In April, Larimer County received a $5.2 million grant from the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission to plug and clean up 50 of Prospect Energy’s abandoned oil and gas well sites in the area.
In 2024, after multiple violations and complaints from residents, Prospect Energy reached an agreement with the county and the City of Fort Collins to cease operations and close its Larimer County wells. State regulators ultimately revoked Prospect Energy’s permit to operate anywhere in Colorado.
Many of the well sites that will be plugged and remediated are close to homes and a local park, while 10 are located within Fort Collins city limits. These actions support both communities’ goals of improving regional air quality, reducing hydrocarbon emissions, supporting public health, and ensuring responsible energy development.
While we celebrate this latest win, it’s also the culmination of many years of holding oil and gas operators accountable. In 2021, the Board of Larimer County Commissioners enacted oil and gas regulations that exceeded the state’s requirements. We heard from dozens of residents about the public health impacts of oil and gas operations that were too close to homes, schools, and public spaces.
Later, we pursued actions against Prospect Energy for flaring, and the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE) purchased a Forward-Looking Infrared Camera to proactively detect methane leaks. In 2024 and 2025, the LCDHE, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, opened new air quality monitoring stations in Timnath and Loveland to monitor air pollution sources that lead to high levels of ground-level ozone.
In addition to addressing air quality and oil and gas, Larimer County is also working on environmental and sustainability issues. We recently celebrated our Climate Smart Future Ready’s (CSFR) second year of implementation. This work is being done by 18 action teams from 10 county departments and more than 50 community partners.
CSFR can point to a high return on investment for many of its projects and has received millions of dollars in grants. For every dollar invested by the county, our community gets a return of at least $2.50 in benefits. In the two years of implementation, we have conserved 6,569 acres of land, diverted 10,547 mattresses from our landfill, and completed 457 wildfire home assessments. These efforts not only improve our quality of life, but they also build economic resilience, prevent wildfires, protect our homes and communities, and ensure our water security. Much of the success of this work is the result of all of us, every day.
Every year, we also honor individuals, organizations, businesses, or public agencies that are doing their own environmental work. The county’s Environmental and Science Advisory Board reviews and evaluates each nomination for our Environmental Stewardship Awards. While applications are closed for the year, we hope you will join us for the awards ceremony this summer.
As commissioners, we’re committed to doing this important sustainability work, but we know that it cannot be done alone; the work we do to protect our land, air, water, and community health involves all of us — every county department, our municipalities, nonprofit partners, and thousands of volunteer hours from generous Larimer County residents. We thank you for joining us in taking care of Larimer County.
Kristen Stephens is a Larimer County Commissioner serving all of Larimer County.