Category: Front Page

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – A bear that entered a home on Tue., Sept. 7 just east of Highway 40 in Steamboat Springs, trapping the residents inside, was euthanized by Colorado Parks and Wildlife after displaying aggressive behavior with responding wildlife officers.

A large black bear entered a home near downtown Steamboat Springs through an open garage door and became trapped inside, also trapping the owners in an upstairs room. The bear was aggressive with responding wildlife officers and could not be hazed from the house after 45 minutes. The bear was put down for reasons of health and human safety.

Residents in the area told CPW District Wildlife Manager Adam Gerstenberger the bear had gotten into food in their garage recently as well.

“The bear had a broken lower jaw that was split in the middle,” Gerstenberger said. “It had healed up wrong and one of its canines was hanging out from its upper lip. The other lower canine was shattered, so its teeth weren’t meeting up. The injury is likely the reason why the bear had turned to human food sources.”

Black bears in Colorado are entering hyperphagia and will spend up to 20 hours a day trying to eat more than 20,000 calories to fatten up for winter. As bears start to prepare for hibernation and hunt for food, Coloradans may see more bear activity in urban areas. Coloradans should be careful to secure attractants and food sources around their house that can attract bears.

For more information on bears in Colorado, visit cpw.state.co.us/bears. If you have questions or need to report bear problems, call your nearest CPW office. 

What:             Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for Work Options’ Mountain View Café

 

Who:              Speakers include Adams County Commissioner Emma Pinter, Adams County Human Services Director Katie Griego, and Work Options Executive Director Julie Stone.

                       

Where:          Adams County Human Services Center, Third Floor, 11860 Pecos St., Westminster.

 

When:            Wednesday, Sept. 15, 11 a.m.

 

Why:              To celebrate the grand opening of the Work Options program and Mountain View Café. The program will provide a free culinary training program for Adams County residents.

Denver, Colo. — The final steel beam will be laid on the Hydro building at the new CSU Spur campus on Sept. 16, marking a milestone for the largest and final building at CSU Spur. 

The Hydro building will focus on water and will open in November 2022 – it is one of three buildings at the CSU Spur campus in north Denver. Vida (health) will be the first building to open in January 2022, with Terra (food) shortly thereafter, opening by April 2022.

CSU Spur is a new concept – a first-of-its-kind place. It will be an educational destination for the public – and while it’s an offering of the CSU System, its main goal is to appeal to K-12 students, members of the general public as visitors … rather than higher education students. 

The campus will be home to real science and research, and will welcome the public to see it “in-action” as a way to elicit learning and action around the campus’ topics of food, water, and health. 

“This topping out is a major milestone as we look forward to opening the CSU Spur campus starting in January,” CSU System Chancellor Tony Frank said. “We’re grateful for the exceptional work of our construction partners who have kept the project on time, and for the partnership with Denver Water that will really bring the Hydro Building to life.”

The topping out – or laying of the final steel beam on the building – is a significant milestone in the construction of the building which usually results in a public celebration, complete with people signing the beam prior to placement. CSU Spur will welcome people to the site to sign the beam, and livestream the beam placement. 

The 122,000 sq. ft. Hydro building is focused on water and will be home to programs that allow the public to connect with and understand the significance of water by inviting experts and researchers and giving visitors an opportunity to connect with those experts. 

The new Water Quality Lab from Denver Water will open on the third floor of the Hydro building, and researchers will work behind glass, allowing the public to see what hasn’t been seen previously – the water they drink, being tested. 

“Denver Water is very excited to be part of this amazing facility and opportunity with CSU Spur, giving us a closer connection with the public and the 1.5 million people we serve,” said Tom Roode, chief Operations and Maintenance officer for Denver Water. “This puts us right in the heart of a new research environment, in a spot where we can work far more closely and readily with academics and other innovators studying a wide spectrum of emerging and current water quality issues and solutions to ensure we can continue to deliver safe, reliable, great-tasting water to the Denver metro area not only today, but also well into the future.”

Hydro will also be the “home base” of the public-facing CSU Spur educational campus including spaces that will be programmed and be available for nonprofits and existing programs to use, such as:

• A flexible theater space that can hold up to 300 people
• A farm-to-table café, selling foods grown onsite at Spur in the Terra building
• Artist studios with garage doors that allow indoor/outdoor space
• Flexible classroom, laboratory, and outdoor event spaces and terraces
• Four major art installations (there are eight total installations at CSU Spur)

About CSU Spur

Coming in 2022: CSU System will open Spur, where innovative ideas and unforgettable experiences come to life at the National Western Center. Spur’s three buildings at the center of the landmark project in north Denver will ignite and fuel new ideas around water, food, and health and their impact on our lives and our world. Spur is where learning is open and accessible to all. Where researchers tackle the world’s most pressing problems around water, food, and health. Where art and culture challenge and surround you. Where rural and urban, local and global intersect. The state legislature allocated $200 million for the construction of the CSU Spur project in 2015, citing the educational, economic, and public benefits that the campus would bring. Learn more at csuspur.org.

About Denver Water

Denver Water proudly serves high-quality water and promotes its efficient use to 1.5 million people in the city of Denver and many surrounding suburbs. Established in 1918, the utility is a public agency funded by water rates, new tap fees and the sale of hydropower, not taxes. It is Colorado’s oldest and largest water utility. Subscribe to TAPto hydrate your mind, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

DENVER (Sept.14, 2021)  – In its first outdoor exhibition since the last pandemic more than a year ago, the historic Denver Auto Show has returned to the Mile High City – this time at Elitch Gardens, and presented by AAA. The show runs from Wednesday, Sept. 15 through Sunday, Sept. 19 with tickets and more information available at DenverAutoShow.com. 

Attendees can expect state-of-the-art automotive technology as showcased in the newest model-year import and domestic vehicles – including cars, vans, crossovers, hybrids, light trucks, and sport utility vehicles.

This year, electric vehicles will take center stage at Xcel Energy’s Drive Electric Experience, offering attendees the chance to drive electric vehicles (EVs) while offering tips on how electric vehicles can fit your lifestyle. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Kona EVs will also be making their Colorado debut, alongside newly electrified offerings from other major auto manufacturers.

AAA Colorado will be showcasing its dedicated electric vehicle charging truck, the nation’s first when it debuted in 2015, now updated with cutting-edge charging technology. 

“With nearly a century of service to Colorado, we’re proud of our historic role in mapping the roads, numbering the highways, and popularizing the car in this great state,” said Skyler McKinley, regional director of public affairs for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “We’ve never stopped innovating. At the 2021 Denver Auto Show, we’re proud to show Colorado all that we’re doing to usher in another new era of mobility.” 

Future Fuels & Mass Transit
As part of the Denver Auto Show, and in partnership with New Day Hydrogen, AAA is proud to welcome the New Flyer Xcelsior CHARGE H2, a zero-emission, hydrogen-fuel-cell-electric bus, to Colorado for its first time. Powered by hydrogen fuel-cell technology, the bus can run long routes, up steep inclines, in cold or hot weather with the same performance and range as a diesel vehicle – and it fuels up in only minutes.

“Hydrogen fuel-cell technology is an exciting solution that will help decarbonize Colorado’s transportation sector faster, because it offers gas/diesel vehicle owners the same performance and experience as their current vehicle,” explains New Day Hydrogen’s Chief Executive Officer, Seth Terry. “We’ve seen fleet and bus owners reluctant to switch to battery electric vehicles because the time lost to charging, the weight of the batteries, and the loss of range in the mountains and cold weather.” New Day Hydrogen will build the fueling stations in Colorado to support the deployment of this technology. 

The Xcelsior CHARGE H2 bus will be open to the public onsite at the Denver Auto Show – alongside Toyota’s Mirai, a mid-size sedan and one of America’s first commercially available fuel cell vehicles – on Friday, Sept. 17 from 9am to 9pm. Members of the press are invited to join for a tour, program, and media availability and Q&A at 3pm on Sept. 17. 

“There’s no question that the future of mobility will depend on mass transit, alternative fuels, and other new transportation tools,” McKinley said. “AAA has always fought for the freedom to get around safely, no matter how you choose to go, and we’re energized by every opportunity we get to expand that freedom – both by way of individual vehicle ownership, and beyond.” 

Learn more about the Xcelsior CHARGE H2, the Toyota Mirai, and other Denver Auto Show offerings at DenverAutoShow.com.

 

DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is pleased to announce the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program (CWHP) 2021 Request for Proposals (RFP). The CWHP is a statewide program that supports CPW’s mission by offering funding opportunities to private or public landowners who wish to protect important wildlife habitat on their property, and/or provide wildlife-related recreational access to the public.

The CWHP is an incentive-based program which uses conservation easements, public access easements, and fee title purchases to accomplish strategic wildlife conservation goals and/or public access goals. Priority is given to proposals for conservation easements and public access easements over fee title purchases (per CPW policy and Title 33-4-102.7 C.R.S.).

Funding for the 2021 cycle is approximately $11 million and is made possible by revenue generated from the sale of the Habitat Stamp, hunting and fishing licenses, and through a partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO).

To Apply
The landowner, or a third party representative, must complete a project proposal form (“Proposal”) that addresses one or more of the following Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s 2021 funding priorities:

• Public access for hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing
• Big game winter range and migration corridors
• Protecting habitat for species of concern (specifically those Species of Greatest Conservation Need, as identified in the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Statewide Action Plan)
• Riparian areas and wetlands
• Landscape-scale parcels and parcels that provide connectivity to conserved lands

All application materials will be available on Thu., Sept. 16, 2021 here: https://cpw.state.co.us/cwhp

All proposals must be received by 5 p.m. on Thu., Oct. 28, 2021.

Completed Proposals are to be emailed to: Wildlife.RealEstateProposals(at)state.co.us

Applicants will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of Proposals. 

The CWHP funds conservation easements to be held by CPW or a certified third party holder. Certified third party conservation easement holders, such as a land trust, local government, or other conservation organization (collectively, “Third Party,”) may submit a Proposal on behalf of the landowner. Third Party holders must be qualified to hold conservation easements under federal and state law. 

 

Brighton, CO — On Friday, September 10, 2021, members of the 17^th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Adams and Broomfield, CO) Diversion Program will pass out information and provide resources at the Reunion Coffee House (10601 Reunion Parkway) as part of World Suicide Prevention Day.

 

Every year 800,000 people worldwide will take their own life. In the United States there are 130 suicides per day, and it is the 10^th leading cause of death. In 2019, 1,287 Coloradans committed suicide. Mental health continues to be a top priority for newly elected District Attorney Brian Mason.

 

“The mental health crisis has a severe impact on our community and disproportionately impacts the criminal justice system,” said District Attorney Brian Mason.  “The District Attorney’s Office is deeply committed to addressing this mental health crisis and to bringing greater awareness to World Suicide Prevention Day and other similarly important events.”

 

“Suicide is complex, and there is still much to learn about how to help people, but we refuse to remain silent about those who’ve we lost to suicide, so our work continues to help strip away the shame and blame around the subject by connecting people to hope, healing and support,” said Levon Hupfer, Diversion Director.

 

Who:
17^th Judicial District Attorney’s Office Diversion Program in partnership with the Reunion Coffee House

 

What:
World Suicide Prevention Day: provide information and resources

 

When:
Friday, September 10, 2021; 8:00am-12:00pm

 

Where:
Reunion Coffee House: 10601 Reunion Parkway, Commerce City, CO

(Media interested in covering the event should RSVP to Chris Hopper, Director of Communications)

In observance of the Labor Day holiday, County administrative buildings
will be closed on Monday, Sept. 6.

Jason Simpkins has lost his indoor, black and white, female, Persian cat either last night or this morning. She has short hair, is mostly black, and has white paws. She does not have a collar or a chip. She was last seen around E 37th Ct, Strasburg. If seen, please call Jason at 720-224-5122.

Aug. 30, 2021

WINTER PARK, Colo. – On Sunday, Aug. 29, Colorado Parks and Wildlife responded to a call of a woman injured in an attack by an aggressive moose near Winter Park. 

Wildlife officers learned the victim, a woman from Boulder, was injured between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. that morning while walking in the dark on the Little Vasquez Road (USFS Road 156) just west of Winter Park.  

The woman said the moose knocked her down twice. After the second attack, the woman told officers she played dead and the moose left. She hiked out on her own and went to the medical center in Granby where she was treated for injuries to her back, leg and wrist.

“She was walking in good moose habitat without a light in the dark, so we suspect she walked right into the moose,” said CPW Area Wildlife Manager Jeromy Huntington. “Trails next to water often make for a great hiking experience, but they’re also often near great moose habitat. Hikers should choose routes with good visibility and be extra cautious when walking in close proximity to willows and thick habitat.”

“This is the second moose conflict we’ve had near Winter Park in less than a week,” said CPW District Wildlife Manager Jacob Kay. “This incident is a good reminder for folks to give moose plenty of space when recreating outdoors.”

Hikers can help minimize moose conflicts by being wise about where they recreate and practice the Leave No Trace Principle to Plan Ahead and Prepareby looking up trail information and conditions ahead of time. Please report any moose conflicts to your local CPW office location.   

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – National Forest managers, partners and volunteers in northern Colorado have been hard at work this summer tackling fire and flood recovery work across the vast landscape of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Tens of thousands of burned hazard trees have been mitigated. Hundreds of miles of roads and trails have been stabilized. Fire containment lines have been restored. Culverts have been cleared of debris. And aerial mulching has occurred in critical areas.

As a result of the efforts of multiple collaborative post-fire recovery across northern Colorado, the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests have reopened more areas that have been closed since last year’s wildfires and this summer’s monsoons. These areas include Long Draw Road in the Cameron Peak Fire area, the Keyser Ridge area on the Williams Fork Fire in Grand County and the western side of Stillwater Pass off Colo. 125, which experienced significant impacts from the summer monsoons following the East Troublesome Fire.

“So much great work has been done with partners, volunteers, and Forest Service Staff to stabilize and rehabilitate the burned areas this year,” said Deputy Forest Supervisor Aaron Mayville. “While there is still more work to do, we are particularly glad to be able to open this terrain for hunters in advance of archery and muzzleloader seasons.”

“Public land access is critical for our hunting public to have the ability to scout, camp and harvest an animal during their hunting seasons,” said Mark Leslie, area wildlife manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Our hope is that hunters who were impacted by the public land closures last year will be back out in the field this fall helping us manage local wildlife populations. The reopening of these areas for hunting season is great news.”

While many areas are reopening, the public is reminded that burned areas contain many critical hazards. Loose debris can roll down hillsides and burned trees can fall without notice. Unseen hazards such as burned stumps exist off roads and trails. And rainstorms can cause rapid landslides. Be sure to check local weather information and monitor for the risk of flooding in burned areas. Your safety is your responsibility. Many areas are open to foot-travel only to allow recovering soils to stabilize and vegetation to grow.

Additionally, some areas remain closed due to extensive damage and continued rehabilitation work with heavy equipment, including the Crown Point area in Larimer County, and Kinney Creek Road, Cabin Creek Road and Kaufman Creek Road in Grand County, which all experienced extreme damage during the monsoons. The public is asked to stay out of closed areas both for safety and to prevent further damage and allow recovery work to occur. Active fire recovery operations, such as helicopter mulching, may take place in open areas. The public should avoid these areas while work is taking place.

To see maps of what areas are open as well as important fire restrictions and food storage requirements, please visit the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests’ Know Before You Go page. To learn more about Colorado Parks and Wildlife please visit https://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/hunt.aspx.

The Medicine Bow and Routt National Forests border the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests to the north and west. For information on those areas, visit www.fs.usda.gov/mbr.