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The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

Tag: Doug Clausen

  • Aerial Survey: Though Declining, Spruce Beetle Remains Top Priority for State and Federal Agencies

    Aerial Survey: Though Declining, Spruce Beetle Remains Top Priority for State and Federal Agencies

    LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Forest managers are working together to address continued outbreaks of insects and disease on Colorado’s forests, including spruce beetle, which remains the most damaging forest pest in the state for the eighth consecutive year, based on a 2019 aerial detection survey led by the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, and Colorado State Forest Service.

    Every year, the agencies aerially monitor forest health conditions on millions of forested acres across the state. Today, the agencies released the results of last year’s aerial survey and survey map.

     “Healthy, resilient forests are crucial to ensure that the American public continues to have clean water and air, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities,” said Jennifer Eberlien, acting regional forester for the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. “This report is a snapshot of year-round proactive efforts to manage forests statewide, promote healthy landscapes and shared stewardship.”

     Impacts from Native Bark Beetles

    In 2019, spruce beetle affected 89,000 acres of high-elevation Engelmann spruce across Colorado. Although the number of acres affected by this beetle declined for the fifth year in a row, it continues to expand its footprint by spreading to previously unaffected areas. Last year, it affected 25,000 new acres of forest.

    Primary areas impacted by spruce beetle include forestlands in and around Rocky Mountain National Park and portions of the San Juan Mountains, West Elk Mountains and Sawatch Range.

    Since 2000, spruce beetle outbreaks caused tree mortality on roughly 1.87 million acres in Colorado, and about 41 percent of the spruce-fir forests in the state have now been affected. Blowdown events in Engelmann spruce stands, combined with long-term drought stress, warmer temperatures and extensive amounts of older, densely growing trees, contributed to this ongoing epidemic.

    Roundheaded pine beetle, along with associated native bark beetles, continued to affect ponderosa pine forests in Dolores County in southwest Colorado. This insect affected 22,000 acres in 2019. While this is a slight decline from 2018, when 26,900 acres were affected, record-low precipitation levels in 2018 in this part of the state have weakened tree defenses, providing an environmental window that continues to favor an increase in beetle populations in southwest Colorado.

    View of Maroon Bells Near Snowmass During Aerial Servey – Photo (c) Dan West
    Aspen Fungal Leaf Spots – Photo (c) Dan West
    dult Roundheaded Pine Beetles – Photo (c) Dan West
    Hundreds of Acres of Spruce Beetle-Caused Tree Mortality on Rio Grande National Forest – Photo (c) Dan West

     From Dry and Hot to Wet and Mild

     The amount of precipitation and daily temperature patterns affect how well trees in the state’s forests can ward off pests to remain healthy and resilient. Colorado experienced near-average temperatures from October 2018 to September 2019. During that same period, precipitation levels rebounded from the prior year, which was the second driest on record since 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

     This was good for Colorado’s trees impacted by bark beetles. Adequate precipitation in 2019 bolstered their defenses by helping trees produce enough sap to resist insects attempting to enter through the bark. However, this precipitation, coupled with mild temperatures, caused heavy snowpack to persist later than usual, delaying tree symptoms from insect attacks. This made aerial detections difficult, which may explain the decline in acres affected by spruce beetle.

     Wet spring conditions in 2019 also created favorable conditions for several species of leaf fungi, which can cause early leaf drop and spotting on leaves of cottonwood, aspen and poplar trees. Defoliating insects may also cause damage. Surveyors detected disturbance on 73,600 acres of aspens in 2019, although these insects and diseases rarely cause significant tree decline unless trees are severely defoliated over multiple years.

     Most Widespread Forest Defoliator

     The aerial survey also revealed that western spruce budworm continues to be Colorado’s most damaging and widespread forest defoliator. The insect affected 147,000 acres of Douglas-fir and spruce trees in 2019, mostly in central and southern areas of the state. This is up from the 131,000 acres impacted by the western spruce budworm in 2018. Defoliation that occurs over several years may weaken a tree to the point where bark beetles can easily overcome the tree and kill it. 

     In addition, the aerial survey showed the effects on forests from other insects. Douglas-fir beetle affected numerous pockets of forestland covering 7,400 acres, down from 14,000 acres in 2018, and the mountain pine beetle affected only 720 acres statewide. While it remains at natural, endemic levels, the aerial survey found a slight uptick in mountain pine beetle activity in the Taylor River drainage in Gunnison County.

     “Colorado’s forests are vital to the economic and ecological health of our state,” said Mike Lester, state forester and director of the Colorado State Forest Service. “Our partnership with the U.S. Forest Service on the aerial survey offers another great example of how working together, we can effectively address forest health issues that span property boundaries, like bark beetle outbreaks. With information from the survey, we better understand the health of our forests and can focus our efforts where they’ll make the biggest impact.”

     The aerial survey exemplifies the agencies’ continued support for shared stewardship and the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding, which establishes a framework for federal and state agencies to collaborate better, focus on accomplishing mutual goals and respond to ecological, natural resource and recreational challenges and concerns for our 24.4 million acres of forestlands in Colorado.

     This past year for the aerial survey, pilots use a tailored, web-based application that allows the USDA Forest Service to share data during flights in real time with partners and the public. By capitalizing on this technology, the agency can proactively and quickly respond to outbreaks that surveyors detect on forestlands, share data more collaboratively and cover more area efficiently.

     For more results from 2019 aerial survey, please visit https://bit.ly/38xkk3y.

     For more information on the insects and diseases of Colorado’s forests, and support for landowners seeking to achieve healthier forests, contact your local CSFS field office or visit csfs.colostate.edu.

     

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  • Colorado Missing Persons Day—February 4, 202

    Colorado Missing Persons Day—February 4, 202

    Prayer Vigil and Ceremony on the West Steps of the Capitol

     (January 31, 2020—CBI—Lakewood, CO)—Colorado’s Missing Persons Day is being honored with a series of events at the state Capitol building (200 E. Colfax Avenue) beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, with the Missing Person Resolution being read by Senator Jerry Sonnenberg during the Senate session on Tuesday.  At the conclusion of the Senate session on Tuesday, a ceremony will take place on the west steps of the Capitol to honor more than 524 individuals currently missing for more than a year in the State of Colorado.

     Order of events at the State Capitol on February 4, 2020:

    · 8:00 a.m. – Family members of the missing are invited to meet in room Senate Room 352

    · 9:00 a.m. – The Missing Person Resolution will be read during the Senate Session

    · 10:00 a.m. –  11:00 a.m. or at the conclusion of the Senate session —  A Prayer Vigil will be held on the West Steps of the Capitol building to include the         reading of the names of those persons missing in Colorado and will conclude with a Bubble Release.

    Colorado’s Missing Persons Day is being sponsored by the offices of Colorado State Senators Jerry Sonnenberg and Rhonda Fields.

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  • Bennet Criticizes Trump Administration’s Lack of Seriousness to Secure U.S. Leadership in Artificial Intelligence

    Bennet Criticizes Trump Administration’s Lack of Seriousness to Secure U.S. Leadership in Artificial Intelligence

    Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet sent a letter to the Trump administration addressing its inadequate commitment to securing U.S. competiveness in artificial intelligence (AI). Bennet’s letter, addressed to U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios, is in response to the regulatory principles for AI the administration released earlier this month. In the letter, Bennet criticizes the administration’s “light touch” approach and cites its policies with respect to scientific research, education, workforce training, and immigration as damaging to U.S. leadership in AI.

     “U.S. competitiveness in AI is an economic and national security imperative. The administration’s current policies, however, are insufficient to achieve it. The principles released this month reflect an approach from this administration that assumes minimal federal guidance and investment are sufficient to secure U.S. competitiveness in AI,” wrote Bennet. “The administration’s new principles for AI represent little more than gauzy generalities when America’s competitiveness and security demand a comprehensive, forward-looking, and well-resourced approach consistent with our values.”

     Last year, Bennet convened a group of Colorado leaders from a cross-section of industry, higher education, federal research laboratories, and policy to form the Colorado Leadership in Artificial Intelligence Strategy Group. The AI Strategy Group is focused on identifying opportunities for Colorado to harness AI’s potential, identify related challenges, and help shape solutions. Bennet also worked with Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) to secure an amendment to the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act to better understand China’s AI capabilities and the path forward to maintain U.S. superiority in this emerging technology.

     The text of the letter is available HERE and below.

     Dear Mr. Kratsios:

     Earlier this month, the administration released regulatory principles to govern the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the private sector. U.S. competitiveness in AI is an economic and national security imperative. The administration’s current policies, however, are insufficient to achieve it.

     The principles released this month reflect an approach from this administration that assumes minimal federal guidance and investment are sufficient to secure U.S. competitiveness in AI. At first, the administration refused to develop a national strategy for AI, only later reversing course with the “American AI Initiative” Executive Order. Although the proliferation of AI-related efforts across the executive branch, especially in the Departments of Defense and Energy, are welcome, they still lack the long-term vision and resources needed to secure U.S. competitiveness.

     The White House principles are the latest example of this insufficient approach. Although they attempt to provide a national regulatory framework to preempt a patchwork of state and local policies, they are so vaguely constructed that they could perversely increase local regulations, hurting both industry and innovation. At the same time, the principles are so vague as to justify potentially unlimited legal challenges from industry groups while giving the White House an effective veto over any proposed agency regulation. The broad principles also fail to reflect the wide range of AI technologies.

     Although summary principles are necessarily reductive, certain omissions are hard to overlook. The principles make only passing reference to privacy protections. They include just a cursory discussion of Americans’ civil rights. The principles also reference no effort to coordinate AI policy with allies and partners around the world, echoing the administration’s unilateral rejection of the G7’s Global Partnership on AI in 2018. The U.S. cannot lead the world in AI if we do not engage it. Worse, our isolation risks allowing China to set AI standards and norms across the globe for a generation.

     More broadly, it is hard to take seriously the administration’s commitment to U.S. competitiveness in AI when it has proposed sharp cuts to federal investment in science and research. The administration’s budget for 2020 proposed billions in funding cuts for the National Science Foundation (NSF), which would have resulted in thousands fewer grants for vital research. Although the administration has told agencies to prioritize AI research and development, it has failed to set spending targets, establish metrics, or allocate additional funding.

     The administration has also failed to adequately educate our future workforce for success in integrating AI. The National Science & Technology Council released a “Strategy for STEM Education” report calling for a $4 billion investment, but the administration failed to follow-through by pushing for a commensurate budget. Positive steps, such as the 2017 presidential memorandum devoting $200 million in Department of Education funds to STEM and computer science annually, are helpful but still far short of workforce needs. Similarly, although the administration’s renewed focus on computer science education is welcome, what is required is a specific focus on developing AI skills for learners from all stages and backgrounds to ensure the opportunities from AI are broadly shared.

     The administration has also not taken adequate steps to help today’s workers attain stability and mobility as technologies like AI change the nature of work. According to the Brookings Institution, 36 million workers will face high exposure to automation in the coming decades. The successful integration of AI in the workforce requires significant investment in reskilling workers, increasing access to accelerated learning and certifications, and improving alignment between traditional education and employer needs. Although the President signed an executive order in 2017 to “create apprenticeships for millions of our citizens”, not a single one has been created to date.

     Similarly, the administration’s immigration policy is at war with America’s AI needs. Today, foreign nationals comprise more than half of our top AI talent. International students represent nearly four-fifths of our full-time computer science graduates, and immigrants found a quarter of our technology start-ups. Last year, a study by Deloitte projected that we will need 3.5 million STEM jobs by 2025, two million of which will go unfilled in 2025 because of a skilled labor shortage. Despite the clear need, the administration has doubled denial rates for high-skilled, H-1B visas, doubled processing delays for citizenship applications, and ramped up visas fees. The world’s top talent have received the message: the rate of international students enrolling in our colleges and universities has fallen more than 10 percent in recent years. The desire of immigrants to live and work in America is one of our greatest assets in our pursuit of AI leadership, and this administration has taken every opportunity to squander it.

     In this light, the administration’s new principles for AI represent little more than gauzy generalities when America’s competitiveness and security demand a comprehensive, forward-looking, and well-resourced approach consistent with our values.

     I would like the administration to share its specific plans to develop and implement such an approach and to address the other concerns raised here. I appreciate your attention to this matter.

     Sincerely,

     

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  • Unaffiliated voters may select a party preference by Feb. 3

    Unaffiliated voters may select a party preference by Feb. 3

    Attention unaffiliated voters!

    You may select a party preference for the upcoming Presidential Primary Election on March 3. Your selection must be made by Feb. 3. 

    You will then receive your preferred party’s primary ballot. If you do not indicate a party preference, you will receive both parties’ primary ballots but you can only vote for one party. If you vote and return both ballots, neither ballot will count.

    Visit GoVoteColorado.gov to mark your party preference.

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  • Your 17-year-old may be eligible to vote in the March primary

    Parents: Do you have a 17-year old in the house? New this year, 17-year-olds who will turn 18 by the Nov. 3 General Election may vote in the upcoming Presidential Primary in March.

    Colorado’s presidential primary takes place Tuesday, March 3 and the state’s primary election takes place on June 30, so qualified teens can take part in the electoral process throughout the year. 

     

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  • Bennet, Democratic Senators Press Federal Government for Updates on Novel Coronavirus

    Bennet, Democratic Senators Press Federal Government for Updates on Novel Coronavirus

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and 30 of his Democratic Senate colleagues sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar requesting updates on the administration’s response to the novel coronavirus outbreak and information on the steps being taken to keep families safe.

    In the letter, the senators asked HHS to provide the latest information regarding the severity of the disease, the country’s capacity to diagnose cases, what steps are being taken to prepare U.S. health care workers, what screening systems were in place at U.S. airports, and the status of a novel coronavirus vaccine. The senators also urged the department to continue its robust, scientifically-driven response to the outbreak and asked what steps Congress should take to support their efforts to keep families safe.

    The letter comes on the heels of an announcement from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) which said that two patients under investigation in Colorado have tested negative for the coronavirus and test results for a third patient are pending.  

    “We write to express concern about the rapidly evolving 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), to urge your continued robust and scientifically driven response to the situation, and to assess whether any additional resources or action by Congress are needed at this time. A quick and effective response to the 2019-nCoV requires public health officials around the world work together to share reliable information about the disease and insight into steps taken to prevent, diagnose, and treat it appropriately,” wrote Bennet and the senators.

     Despite the Trump Administration regularly calling for cuts to public health programs, Congress recently passed a budget deal that increased funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its Infectious Disease Rapid Response Reserve Fund, which provides the agency with an immediate source of funding to prevent, prepare for, or respond to an infectious disease emergency either at home or abroad.

     In addition to Bennet, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Angus King (I-Maine), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

     The text of the letter is available HERE and below.

     Dear Secretary Azar,

     We write to express concern about the rapidly evolving 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), to urge your continued robust and scientifically driven response to the situation, and to assess whether any additional resources or action by Congress are needed at this time. A quick and effective response to the 2019-nCoV requires public health officials around the world work together to share reliable information about the disease and insight into steps taken to prevent, diagnose, and treat it appropriately.

     Chinese health officials confirmed the first case of 2019-nCoV in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019.[1] Since then, the case count has exploded in China, with nearly 3,000 confirmed cases as of the writing of this letter. At least 80 people have died.[2] Cases have now been confirmed on four continents.[3] On January 21, the first U.S. case was confirmed in Washington state, where state and local public health officials quickly responded with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).[4] A second U.S. case was confirmed in Chicago on January 24.[5] Subsequently, CDC confirmed two cases in California and one in Arizona, bringing the total U.S. case count to five.[6] Airport screening procedures have been put in place to screen all passengers arriving in the U.S. from Wuhan. In Wuhan, and across China, officials have enacted travel restrictions and canceled planned festivals to celebrate the Lunar New Year.[7] Even with these steps, the case count in China is expected to continue to rise, along with additional cases in the U.S. and around the globe. The World Health Organization is monitoring the situation closely, but has determined it is too early to formally designate this as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.[8] A quick, robust, and comprehensive approach to this outbreak is critical, while also remaining aware that, according to CDC, “the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is considered low at this time.”[9]

    Unfortunately, the 2019-nCoV outbreak follows troubling proposals from the Trump Administration to cut the budgets of core public health programs at home and abroad. Yet, outbreaks like this serve as a solemn reminder of the need for an unwavering commitment to global health security and the need for strong public health programs worldwide.

     We recognize the situation is evolving quickly and appreciate the information you have already provided. We ask you keep us apprised of developments as they occur, including any information related to the following questions:

     1)      What can Congress do to fully support the U.S. Government response to this outbreak?

     2)      How many HHS officials are currently engaged in the 2019-nCoV response domestically and abroad and in what capacities?

     3)      What is HHS’s best current judgment about the clinical severity of this disease? 

     4)      What is the current domestic diagnostic capacity? How many facilities across the country are able to diagnose 2019-nCoV?

     5)      What is currently known about the risk 2019-nCoV poses to health care workers? How is CDC communicating with U.S. health care facilities to ensure providers remain healthy and safe? What additional guidance is being supplied to health care providers?

     6)      How many passengers have been screened by the airport screening procedures that are in place at American airports? How many potential cases have been identified as a result of this screening? Are there any planned changes to airport screening procedures?

     7)      What progress has been made on the development of a 2019-nCoV vaccine?

     Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.

     Sincerely,

     

     

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  • Blue Mesa Reservoir Lake Trout Tournament starts Feb. 1; $10,000 in cash prizes

    Blue Mesa Reservoir Lake Trout Tournament starts Feb. 1; $10,000 in cash prizes

    GUNNISON, Colo. – A six-month-long fishing tournament with $10,000 in prize money sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife starts Feb. 1 at Blue Mesa Reservoir near Gunnison in western Colorado.

    The tournament, which continues through July 31, is aimed at maintaining adequate kokanee fry survival by limiting predation from lake trout. Anglers are asked to target smaller-sized lake trout, those that are 24 inches in length or smaller. 

    “By sponsoring this tournament, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is asking anglers to be our partners in helping to manage the renowned Blue Mesa Reservoir fishery,” said Dan Brauch, aquatic biologist for CPW in Gunnison. “We know we can have an excellent kokanee fishery and a trophy lake trout fishery, but we need to continue our work for both species and we need the help of Colorado’s anglers.”

    Here’s how the tournament works: Anglers who catch lake trout 24 inches or smaller will remove the heads and place them in a plastic bag provided at one of three boat ramps at the reservoir: Iola, Elk Creek and Lake Fork. Heads can also be turned in at CPW’s offices in Gunnison (300 W. New York Ave.) or Montrose (2300 S. Townsend Ave., U.S. Highway 550). There is no fee to participate in the tournament.

    Cash prizes will be awarded in three categories at the conclusion of the tournament:

    1) CPW has tagged 23 fish in the reservoir but anglers won’t know if they’ve caught one. CPW will scan the heads later to check for tags and those who caught them will receive $250 for each.

    2) Anglers catching the most fish: 1st place, $1,000; 2nd place, $500; 3rd place, $250.

    3) Anglers will be entered in a raffle for every lake trout head turned in. A total of 20 winners will be selected and each winner will receive $200.

    Kokanee provide the greatest draw for overall catch and harvest while lake trout provide the greatest draw for their trophy potential. Lake trout require plentiful kokanee as prey to achieve trophy size.

    Some lake trout that weigh over 50 pounds and 44 inches in length have been caught at Blue Mesa Reservoir. 

     A change in water management in the early 1990s at BMR resulted in improved conditions at lake trout spawning areas in the fall and now they reproduce naturally. As the number of lake trout grew, they feasted on kokanee which resulted in a significant population decline. Recently, through angler harvest and CPW’s lake trout suppression work, the number of predatory lake trout has been reduced and kokanee abundance has improved.

    CPW research shows that smaller lake trout, those 24 inches and smaller, consume the most kokanee. Consequently, the lake trout harvest tournament is focused on removing fish of those sizes.

    “Anglers harvest about 6,000 lake trout each year,” Brauch said. “But we need increased harvest of small lake trout to keep population growth in check and to reduce the need for additional lake trout suppression work by CPW.”

    Maintaining abundant kokanee will support quality fishing opportunities for kokanee and a source of kokanee eggs for restocking needs at up to 25 waters in Colorado while allowing for continued growth of trophy lake trout.

    There is no limit on the number of lake trout under 32 inches that can be caught in a day at BMR, but only one fish more than 32 inches may be kept.

    “By utilizing anglers’ skills and expertise we’re confident that we can maintain balance of the BMR fishery,” Brauch said.

     For more information about fishing at Blue Mesa Reservoir, including how to catch lake trout, research studies and management planning go to: https://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/BlueMesaReservoirFisheryManagement.aspx.

     You may also call the Gunnison wildlife office at: 970-641-7060.

     

     

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  • Statement on EPA’s Waters of the U.S. announcement

    DENVER: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it is moving forward with removing protections for Colorado streams and wetlands. 

    “The EPA’s announcement today is alarming as it puts our precious waters at risk. Every Coloradan, and so many others from neighboring states, are dependent on Colorado’s healthy waterways. At the department, regardless of what happens at the federal-level, we’ll always be committed to the health of our waters. Healthy waters mean healthy Coloradans,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

    “In the absence of federal leadership, we are going to do everything possible to protect streams and wetlands in Colorado. It’s sad that we have to step up in contrast with our federal government on something so basic as protecting our water, but we must,” said Patrick Pfaltzgraff, director, Water Quality Control Division.  

    The roll back removes huge swaths of Colorado’s waters from federal jurisdiction, waters used by 19 states and Mexico. It’s estimated that almost 70% of our Colorado Waters could be impacted by this rule. Additionally, the change will impose significant burdens upon the State of Colorado. 

    Earlier in the year, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and Colorado Department of Agriculture collectively rebuked the EPA’s proposed rule change. 

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  • Colorado Wolf Ballot Initiative Preys on Elk, Hunting, Taxpayers

    Colorado Wolf Ballot Initiative Preys on Elk, Hunting, Taxpayers

    LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Colorado’s economy, elk population, conservation funding, hunting industry and resident taxpayer dollars are in the crosshairs. An environmental extremist-driven ballot initiative aims to force an introduction of wolves onto the Colorado landscape even though Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed a natural migrating, active pack in the northwest part of the state.

    “Ballot box biology is reckless. In this particular case, it totally undermines the authority of Colorado’s wildlife professionals who have said time and time again over several decades that a forced wolf introduction is a bad idea,” said Kyle Weaver, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation president and CEO.  “As an organization, RMEF pledges to do all in our power to educate voters about the significant, real-life, detrimental impacts of such an effort.”

    RMEF first warned about the initiative proposal three years ago. Since then, environmental extremists have raised more than $1 million, the lion’s share of it from out-of-state donors, to gather and deliver 215,000 (of nearly six million residents) petition signatures to the Colorado secretary of state. Staffers later deemed 76,037 or 35.3 percent of projected signatures as invalid but approved the measure for the 2020 ballot by a projected margin of 1.8 percent.

    Colorado is home to the largest elk herd in North America, yet researchers in the southwest part of the state are trying to figure out why elk recruitment is ailing.

    RMEF has a long history in Colorado. Since 1987, RMEF and its partners completed 782 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects with a combined value of more than $177.7 million. These projects protected or enhanced 468,068 acres of habitat and opened or improved public access to 122,107 acres. There are also more than 17,000 RMEF members and 28 chapters in the state.

    “Proponents are offering zero funding for wolf management, livestock or pet depredation, deterrent measures, research or other costs. Yet they expect Colorado taxpayers and hunters to foot a bill that will be millions upon millions of dollars. As outdoorsmen and women who care about wildlife and our wild landscapes, we must unite and fight against this measure,” added Weaver.

    Founded more than 35 years ago, fueled by hunters and a membership of nearly 235,000 strong, RMEF has conserved more than 7.9 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation™” at rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

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  • See Roxborough State Park at night like never before with its new Trail of Lights

    See Roxborough State Park at night like never before with its new Trail of Lights

    ROXBOROUGH, Colo. – This Friday, Roxborough State Park is set to debut its new Trail of Lights to visitors. 

    This special seasonal light display will give visitors a chance to see its trail of lights, and be in the park after sunset to experience the Roxborough night sky. The trail of lights will be on the walkway from the parking lot to the visitor center and include sections around the patio and visitor center. 

    The trail of lights will be operational on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights only starting Jan. 24 and going through the end of February. The park will extend its hours to 7 p.m. in January and 8 p.m. in February for these special event nights only.

    All of the trails will be closed for the extended hours except Fountain Valley Trail. Visitors will be able to hike Fountain Valley Trail during the extended hours, but must be back at their vehicle by 7 p.m. in January and 8 p.m. in February. 

    For more information, please call the visitor center at 303-973-3959. Please remember that all vehicles entering the park must purchase an $8 daily pass or display a valid annual pass.

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