David Neslin leaving Colorado oil and gas post for Denver private law practice

The director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission announced he will resign his post this month and practice law instead.

Neslin, who was appointed director of the COGCC in November 2007, oversaw the commission during a major surge of energy exploration in Colorado. During his tenure, the COGCC overhauled the state’s oil and gas regulations to strengthen environmental protections and enacted more efficient permit reviews and improvements to other public processes.

Neslin worked closely with environmental groups and industry to develop the nation’s strongest chemical disclosure law for hydraulic fracturing.

“We thank Dave Neslin for his work as director of COGCC,” Colorado Conservation Voters Director Peter Maysmith told the Colorado Independent. “While we did not always see eye to eye, he played a valuable role in shepherding through important reforms that will better protect Colorado’s air, land, and water. There is more to be done to protect our environment and the communities where drilling is happening and we look forward to working with a new director to build on making Colorado a national leader in oil and gas protections.”

Neslin plans to continue to work productively with several local governments on regulatory issues as the potential for energy development grows along the Front Range.

“Leading this agency through a time of dynamic change in energy development in Colorado has
been a challenging, exciting and rewarding experience,” Neslin said in a prepared statement. “I look forward to continuing the work of building collaborative, productive solutions to energy and natural resources issues in a new forum.”

A state official said Neslin plans to join the Denver law firm Davis Graham & Stubbs on March 1.