Frack wars: The empire strikes back — in force

For the past couple of years, groups opposed to the practice of hydraulic fracturing to extract oil and gas have successfully taken their movement to ballot boxes. Voters in Fort Collins, Longmont, Lafayette, Broomfield and Boulder have passed bans or moratoriums on fracking.

This year, fueled by a gusher of advertising and buoyed by Loveland voters’ June 24 rejection of a two-year moratorium on fracking, the oil and gas industry is mounting a counteroffensive and is launching its own ballot initiatives.

Two issues aimed at curbing attempts to restrict oil and natural gas development have garnered more than half the signatures required…