The November ballot in Colorado will now include two initiatives to limit hydraulic fracturing in the state. One would give control over such activities to the localities, and the other would “effectively prohibit new exploration and production in as much as 95 percent of the surface area of the state’s five top petroleum- and gas-producing counties, according to Colorado regulators.”
As part of RFF’s newest research initiative, The Community Impacts of Shale Gas and Oil Development, experts have been exploring the local costs and benefits of shale gas development, which can affect decisions to restrict development in those communities. At a recent RFF First Wednesday Seminar, Aliza Wasserman of the National Governors Association stated: “Where we see tensions between locals and the state being the highest is where people who have land rights do not own the mineral rights. … Thinking about optimal tax design or other ways of sharing the economic benefits, which is not necessarily taxes but other types of partnerships and community agreements, and focusing it on places where the mineral and land rights are separate will be particularly useful.”
Watch videos from related RFF events or download presentations:
- How Oil and Gas Development Impacts Local Governments and Communities
- Exploring the Local Impacts of Shale Gas Development
RFF on the Issues connects today’s pressing news with related research and expertise at RFF.
