DENVER
— Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011 — Gov. John Hickenlooper and Reeves Brown,
executive director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), announced
today $54,655,280 in annual state Severance Tax and Federal Mineral Lease Direct
Distribution payments will be made to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and
school districts.
DOLA
distributes the payments, which are derived from energy and mineral extraction
statewide. Last year’s distribution to Colorado communities was $37
million.
“This
direct distribution of energy impact funds is an important resource for local
governments,” Hickenlooper said. “These funds help make vital, day-to-day
operations possible, ensure needed public improvement projects become reality
and bolster government services offered to local communities.”
“Responsible
energy development provides energy for our quality of life and jobs in local
communities,” Brown said. “This year’s increase in energy impact funds is a very
positive indicator of the health of Colorado’s energy industry.”
Ken
Parsons, a Rio Blanco County Commissioner and member of the State’s Energy and
Mineral Impact Advisory Committee said, “In these difficult economic times, this
is a critical source of funding statewide for communities impacted by energy and
mineral production. These funds help communities address the ongoing impacts of
development, processing, or energy conversion on local infrastructure and
provide assistance in sustaining the economies of their
communities.”
Direct
distribution is based on the number of employees in the energy impacted
communities in which they resided and the following factors: permits,
production, employee residence, population and highway user miles.
Click
here
for a report listing distributions by local government
recipients.
