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Office: Moffat County OEM – (970) 824-9078 | moffatcounty.net
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Craig school facilities; county fairgrounds; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: Northwestern Colorado high desert and mountain county; Craig is county seat; wildfire risk (significant – surrounding forests and sage brush; 2002 Coal Seam Fire started near Glenwood Springs and affected regional awareness); flooding (Yampa River – Craig sits on the Yampa River); severe winter weather; Dinosaur National Monument (county’s northeast corner); energy transition (coal mining and coal-fired power plants dominated Craig’s economy; significant plant closures in recent years as energy transition away from coal has caused economic disruption); oil and gas development
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Moffat County Roads – (970) 824-9078
Transit: Very limited; primarily auto-dependent
Notes: US-40 (east-west through Craig – the historic highway connecting Denver to Salt Lake City; used by wagons before the railroad and then by early motorists); SR-13 (north to Wyoming; south to Meeker); Craig is about 45 miles west of Steamboat Springs via US-40; Vernal, Utah is about 100 miles west; the Yampa River Valley is a major corridor; Craig’s isolation and energy industry focus make it one of Colorado’s more economically challenged communities
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Moffat County Planning – (970) 824-9078
Services: County permits; Craig (separate) is the dominant community; Dinosaur, Maybell, Meeker (Rio Blanco County) area
Notes: Very limited development; energy transition has reduced industrial construction; coal mine and power plant decommissioning; limited residential development; Dinosaur NM visitor infrastructure
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Moffat County Veterans Services – (970) 824-9078
VA Medical: VA Grand Junction (accessible via US-40 – about 90 miles); telehealth important
Services: Benefits claims; Grand Junction VA accessible
Notes: Remote county; Grand Junction VA accessible; small veteran community; energy industry workforce includes veterans
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Moffat County Library – (970) 824-5116
Branches: Craig; Hamilton (small branch)
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Yampa Valley heritage; Dinosaur National Monument; energy industry history
Notes: Library system serves a community in economic transition; Dinosaur NM heritage and natural history collections; coal mining and energy industry history; the library has become more important as an internet access and community resource as the economic base has contracted
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Dinosaur National Monument (northwestern Moffat County and northeastern Utah – one of the finest NPS units in the Mountain West; the Yampa River and Green River confluence in some of the most spectacular canyon country in Colorado; Harpers Corner Road provides stunning canyon overlooks; the Jensen, Utah quarry site has over 1,500 dinosaur fossils still embedded in the rock face – the most impressive in-situ dinosaur fossil display in the world; the rivers through the monument offer Class III-V whitewater rafting in extremely remote canyon country); Yampa River (excellent fishing; Steamboat Springs whitewater accessible via US-40); Brown’s Park National Wildlife Refuge (far northwest corner – excellent waterfowl; Brown’s Park was a notorious hideout for outlaws including Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch in the 1890s); Colorado Welcome Center (Craig – I-40 entry point); Gates of Lodore (Dinosaur NM – spectacular canyon entry for the Green River)
Notes: Dinosaur National Monument is one of the genuine hidden gems of the NPS system – the dinosaur fossil quarry (where you can see 1,500+ bones embedded in the rock face exactly as they were deposited 150 million years ago) is extraordinary; the Yampa River canyon within the monument is one of the last undammed major river systems in the Colorado River basin; the Brown’s Park area’s outlaw history (Butch Cassidy, Sundance Kid, and the Wild Bunch used this remote valley as a hideout between robberies) gives the region a genuinely adventurous historical character; the Canyon Pintado National Historic District (south of Rangely, Rio Blanco County) protects outstanding Fremont Culture rock art
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Moffat County GIS – moffatcounty.net; Dinosaur NM maps; BLM Northwest Colorado GIS; Yampa River watershed maps; coal mine and power plant mapping
Notes: County GIS; Dinosaur NM trail and visitor maps; BLM public land maps (extensive in Moffat County); coal mine closure and reclamation mapping; Yampa River watershed mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Moffat County Animal Control – (970) 824-9078
Notes: Agricultural and ranching county; cattle and sheep management; elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope; desert bighorn sheep; Yampa River wildlife (river otters); raptors (golden and bald eagles; peregrine falcons in Dinosaur NM canyons); sage grouse management (greater sage grouse – BLM management)
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Moffat County – (970) 824-9078; Craig solid waste
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; Yampa River Basin Watershed Group; USFS (Routt NF portions); BLM (enormous public land holdings); Dinosaur NM (NPS); coal power plant decommissioning; Colowyo Mine (still operating – surface coal mine); Craig Station (coal power plant – Tri-State Generation; Unit 1 and 2 closures scheduled)
Notes: The closure of Craig’s coal-fired power plants represents one of Colorado’s most significant energy transition stories; Craig Station’s units are being retired as Colorado transitions to renewables; the economic impact on Craig (which has been dependent on coal for decades) is severe; the Yampa River is one of the last undammed rivers in the Colorado River system – it is critically important ecologically and its flows have been fought over for decades (Dinosaur NM’s designation specifically blocked proposed dams in the 1950s); Dinosaur NM’s Echo Park Dam proposal (a 1950s Bureau of Reclamation project that would have flooded the monument’s canyon) was defeated by the early environmental movement – a pivotal moment in American conservation history; the Yampa’s cold water flows feed the Green and Colorado Rivers and support an important Colorado pikeminnow (federally endangered) population; coal mine reclamation through DRMS is ongoing
About Moffat County County
Moffat County is northwest Colorado’s Dinosaur National Monument and last free-flowing Yampa county – the world-class dinosaur fossil quarry at the Utah border and the Yampa River’s status as the Colorado system’s last major undammed tributary define a vast, remote county where Craig serves the ranching and energy communities of Colorado’s northwestern corner.
Craig (the county seat, population ~8,900) is Moffat County’s governmental and commercial hub on US 40, a northwest Colorado ranching and energy city whose Dinosaur National Monument gateway role and Yampa River access anchor its community identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Moffat County Assessor at 221 W. Victory Way, Craig, CO 81625, phone 970-824-9104. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Moffat County District Court at 221 W. Victory Way, Craig, CO 81625, phone 970-824-8254, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
221 W. Victory Way, Craig, CO 81625
(970) 824-9104
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Moffat County District Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Museum of Northwest Colorado, 590 Yampa Avenue, Craig, CO – regional history collection for Moffat County.
Moffat County Libraries, 570 Green Street, Craig, CO 81625, (970) 824-5116 – holds local genealogy resources.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Moffat Combined Court – District Court (Probate Division) 1198 W. Victory Way, Suite 200/201, Craig, CO 81625 (970) 824-8254 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Colorado follows the Uniform Probate Code, one of the more streamlined, less court-intensive systems in the country.
Small Estate Affidavit (personal property) – for estates where personal property totals less than roughly $86,000 (twice the “exempt property” amount under C.R.S. § 15-11-403, which adjusts annually for inflation – always confirm the current year’s figure with the court). Available starting 10 days after the death. No court filing required; present the affidavit (Form JDF 999) directly to whoever holds the property.
Summary Administration for small real property – a separate, roughly parallel threshold applies to real property equity. This route does require a court filing.
Informal Probate – the standard path for most estates with a will or clear heirs and no disputes. Handled largely by the court Registrar with minimal hearings.
Formal Probate – required for contested wills, disputed appointments, or complicated estates.
If using the small estate affidavit (personal property)
Wait at least 10 days after the death.
Confirm the fair market value of the decedent’s property (less liens) doesn’t exceed the current statutory threshold, and that no probate has already been opened.
Complete Form JDF 999, Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit.
Present it, along with a certified death certificate, to the bank or institution holding the property – no court filing needed.
If filing for informal or formal probate
File the appropriate application with the Moffat County District Court: Form JDF 910 (with a will) or JDF 908 (without one). For formal probate, file JDF 920 or the intestate equivalent. Filing fee is $199.
The court (or Registrar, for informal cases) appoints a personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
In informal probate, the personal representative then manages the estate largely independently.
Creditors have 4 months from first publication of notice to file claims.
The estate closes once debts are paid and assets are distributed.
What it costs
Small estate affidavit: no court filing fee.
Informal or formal probate filing fee: $199.
Personal representative compensation: “reasonable compensation” – no fixed statutory percentage.
No Colorado state estate tax or inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
Craig, CO 81625
(970) 824-4495
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
221 W. Victory Way, Craig, CO 81625
(970) 824-9104
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(970) 824-8233
Human Services
(970) 824-8282
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Moffat County Public Health – (970) 824-7029
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; coal industry transition mental health; air quality monitoring (coal plants)
Hospital: Memorial Hospital (Craig – (970) 824-9411); small community hospital; Grand Junction for major care
Notes: Small community hospital; coal industry closure has created economic anxiety and behavioral health challenges; air quality impacts from coal plants (historically significant air quality concerns from the Yampa Power Plant; plant closures have reduced emissions but affected employment); healthcare worker recruitment is challenging in this remote community
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County Facts
County Seat: Craig
Population: 13,000
Area: 4,751 sq mi
Established: 1911
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