private campground operator seeks long-term production leases on state trust land; board asked for policy guidance",1627,3589000,5216000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3380218-49286651a4c432a06c8c095702e725ac&start=3589&end=5216","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3380218-49286651a4c432a06c8c095702e725ac/thumbnail_3589000.jpg","/articles/6236110/Colorado/Private-campground-operator-seeks-long-term-production-leases-on-state-trust-land-board-asked-for-policy-guidance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236110-6a618e8d681e840f18f255078887c9e3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450700&Signature=fD86jy~SBLDuSDItXMl6LpVzZpAdTuS2qYRo7FQLEubH7Z9aim7dPEZIaBmt-lGZlETS4KUYmeZwtdv1br0iDV1Z-Zz~yaXndeYGn-OX4WZzjegW~hyZFtE-mV9-YbRXPf0hhOSMQPvTv6Nh-hxTSllVmSIHu55qT7tiU8uDglbhsYyC43vVdqVaPmt6nu4Kl3waVN6lV1YXdtOVSQc8rg82irSmGotoVBXEORjEmPZFeCmgKXUCNTK5A9vCS~uU2Pgm1FPFyAsybTQz6HhQrDaL5A1z8iynTBBXvC2y6LxfYsrW5oGmhJKJHDOPY7-ehbr0PmJumFUYwnLQ4wXKFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ramble Outdoors, a private campground operator, presented business and site plans to the Colorado Board of Land Commissioners and asked the board to consider longer-term lease terms and revenue-share structures to support capital-intensive campground development on state trust lands.

The board’s recreation program manager said staff is seeking commissioner feedback on minimum lease terms, cancellation clauses and other nonstandard terms before bringing any long-term developed-recreation leases back for formal approval.

Abe Medina, recreation program manager for the State Board, said the agency’s current standard recreation leases are short-term (commonly five years, often cancellable on 30 days’ notice) and typically cover unimproved uses. Developed recreation leases — facilities with significant capital improvements such as camp infrastructure, restrooms and potable water — have required longer negotiations and board approval because they need more time for entitlement and for lessees to amortize investment.

Dieter (Dieter/Earlier identified as representing Ramble Outdoors) described the company’s approach: low-density tent camping aimed at travelers who want outdoor authenticity rather than high-density RV parks or glamping. He said Ramble’s operating model emphasizes modest built infrastructure (gravel roads, sun/shade shelters, efficiency kitchenettes, hot showers and staffed hosts) rather than large enclosed buildings.

Ramble told the board it has two operating campgrounds in Colorado (near Great Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde), reported a 55% occupancy rate in 2024 at its pilot site and said customer satisfaction metrics (a 4.99 Google rating and a 91 Net Promoter Score) support demand for additional locations. The operator said its per-site build cost in Colorado of a 50-site development is currently estimated at about $3 million (about $56,000 per campsite) and that initial entitlement work at the county level can cost roughly $100,000.

The company proposed a lease structure that would combine a modest guaranteed minimum annual payment for the land with a percentage of gross revenue — the presenter described an example of an 8% gross revenue share and estimated that a 50-site campground might yield about $100,000 a year to the school trust under that structure. Ramble asked for a longer term (suggested 30 years with two 10-year extensions tied to performance metrics) and asked for limits on unilateral early cancellation by the board, saying short-term cancellable leases (30-day cancellation) make it impossible to secure development capital.

Board members asked questions about zoning, local entitlement steps and the footprint of proposed sites. Staff and the company said processes vary by county: some counties allow campgrounds in agricultural zones via special-use permits while others require rezoning or minor subdivision processes. Ramble said two of the sites it is pursuing for state trust land development currently lack existing agricultural leases and one site holds a planning lease with the State Land Board that Ramble hopes to move into entitlement. Staff clarified that any final production lease would return to the board for decision.

Commissioners asked for additional materials before any lease approval: sample visualizations of possible cottage/campground footprints and a scenario analysis comparing expected lifetime returns from unimproved land versus improved developed recreation leases. Commissioners also asked staff to identify how improvements will be treated at lease-end (real property improvements as landlord’s property, tenant movable and branded property removable) and whether mechanisms to protect the landlord against degradation (maintenance schedules, capital reserve or improvement escrow) should be required.

Ending: Staff said it will return with formal terms when a project has completed local entitlements and that in the meantime it will consider the board’s guidance on term length, minimum guarantees, revenue share and protections for the trust’s long-term value.","Ramble Outdoors (Ramble) outlined plans to develop low-density, amenity-rich tent campgrounds on state trust land and asked the Board of Land Commissioners for guidance on lease-term lengths, revenue sharing and risk allocation as entitlement and development approvals proceed.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6236115,"State Land Board hears technical briefing on geothermal exploration lease near Buena Vista",2078,1554000,3632000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3380218-49286651a4c432a06c8c095702e725ac&start=1554&end=3632","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3380218-49286651a4c432a06c8c095702e725ac/thumbnail_1554000.jpg","/articles/6236115/Colorado/State-Land-Board-hears-technical-briefing-on-geothermal-exploration-lease-near-Buena-Vista","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236115-e34aa5d5cc6721dcaeaf688a2327ddf1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450700&Signature=MDbKd9FgqDV9SwCO7XnCUlXulg2E3Gr4T2Mggcoik2IgluyWX-IBEUYkyP0frv0F~Ox5Q07IMPddKNOdKPZAWJFZta1rP8oRuZY27S-7LJ5fSqnCGNybimVyvbjSQxjGn8i9KAsRDrtIjub~UwSjjIuzCO6Ubk7x0a1RFJzqKNDs0lj-dWQTpV-yL53OJWFQHjwojnJKK33oXIzOBljhkqqdCxTemvGa8zFay71gBlL85AoocI0LYqkCHMg32VsuW4EYwWSw2nu4x2XqC1CZNXFemE6gLtwzL6YGeq1NxT5YNdowgBgHunxzibd~hEr5nXV1GNFmWZ9ycusICR~IbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A state land staff briefing and regulator panel on a proposed geothermal exploration lease near Buena Vista focused on what a science well would allow, how deep geothermal differs from shallow systems and which agencies will regulate production if exploration is successful.

The discussion matters because the current exploration lease held by Mount Princeton Geothermal expires July 1, and staff is preparing a recommendation for the board next month. The public and county officials have submitted comments raising environmental, visual and water-supply concerns that regulators said are addressed through the Energy and Carbon Management Commission’s permitting process and coordination with the Division of Water Resources and local governments.

Crystal Coranda, Minerals Director for the State Board of Land Commissioners, opened the information item and warned the board this meeting was for information only: \"Today, we are going to discuss an information item on a geothermal exploration lease.\" She noted staff had received corrected cover-sheet details and that an application for an exploration lease on the same lands had been submitted and would be processed. Coranda said staff intends to return next month with any new information and a final recommendation.

Staff said the state’s current lease under discussion covers roughly 3,700 acres in Chaffee County and is an exploration, or science, lease that only permits subsurface investigation — drilling a test or \"science\" well — not a production facility. Crystal Coranda and other staff emphasized that a successful exploration program would give an operator an exclusive right to negotiate a production lease, but that any production lease would require a separate public approval process and additional permits at the state and county level.

Michael Rigby, energy transition senior scientist at the Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC), described the ECMC’s regulatory timeline and the agency’s recent rulemaking to cover deep geothermal activity. He explained the permitting sequence for a science well: required pre-application consultation with state and local agencies, a public-notice posting and a minimum 30-day public comment period (extendable to 60 days in disproportionately impacted communities or near occupied structures), followed by administrative approval or denial. He said science wells are for data acquisition only and cannot be used for production or injection without conversion and another public review.

Kevin Donegan, hydrogeology section chief with the Division of Water Resources (DWR), explained the agency’s role on water issues. He said DWR retains authority over shallower geothermal operations (less than 2,500 feet) and over any use of tributary groundwater; the ECMC regulates deep geothermal operations and consults DWR on deep permits. Donegan summarized new statutory protections discussed in the session: HB 25 11 65 (cited in the briefing) would, pending final administrative steps, streamline permitting in some deep nontributary situations while preserving protections for prior geothermal operations and historic hot springs. He described notification and claim procedures for prior geothermal operations and the requirement that some applications include technical evidence that proposed operations will not cause material injury to existing geothermal sites.

Staff and regulators reviewed recent technical and policy work. ECMC produced a statewide geothermal resource study and a regulatory study last year; ECMC adopted geothermal rules in 2024 (1300 series) after months of stakeholder engagement. Presenters said the Colorado Geologic Survey supplied a key dataset used in the studies. Staff also noted a recent Colorado Energy Office grant of $500,000 to Mount Princeton Geothermal to support drilling a test well; Western Geothermal has offered to match that $500,000. Coranda confirmed Mount Princeton has received ECMC pre-application meetings and operator approval; ECMC must still issue science-well permits and any subsequent amended permits for production.

Presenters repeatedly distinguished exploration from production. ECMC’s Rigby said \"science wells do not utilize geothermal resources\" and are intended to collect subsurface information (cores, logs, limited flow tests) — not to power turbines or to run heat-exchange production facilities. He described conversion procedures required if a science well is later proposed for production, including amended permits, additional public review and any required coordination with the EPA for injection activities.

County planning staff participated. Miles Cottam, planning director for Chaffee County, told the board the county treats commercial geothermal development as a land-use activity subject to local entitlement. He said his county typically handles exploration activities (science wells) through an activity notice rather than full discretionary permits, but that a full-scale production facility would require county review and permitting. Cottam offered to serve as a resource as the project advances through local entitlements.

Board members and staff pressed presenters on visual and operational impacts. Commissioners asked for examples and visual materials showing typical footprints and layouts for short-term well pads versus full production facilities; staff agreed to provide photos and examples at the next meeting. Commissioners also asked for clarification on royalties and how future production revenue would be structured; staff said it was too early to specify production-stage royalties and that those terms would be provided in any later production-lease proposal.

The board did not take action on the exploration lease at this meeting. Staff said it would continue processing the new application, incorporate public comments already received, and bring a recommendation, lease terms and any additional technical materials to the full board at the next monthly meeting.

Ending: Staff and the ECMC requested that interested residents use the agencies’ public comment processes and noted that any production facility would require separate permits and additional public engagement. The board’s mineral staff asked commissioners to identify any additional information they would need before next month’s decision, and regulators agreed to supply sample visualizations of potential development footprints and more detailed descriptions of DWR/ECMC coordination on groundwater issues.","Staff and state regulators reviewed rules and permitting for a proposed geothermal science well on roughly 3,700 acres in Chaffee County and answered questions about environmental oversight, water use and how a science well differs from an end-use production facility.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DNR executive director summarizes 2025 legislative outcomes and launches Colorado Outdoor Strategy

Board approves Dusty Rose wind production lease; project to produce up to 502 MW with $3.9 million to school trust

Board approves $841,100 for Williams Park Ranch repairs and upgrades amid debate about scale and payback

Private campground operator seeks long-term production leases on state trust land; board asked for policy guidance

State Land Board hears technical briefing on geothermal exploration lease near Buena Vista