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The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

Tag: Doug Clausen

  • Height limits for Paralympic ‘blade runners’ baseless, study suggests

    Height limits for Paralympic ‘blade runners’ baseless, study suggests

    Before hitting the track to compete in an officially sanctioned race, some elite Paralympic sprinters must do something most runners would find incredibly unsettling: remove their legs and swap them out with ones that make them shorter.

    The unusual mandate results from a recent International Paralympic Committee rule change that lowered the Maximum Allowable Standing Height (MASH) for double, below-the-knee amputees racing in prosthetic legs. The rule, intended to prevent unfair advantages, stems from the long-held assumption that greater height equals greater speed.

     But a small, first-of-its kind University of Colorado Boulder study published today in the journal PLOS ONE concludes that isn’t the case.

     “We found that height makes no difference when it comes to maximum speed,” said senior author Alena Grabowski, an assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology. “These athletes are having to buy new configurations and go through a lot of hardship and expense for a rule that is not based in science.”

     For the study, Grabowski and her co-authors recruited five elite sprinters with double below-the-knee amputations for a series of running trials on a treadmill. The runners sampled three different brands of blades, and five different combinations of stiffness and height within each brand for a total of 15 different tests. In each test, they were asked to start at a jog and push themselves to the maximum speed possible, with some achieving speeds as fast as 10.8 meters per second – about a two minute, 30-second per mile pace.

     Meanwhile, the researchers measured how the runners’ biomechanics and pace changed with each blade configuration.

     They found the shape of the prostheses undoubtedly made a difference in speed, with runners achieving maximum speeds about 8% faster in “J-shaped” prostheses – think the sleek carbon-fiber blades Oscar Pistorius used in his famous 2012 Olympic sprint –  than in “C-shaped” prostheses. But stiffness and height made no difference in runner speed.

     “Biomechanically, the idea makes sense: Longer legs equal longer steps, so you would think you should be able to run faster,” said first author Paolo Taboga, an assistant professor of biomechanics at Sacramento State University who worked on the study while a postdoctoral researcher in Grabowski’s Applied Biomechanics Lab. “But we found that while you do take longer steps, you cycle your legs slower so in the end the two even out.”

     That reality probably holds true for runners with biological legs, too.  “Being taller does not make you faster,” said Grabowski.

     The assumption that it does is taking a heavy toll on Paralympic hopefuls.

     Since the rule change took effect in January 2018, some athletes have had to spend thousands of dollars on new prostheses and months retraining themselves to run at a shorter height.

     Team USA Paralympic sprinter Regas Woods, whose profile states his height as 5’10,” had to lower his standing height inches after the change and expressed his discontent on Twitter: “I’m not 5 foot 4. Thanks for making me more disabled.”

     Olympic hopeful Blake Leeper, a double-below-the-knee amputee vying to compete against runners with biological legs in the 2020 Olympics, has also been affected, with the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) prohibiting him from racing in the IAAF World Championships in Qatar last fall due, in part, to the fact that his blades hadn’t been classified under the new standing-height formula.

     Some athletes have suffered injuries while trying to adjust to their shorter blades.

     The rule could also effectively exclude amputees whose residual limbs are already long from competing at the Paralympic level, noted co-author Owen Beck, now a postdoctoral fellow at Georgia Institute of Technology.

     “We would like to see fair and inclusive rules and regulations, which is the beauty of the Paralympic Games,” Beck said.

     The authors acknowledge that their sample size of five is small. But so is the pool of double, below-the-knee amputees sprinting at the elite level, so very little research has been done to date.

     They see the need to do a larger study.

     For now, they hope the International Paralympic Committee will take a look at their research and reconsider the height restriction.

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  • Colorado’s Roadmap to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Pollution Delivers Initial Results

    Colorado’s Roadmap to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Pollution Delivers Initial Results

    To deliver on the administration’s commitment to renewable electricity and bold action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution across the economy, Governor Polis has directed state agencies to develop a comprehensive action plan during 2020 that expands upon the  Polis Administration’s Roadmap to 100% Renewable Energy By 2040 and Bold Climate Action released in May 2019.

    Under the direction of the Governor’s Climate Cabinet, several state agencies – the Colorado Energy Office, Department of Public Health and Environment, Department of Transportation, Department of Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture – are working with Energy and Environmental Economics (E3) to help develop a GHG Pollution Reduction Roadmap (Roadmap).

    The Roadmap will provide an action plan for the state to meet legislatively adopted, science-based targets for reducing GHG pollution 26% by 2025, 50% by 2030 and 90% by 2050 from 2005 levels. Initial work has helped to quantify GHG pollution in 2005 and project GHG pollution reductions from recently passed legislation and administrative actions. In future phases, the Roadmap will quantify projected reductions from near-term additional actions the administration is pursuing and will identify additional cost-effective legislative, administrative and regulatory actions, as well as voluntary measures to help achieve the state’s GHG pollution reduction goals. 

    The Roadmap evaluates the impact of 14 pieces of legislation the General Assembly passed in 2019 including establishing GHG pollution reduction goals, requiring local jurisdictions to adopt one of the three most recent versions of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), creating pathways to clean energy for electric utilities, modernizing the Public Utilities Commission, adopting new energy efficiency standards for appliances, and requiring investor-owned utilities to invest in electrifying transportation, as well as administrative actions including the adoption of zero emissions vehicle standard. In a presentation today at the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission, agencies shared initial modeling by E3 showing that currently adopted policies should allow the state to achieve an 18% reduction by 2025 and 25% by 2050.

    Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, said, “In only 14 months the Polis administration, working with the legislature, has made real progress on greenhouse gas pollution reduction. Our modeling shows that policies adopted through 2019 should allow the state to achieve two-thirds of our 2025 pollution reduction goals and half of our 2030 goals. This progress doesn’t take into account the additional reductions we expect to see once recent oil and gas legislation is fully implemented. But we are not done. In the near term, the administration is proposing rules to reduce emissions of hydrofluorocarbons, developing a new state electric vehicle plan, and working with legislators to make it easier for Coloradans to purchase electric vehicles, reduce building energy use and switch from burning fossil fuels in buildings to using clean electricity, as well as supporting legislation to back the use of renewable natural gas as a replacement for fossil methane. In the coming months, E3 will quantify the additional emissions reductions we can expect from these actions.”

    “About a year ago, Governor Polis gave us the directive to be bold in protecting the health of our communities and the Colorado environment by reducing greenhouse gases, and we have been running with that directive,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “We are moving faster than ever because that is what needs to be done. We have adopted a car emissions standard to accelerate the transition from fossil fuel vehicles to zero-emitting electric vehicles; we have formed the first-ever climate change unit at the department, which is dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions; we have enacted the initial round of rules to reduce oil and gas emissions under the stringent new law; and we are helping electric utilities plan to transition from coal power to renewable energy. We are only one year in and gaining momentum on the issue. The Roadmap assures that we are deliberate in the strategies we pursue.”

    There will be opportunities for Coloradans to provide feedback on the development of the Roadmap and actions that can help Colorado meet its GHG pollution reduction goals. To stay updated on the Roadmap process and submit feedback, go here. 

     

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  • Aurora armed robber sentenced to 50 years in prison

    A convicted felon who committed three armed robberies — shooting a store clerk during one – was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

    Arapahoe County District Court Judge Darren Vahle on Feb. 7 sentenced Stephen Gregory Jones, 24, of Aurora, after a jury convicted him Dec. 11 of 12 counts including attempted second-degree murder.

    “Another multiple-time convicted felon is allowed back onto our streets through a parole system focused more on emptying our prisons than protecting the public. The result is a violent spree of armed robberies that ends in gunfire … of course, this repeat felon gets a gun,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “As our legislature continues to lessen the consequences for criminal conduct and to find ways to find ways to keep offenders — even repeat offenders — in our neighborhoods, Coloradans should know that our system lacks the resources to adequately supervise them. That leaves us less safe and more vulnerable to the lawless.”

    On March 15, 2018, a man pulled a gun and robbed Aurora Plaza Liquors, 677 N Peoria St. in Aurora. On March 16, 2018, a similar robbery occurred at Dandy Discount Liquors, 12507 E Mississippi Ave.

    A few hours later, an armed robbery took place at Village East Grocery, 1161 S Peoria St. The suspect hit a female clerk in the head with a handgun and shot her in the leg.

    An employee at a nearby barbershop heard screams and gunshots. He went to his car to get his own licensed handgun.

    While at his car, the employee saw the suspect in the parking lot. The suspect threatened the barbershop employee and began rummaging in the employee’s car. The employee fired his gun at the suspect, who fired back and ran away.

    Aurora police located the suspect waiting for a taxi nearby; he had been shot in the face. He was identified as Jones, and evidence tied him to the two previous armed robberies.

    Jones had been convicted of felonies four times previously. He was on parole to community corrections when he committed his most recent crimes.

    Senior Deputy District Attorney Garrik Storgaard tried the case with Deputy District Attorney Arielle Dean.

    “Over the last decade this defendant has continued to escalate his criminal behavior, showing no regard for the law or safety of others,” said Storgaard. “While on parole, he was supposed to be reintegrating into society from his latest prison sentence. But instead he took that opportunity to victimize more innocent people and nearly killed one of them. This sentence ensures the community will be safe from him for the foreseeable future.”

    The jury convicted Jones of the following counts:

    • Attempted second-degree murder
    • 5 counts aggravated robbery
    • First-degree assault
    • Second-degree assault
    • Automobile trespass
    • Theft
    • False reporting
    • Possession of a weapon by a previous offender

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  • House Passes Rep. Michaelson Jenet’s Annual Mental Health Wellness Exams Bill

    The House of Representatives today passed HB20-1086, sponsored by Representatives Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Colin Larson, by a vote of 45-17. The bill would guarantee insurance coverage for annual mental health wellness exams.

    “This is one of the most important bills I have worked on in my time in the legislature, and I am so pleased that it has passed the House,” said Rep. Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. “Too many Coloradans don’t have access to the mental health care they need. This bill will go a long way towards breaking down the barriers, may they be stigma, financial or provider availability, that have made it far too difficult for Coloradans to access life-saving mental health care.”

    HB20-1086 would require health insurance plans to cover an annual mental health wellness examination as a part of their coverage for preventative health care services. The coverage must be comparable to the coverage for a physical examination, comply with federal mental health parity laws, and not require any deductibles, copays, or coinsurance.

    The legislation aims to further break down barriers to mental health care. Our current system often treats mental health on an expensive crisis-by-crisis basis. By enhancing access to preventative care, the bill would help provide treatment for mental health conditions before someone is faced with a crisis. It would also reduce the stigma around mental health by ensuring we value preventative mental health care in the same way we currently value physical health care.

    Colorado is experiencing a persistent and rising suicide rate while far too many residents report barriers to accessing the behavioral health care they need. Suicide is the seventh leading cause of death in Colorado. In 2019, 769,301 Coloradans were unable to get mental health services when needed, and 68 percent reported that cost and insurance coverage were barriers, according to the Colorado Health Access Survey.

    The legislation is supported by Mental Health Colorado, the Colorado AFL-CIO, the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council, the Colorado Association for School Based Health Care, the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, and the Colorado Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

    The legislation will now be considered in the Senate.

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  • New five-year GPS collaring study launched to help with Front Range elk management

    New five-year GPS collaring study launched to help with Front Range elk management

    Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists and wildlife officers have launched a five-year elk collaring study to obtain data that will help to better manage the Clear Creek elk herd.

    Over 40 GPS satellite collars will be deployed on cow (female) elk across the herd’s range to better understand elk movements, reproductive rates, migration patterns and habitat use. 

    Capture work will be accomplished with helicopters and ground darting and trapping. The location information from the GPS collars will help inform wildlife managers of possible management strategies related to herd management plan objectives and habitat use. Elk locations will also aid land management agencies in land use planning decisions. 

    Project work is being done in collaboration with private landowners, city and county open space departments (Jefferson and Boulder Counties), United States Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

    “This project will help inform local management decisions. What we’ve noticed in the last couple of years  is that elk are spending more time on open space and golf courses,” said biologist Ben Kraft, who is spearheading this project. “This project will help develop management strategies at both the local and herd level. Determining when and where elk occur and how many will there are is the first step in mitigating some of the issues CPW and land managers and owners are currently experiencing.”

    Capture work started in Golden on Dec. 19 on the Club at Rolling Hills and Fossil Trace Golf Club. Work then shifted to Rocky Flats with the USFWS and will move along to the other locations. The team is hopeful to get all of the collars out by the end of March 2021. 

    The main purpose of the collars is to help us collect baseline data on elk distribution and obtain better estimates of vital rates on the herd. 

    “CPW hasn’t conducted a collar study on this elk herd,” Kraft said. “What we know at this point is that distribution is changing, so we are trying to get a handle on that change and the interaction with land use and the Front Range’s growing human population.

    “As previously mentioned, another goal of this project is gaining a better understanding of demographics of the herd. As is the usual practice in most areas of the state, we can’t fly to classify and survey these elk, so using collared elk as “Judas” elk when we conduct ground surveys in Februarys will give us a better idea of recruitment and in which direction the population is trending.”

    The collars will give locations twice a day, but if we have other management objectives, say we are looking at how trails impact distribution, then we can get more frequent data in those areas. It will be tailored to the specific sub-herds we are investigating.

    Previous studies collaring elk in Estes Park and Rabbit Mountain on Boulder County Open Space have taught us a lot about distribution and land use. 

    “We’ve learned not only what the current distribution is, but we’ve seen shifts in elk distribution in real time as land use has changed,” Kraft said. “We know that elk are really adaptable to all kinds of factors on the landscape like recreation, development and open space areas have become a really big magnet for elk herds.”

    Deciding on what management tactics to implement once we get a clear picture from the data can be a hard question to address. 

    Hunting is our No. 1 management tool,  and it has proven very effective in urban areas and on open space.

    “We’ve done that up north in Boulder County on Rabbit Mountain and have been very successful implementing those kinds of public harvest programs,” Kraft said. “So I think in these areas, and specifically on Jefferson County Open Space, I think we can implement some of those management strategies and the main push for that would be to redistribute elk back to the west so they are not forming resident herds in the foothills along urban interface areas. Trying to get them to get back into more of a natural movement and migration pattern is the primary goal.”

    This growing urban elk herd creates human safety concerns, causes damage to agricultural operations, presents challenges for herd and disease management and we are seeing habitat degradation across the landscape. Damage done by these urban elk herds can be costly.

    The golf courses in Golden are seeing tens of thousands of dollars in damage from the elk each year, as over 100 elk feed on the courses year-round. Some Golden residents have brought concerns forward to CPW staff about the safety of their children, pets, landscaping and traffic safety when elk are in their neighborhoods.

    “As the elk continue to move east, there is growing concern for human safety,” said Wildlife Officer Jerrie McKee. “I-70 lies just a half mile to the east of where the elk now commonly travel.”

    And that takes us back to one of the primary objectives of this study – distribution. What can we learn from their movement and can we try to redistribute the elk back to the west out of town where it will be safer for both them and the people.

    Watch as crews place the first collars out on the elk for the study

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  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife enters next phase of ‘Live Life Outside’ campaign with ‘Conservation Starts Small’

    DENVER, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is entering the second phase of the Live Life Outside campaign it started in 2019, designed to help the public better understand and engage with the conservation mission of the agency.

    The second phase of the campaign is Conservation Starts Small, an attempt to bring conservation down to a smaller and more relatable scale for people to more easily participate in. The campaign includes a series of print, outdoor and online ads. Conservation Starts Small highlights the little things anyone can do to help with conservation while living life outside. The new ads point to things like keeping dogs leashed, staying on marked trails, not feeding your snacks to wildlife and cleaning up used fishing line as small things individuals can do that make a big difference.

    Ads like the one above will appear in print, outdoor, and online ads as part of CPW’s ‘Conservation Starts Small’ campaign.

     

     

    “It’s a message to start small and live life outside responsibly,” said Tony Gurzick, Marketing and Creative Services Manager for CPW. “It helps us reach people where they are in their everyday lives and ties into the larger Live Life Outside campaign by creating opportunities to talk about the deep connection between recreation and conservation.”

    “Whether you enjoy hiking, hunting, bird watching, rock climbing or any activity in between, we all need to work together to conserve the resources that make Colorado home,” said Gurzick.

    For more than 120 years, CPW employees have been entrusted to protect the natural resources of Colorado. The agency’s mission charges staff with handling the large scale, ongoing conservation efforts around the state; such as preventing the spread of nuisance plants and animals; managing threatened and endangered species reintroductions and recoveries; maintaining and improving fish and wildlife habitat; conserving Colorado’s 960 species and managing 41 state parks and hundreds of state wildlife areas across the state.

    Colorado Parks and Wildlife is self-funded by the fees received from hunters, anglers, recreational vehicle registrations and state park visitors. Those groups financially support the conservation efforts of the agency along with the Colorado Lottery, Great Outdoors Colorado and federal grants. 

    As the state’s population grows, so does the pressure on our natural resources. This growth also brings social issues like crowding on trails and unsafe encounters with wildlife. The time is right to start asking Coloradans to take simple steps to help protect our natural resources for future generations. 

    The campaign messages are easy things individuals can do on their own, be it backyard or backcountry. Or they can join the agency in their efforts by volunteering, staying informed through CPW social media or practicing the Care for Colorado principles developed by Leave No Trace and the Colorado tourism office. 

    About the Live Life Outside Campaign

    In 2019, the need for a tagline and strategic campaign arose as CPW sought avenues to remind Coloradans of the importance of conservation and responsible recreation as a part of enjoying the Colorado outdoors.

    CPW’s tagline, Live Life Outside highlights the passion and lifestyle of the agency and the Colorado outdoor community, while creating an opportunity to talk about the deep connection between recreation and conservation.

    A recent report from CPW and Southwick Associates shows the $62.5 billion economic impact of outdoor recreation in our state, with 92% of residents claiming to recreate outdoors. These numbers make it clear that the wildlife and wild spaces of our state are the reason why so many of us choose Colorado as a place to work and play. However, Coloradans’ shared appreciation for the outdoors also comes with a responsibility to conserve our natural resources.

    Colorado provides so many opportunities to Live Life Outside. To learn more about volunteering with CPW and supporting conservation through outdoor recreation, visit livelifeoutside.co. Or show how you “Live Life Outside” when you post on social media by using the hashtag #livelifeoutsideCO. 

     

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  • Whirling Disease resistant rainbow trout now a reality in Colorado

    Whirling Disease resistant rainbow trout now a reality in Colorado

    Whirling Disease first impacted Colorado’s rainbow trout in the mid-1990s and eliminated many wild populations of this popular sport fish. The aquatic tragedy sparked a decades-long effort by Colorado Parks and Wildlife research scientists to find a remedy and re-establish populations.

     Since 2003, the researchers have been crossing a strain of rainbow trout resistant to the disease with other strains of rainbows in the hope of developing a trout that would fend off whirling disease. Now, after more than 20 years of study, frustration, experimentation and dogged persistence by CPW’s aquatic researchers, the tide has turned in the fight against the dreaded disease. Whirling-disease resistant rainbows are now thriving in the wild and the agency is collecting their spawn, enabling hatcheries to propagate millions of fish that will be distributed to rivers and streams throughout the state.

     “Thanks to advance genetic testing, we know these fish are maintaining their resistance to whirling disease,” said George Schisler, CPW’s aquatic research chief. “Now they are surviving, reproducing and contributing to future generations of Gunnison River rainbows.”

     This long success story started on an August day in 1994 when former CPW researcher Barry Nehring, while walking the river bank in the Gunnison Gorge, noticed small fish swimming helplessly in circles. He knew immediately that the fish were infected with a microscopic spore that damages the cartilage of young fish and prevents them from swimming and developing normally. Whirling disease had arrived in the wild.

     The disease was accidentally introduced to Colorado in the late 1980s when infected fish were imported  to state and private hatcheries. After those fish were stocked in 40 locations, the spore spread and within a decade infected many rivers throughout state. The disease kills young fish, so eventually natural reproduction by wild rainbows ended across much of Colorado.

     In search of a remedy, CPW scientists and biologists from wildlife agencies throughout the West started researching the disease in the late 1990s. At a national conference in Denver in 2002, a researcher from Europe who studied whirling disease gave a presentation about a strain of disease- resistant rainbow trout he’d found at a hatchery in Germany. Schisler, working with the University of California-Davis, imported eggs and then tested the hatched fingerlings, known as Hofers – named after the German hatchery. He found they were 100 times more resistant to the disease than the various CPW rainbow strains.

     He also learned that because these fish had been raised in a hatchery for decades, they showed no inkling of the flight response needed to elude predators in the wild. So researchers started crossing them with wild strains, such as the Harrison Lake and Colorado River rainbow to produce fish that exhibit wild behavior and maintain resistance to whirling disease. Those fish were stocked in rivers around the state and some natural reproduction started.

    Biologists working in the East Portal Section of the Gunnison River gorge began documenting wild reproduction of rainbow trout in that location in the mid-2000s. These fish demonstrated strong resistance to whirling disease, but also had instincts to survive in the wild. Through advanced genetic analysis, Schisler and his research partner, Eric Fetherman, determined that a DNA marker unique to the stocked Hofer-crosses appeared to have been incorporated into this population, resulting in observed resistance to the disease.

     The researchers and agency aquatic biologists determined that developing a brood stock using the Gunnison River trout would be the best way to repopulate Colorado’s rivers with wild rainbows. Since 2014, more than 500,000 eggs have been collected from these fish to stock into whirling disease positive rivers and to create hatchery brood stocks.

     The trout now has its own moniker: The Gunnison River Rainbow.

     CPW’s Glenwood Springs hatchery is propogating both the pure Gunnison River Rainbows and crosses of those fish and other strains of whirling disease-resistant rainbows. This summer more than 1.3 million of fingerling disease-resistant rainbows will be stocked in rivers and streams throughout the state.

    The ultimate goal of the stocking effort is to restore natural reproduction in the wild, eliminating the need to stock rainbows in the future.

     However, re-establishing the rainbows continues to be a long-term project. After rainbows vanished, brown trout took over Colorado’s big rivers. They prey on the small rainbows that are stocked or hatch and compete for food and habitat with adult rainbows. Biologists say it will take many years for rainbows to become firmly established.

     Research scientists don’t declare victory easily, but Fetherman noted that the research project in the East Portal is officially closed. Populations across the state will continue to be monitored because the tiny worms that produce the spores causing whirling disease will likely always exist in Colorado’s rivers.

     “I feel like we’ve done some good work and these fish are ready to be stocked statewide,” Fetherman said.

    For more information on CPW’s aquatic programs, go to: 

    https://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/Fishing.aspx

     

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  • Forests bouncing back from beetles, but elk and deer slowing recovery

    Forests bouncing back from beetles, but elk and deer slowing recovery

    Two words, and a tiny little creature, strike fear in the hearts of many Colorado outdoor enthusiasts: bark beetle. But new research from University of Colorado Boulder reveals that even simultaneous bark beetle outbreaks are not a death sentence to the state’s beloved forests. 

    The study, published this month in the journal Ecology, found that high-elevation forests in the southern Rocky Mountains actually have a good chance of recovery, even after overlapping outbreaks with different kinds of beetles. One thing that is slowing their recovery down: Foraging elk and deer.

    “This is actually a bright point, at least for the next several decades,” said Robert Andrus, lead author of the study and recent PhD graduate in physical geography. “Even though we had multiple bark beetle outbreaks, we found that 86 percent of the stands of trees that we surveyed are currently on a trajectory for recovery.” 

    Between 2005 and 2017, a severe outbreak of spruce bark beetles swept through more than 741,000 acres of high-elevation forest in the southern Rocky Mountains near Wolf Creek Pass — killing more than 90 percent of Engelmann spruce trees in many stands. At the same time, the western balsam bark beetle infested subalpine fir trees across almost 124,000 acres within the same area. 

    If you go skiing in Colorado, you’re usually in a high-elevation, Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir forest, said Andrus. 

    The researchers wanted to know if these overlapping events, caused by two different types of bark beetles, would limit the ability of the forest to recover. So they measured more than 14,000 trees in 105 stands in the eastern San Juan Mountains, tallying the surviving species and the number of deaths. They had expected that the combined effects of two bark beetle outbreaks would prevent forest recovery, but they found that the forests were quite resilient.

    That’s an important contrast from what happens following a severe fire, which can cause forests to convert to grasslands, according to previous research by Thomas Veblen, coauthor of the study and Distinguished Professor of Geography.

    “It’s important that we perform these sorts of studies, because we need different management responses depending on the forest type and the kind of disturbance,” said Veblen.

    They also found that greater tree species diversity prior to the bark beetle outbreaks was a key component of resilient forests.

    Trees killed by bark beetles remain standing in the southern Rocky Mountains. (Credit: Robert Andrus)

    Tens of millions of acres across the Western United States and North America have been affected in the past two decades, and Colorado has not been spared. A severe mountain pine beetle outbreak began in 1996, easily visible along I-70 and in Rocky Mountain National Park. Since 2000, more than 1.8 million acres of Engelmann spruce statewide have been affected by spruce beetles in high-elevation forests.

    With continued warming there will come a time where conditions caused by climate change exceed the forests’ ability to recover, said Veblen. 

    Impacts of Ungulates

    The study is the first to consider the effects of two different types of beetles that affect two different dominant tree species, as well as the effects of browsing elk and deer in the same area. 

    Bark beetles prefer bigger, mature trees with thicker bark, which offer more nutrients and better protection in the wintertime. They typically leave the younger, juvenile trees alone–allowing the next generation to recover and repopulate the forest. 

    But while in the field, researchers noticed many smaller trees were being munched on by elk and deer. Known as “ungulates,” these animals like to nibble the top of young trees, which can stunt the trees’ vertical growth. They found more than half of the tops of all smaller trees had been browsed. 

    That doesn’t mean that those trees are going to die–ungulates are just more likely to slow the rate of forest recovery. 

    Avid Colorado skiers and mountaineers looking forward to typical, green forests, however, will have to be patient. 

    “We don’t expect full forest recovery for decades,” said Andrus.

    Sarah Hart, also a PhD graduate of CU and now a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, contributed to this study.

     

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  • Anythink Bennett hosts photography workshop and showcase

    Anythink Bennett hosts photography workshop and showcase

    Series focuses on honing creativity and photography skills

     BENNETT, Colo.–Feb. 14, 2020–Beginning Saturday, Feb. 15, Anythink Bennett will host a series of photography workshops led by local instructor Pattie Lindsay. Participants will discover the best practices for shooting high-quality photos using just their mobile phones. In the past few years, smartphone cameras have advanced to include functions, settings and display resolutions formerly reserved for professional-grade cameras. By discovering these settings and composition techniques, community members will be able to leverage their photography skills without having to purchase any special equipment.

     This four-part workshop will culminate in a special showcase and reception, featuring framed pieces from participants. Participants who complete all four workshops will receive a universal mobile lens kit, including wide-angle, fisheye and telephoto lenses for your phone. More details on the showcase to follow in the coming weeks.

     “We are excited to bring more opportunities for artistic expression and education to the Bennett community,” says Anythink Bennett manager Whitney Oakley. “Learning mobile photography skills is not only a way to enhance your own captured memories, but also begin to find a passion for an entirely new art form.”

     The series is hosted in conjunction with the Bennett Arts Council and Joyful Journeys Community Enrichment.

     As part of its current strategic plan, Anythink strives to provide cultural learning opportunities for Adams County. Through programs and experiences like this series, community members are able in gain 21st century skills in an accessible format. In the past few years, Anythink has hosted a number of community art exhibitions in a variety of mediums, including sound, oil panting and more. Anythink also celebrates culture with This is Who We Are, a series of collaborative public art projects on permanent display. At Anythink Bennett, “Life on the Eastern Plains” brings the stories, colors and expressions of the Bennett community to life in the form of a quilt designed by Deidre Adams. This piece includes elements of fabric, photos and letters gathered from community members.

     Event Details

     Phone Photography Workshop

    Saturdays, Feb. 15-March 7, 2020

    10:30 am-12 pm

     

    Anythink Bennett

    495 7th St.

    Bennett, CO 80102

    303-405-3231

     

    The best camera is the one you have with you. Learn to capture stunning images in this mobile photography course taught by instructor Pattie Lindsay. This four-week workshop will culminate in a photography showcase and reception featuring framed work from participants. Participants who complete all four workshops will receive a universal mobile lens kit, including wide-angle, fisheye and telephoto lenses for your phone. Space is limited; registration required at anythinklibraries.org. This workshop is hosted in conjunction with the Bennett Arts Council and Joyful Journeys Community Enrichment.

     

     Phone Photography Showcase and Reception

    Saturday, March 21, 2020

    3-5 pm

     Anythink Bennett

    495 7th St.

    Bennett, CO 80102

    303-405-3231

     

    Celebrate community photography at this exhibition highlighting the work of Bennett’s mobile photography workshop. Free and open to all ages. Refreshments will be provided.

     About Anythink™

    Anythink is a new style of library – a place of unlimited imagination, where play inspires creativity and lifelong learning. Anythink serves the residents of Adams County, Colo., with seven libraries and a bookmobile. With a focus on innovation, Anythink’s award-winning approach to library service is recognized by industry leaders and organizations across the globe. For more information, visit anythinklibraries.org.

     

     

     

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  • Colorado lakes, reservoirs remain free of invasive mussels; but more boats found with mussel infestations in 2019

    DENVER, Colo. – More boats requiring decontamination because of infestations of destructive mussels entered Colorado last year than in 2018, but the statewide inspection program coordinated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife again succeeded in keeping invasive mussels out of the state’s lakes and reservoirs.

    While Colorado remains mussel free, CPW officials are concerned that the number of boats entering Colorado that need decontamination continues to increase. CPW will not let down its guard to keep invasive aquatic species out of the state.

    “The Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Program continues to meet the challenge of protecting the state’s water resources and infrastructure from the establishment of Aquatic Nuisance Species,” said Elizabeth Brown, the agency’s invasive species program manager. “Colorado remains free of adult zebra and quagga mussel reproducing populations, while some nearby western states without mandatory inspection programs continue to detect infestations. Colorado has prevented the introduction of this invasive species due to the diligent efforts of watercraft inspection and decontamination, early detection monitoring, education and enforcement efforts.”

    Other western states that have mussel infestations include: Arizona, Utah, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and California. Where there are infestations, mussels can clog up pipes and important infrastructure, cover docks, shorelines, rocks, any hard surface and can ruin powerboat engines.

    Throughout the state last year, 481,543 boat inspections were conducted, 7,000 more than in 2018. A total of 22,947 boats, 281 with attached mussels, were decontaminated, compared with 19,111 in 2018. Unfortunately, the number of intercepted boats fully infested with mussels increased by 40 percent, from 51 in 2018 to 86 in 2019. In 2017, only 16 mussel-infested boats were intercepted.

    Brown said she’s very concerned about the substantial increase in infested boats entering the state.

    Thanks to CPW’s inspection program, Colorado remains free of invasive aquatic mussels. But the number of boats that require decontamination is increasing.

    “This growth trend is directly related to the growing threat invasive mussels pose to Colorado’s water infrastructure, natural resources and outdoor recreation. Along with work by our partners, CPW’s Invasive Species Program is critical to maintaining opportunities for recreation, preserving natural heritage and protecting water supply and delivery infrastructure for municipal, industrial and agricultural use,” Brown said.

    A fully formed adult zebra or quagga mussel has never been detected in Colorado waters. However, the larval stage of the mussels, known as veligers, were detected as recently as 2017 in Green Mountain Reservoir in Summit County and the reservoir is still considered suspect for quagga mussels. For detection, biologists perform three types of sampling to target the three life stages of mussels. CPW confirms all visual detections with DNA analysis to confirm the genus and species of the mussel. If no additional detections are verified in 2020, Green Mountain Reservoir will be delisted.

    In 2019, crews sampled 179 standing, and four flowing waters statewide for veligers. In addition to the sampling efforts performed by CPW, the National Park Service contributed 38 plankton samples. There were no detections of zebra or quagga mussels in Colorado.

    CPW works in partnership with dozens of other agencies, counties and municipalities throughout the state. Help from the partners is critical in maintaining a mussel-free Colorado, Brown said.

    For more information about CPW’s ANS prevention program, see: https://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/BoatInspection.aspx.

     

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