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  • ACEP Stands in Solidarity with Emergency Physician in COVID-19 Related Custody Dispute

    ACEP Stands in Solidarity with Emergency Physician in COVID-19 Related Custody Dispute

    In response to news reports that an emergency physician has temporarily lost custody of her child because of her job on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis, the president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), William Jaquis, MD, FACEP, released the following statement:

    “It is unconscionable to force Dr. Theresa Greene or any emergency physician to choose between their family and their oath to their patients. These are scary and uncertain times, but emergency physicians are expertly trained in how to protect themselves and their families during a pandemic like COVID-19.

    “ACEP stands in solidarity with Dr. Greene and any health worker who is in this heartbreaking position. On behalf of all our members, we have released an official statement urging that a parent’s role in the fight against COVID-19 not be a factor when considering child custody or visitation matters.

    “Emergency physicians, along with emergency nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and others, are leading the battle against the public health crisis of our lifetime. But they are also human beings, who need and deserve the comfort of their families when they are off duty.”

    The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 39,000 emergency physician members, and the more than 150 million Americans they treat on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.acep.org and www.emergencyphysicians.org. 

    Photo credit: MGN online

     

     

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  • State activates new crisis standards for emergency medical services and personal protective equipment

    The Chief Medical Officer for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment activated new crisis standards for emergency medical services and personal protective equipment earlier this week to help health care providers make decisions when responding to COVID-19. These standards are specific to the COVID-19 response. 

    The state has not enacted crisis standards of care for hospitals, as ongoing physical distancing policies have helped delay the strain on hospitals. 

    The emergency medical services crisis standards outline recommendations for how dispatchers, emergency transport services, and first-responders operate. The personal protective equipment crisis standards outline recommendations on use of PPE and alternate equipment to provide some protection from disease transmission.

    With the activation of the emergency medical services and personal protective equipment crisis standards in Colorado, entities will then adopt the standard for their organization and should report this adoption to CDPHE by completing the Crisis Standards of Care Adoption Form.   

    “The activated crisis standards provide recommendations on the questions ambulance dispatchers should ask and the equipment first responders should wear  — among other recommendations. They also clarify which first responders go out when, minimizing the number of people who could be exposed to COVID-19, while still providing care to people in need,” said Dr. Eric France, chief medical officer, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “The public can help preserve precious emergency resources by staying home, and only contacting 911 when it’s an emergency. We all play a role in slowing transmission of the virus and protecting the heroes on the frontlines.”

    The Governor’s Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee approved these crisis standards of care on April 5. Several sub-groups reviewed the content, and community feedback and engagement were considered throughout the process to update these recommendations.

    The complete crisis standards of care are available here. The state will continue to activate portions of the standards as the need becomes apparent.

    Continue to stay up to date by visiting covid19.colorado.gov.

     

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  • When what-if scenarios turn real: CSU pandemic modeler provides COVID-19 insights on health care workers

    When what-if scenarios turn real: CSU pandemic modeler provides COVID-19 insights on health care workers

    As a Yale University postdoctoral researcher, economist Jude Bayham studied the potential consequences of a global pandemic that could shutter schools, close businesses, and strain hospitals.

    That was back in 2013.

    Now, as the world grapples with the coronavirus, the Colorado State University economist and a multi-institutional team are turning those prescient modeling exercises into real insights for policymakers.

    “We’re repurposing models we had done a while back that frankly at the time, people didn’t really care about,” said Bayham, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. “It’s an ‘I told you so’ moment. I’m not happy about it. It’s unfortunate.”

    In the last several weeks, Bayham and Yale collaborator Eli Fenichel have run a series of analyses illustrating the toll that long-term school closures may have on U.S. health care providers. They’re now fielding inquiries from all over the world, from state governments to child care needs assessment professionals, who think the economists’ work could help them navigate the here and now. In the last two weeks, the researchers created an interactive dashboard for drilling down statistics on child care needs by state, city and industry sector. Their data were published in The Lancet Public Health.

    Bayham and Fenichel have also created another dashboard for viewing COVID-19 complication risk factors in the workforce.

    A third of health workers care for young children

    For their health care worker analysis, the researchers used data from the U.S. Current Population Survey to show that about a third of health care workers – doctors, nurses, hospital staff – care for children ages 3-12. Fifteen percent of those households don’t have other adults or older children who can help with child care.

    At the time they did their original analysis, a long-term school closure was a far-off hypothetical. Now, as school districts nationwide shutter for weeks or months, Bayham’s work of yore takes on new significance, and the team is scrambling to update it with current figures.

    School closures are intended to slow the transmission of the virus. But Bayham and Fenichel find that the toll school closures take on health care workers could potentially negate any mortality benefits from the closures. Their calculations indicate that if the health care workforce declines by 15 percent, due to the workers now having to care for their children, it could lead to an increase in coronavirus deaths, because the workers aren’t there to care for sick people. Specifically, they report that assuming a 15 percent loss of the health care labor force, a coronavirus infection mortality rate increase of just 0.35 percentage points would net a greater number of deaths than would be prevented by the closures.

    These calculations are just that – calculations, which don’t take into account, for example, the potential rollout of state or federal programs to offer child care relief to workers. And the estimates aren’t perfect; the researchers don’t claim to know, down to a precise number, what one health care worker’s absence portends.

    “We don’t know, in terms of a productivity measure, the estimate of one nurse saving this many lives or reducing mortality,” Bayham said. “But we think it’s not zero. So essentially we are getting at how productive they need to be for us to be concerned about how school closures would undermine the goal of saving lives.”

    The work is a sobering reminder of the societal and public-health tradeoffs of large-scale disruptions like long-term school closures.

    Forming networks

    As the pandemic continues to unfold, Bayham and colleagues at Yale, Northwestern University and other institutions have quickly formed a network of economists and epidemiologists to continue this and other lines of work. They hope to help inform decisionmakers on questions not only of tradeoffs of school closures, but also, strategies for peeling back such restrictive measures when the time is right.

    As researchers all over the world converge their expertise around the pandemic, Bayham and colleagues are also jumping into other projects to help. For example, Bayham is serving on a U.S. Forest Service task force that will examine potential outcomes of coronavirus on firefighters as fire season returns.

    And along with CSU colleagues Becca Jablonski, Dawn Thilmany, Rebecca Cleary, Rebecca Hill, Alexandra Hill, Laura Bellows, Bob Delmore and Michael Carolan, Bayham is also serving on a Colorado Department of Agriculture-focused task force looking at effects of social distancing measures on food supply chain issues. CSU’s vice president for engagement and extension, Blake Naughton, established the CSU Task Force on Colorado Food Supply to conduct research on several key areas: food access and security; designating food retail establishments as “essential services;” food supply chain workforce readiness; and consumer expenditure and farm market access.  

  • Help document nature in your area as part of global initiative: 2020 City Nature Challenge

    Help document nature in your area as part of global initiative: 2020 City Nature Challenge

    City Nature Challenge 2020 is an international effort to find and document plants and wildlife across the globe.

    DENVER – From April 24 through 27, Colorado residents are encouraged to go outside in their neighborhood to photograph and identify plants and animals using the free iNaturalist app as part of a global initiative called the City Nature Challenge.  

    City Nature Challenge 2020 is an international effort to find and document plants and wildlife across the globe. Cities are encouraging their citizens to get outside in whatever way is safe for each region and document the plants and animals in their surroundings. The City Nature Challenge is organized by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

    The City Nature Challenge and COVID-19

    In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City Nature Challenge has made some modifications to the annual event to help keep organizers and participants safe. Although it has been promoted as a friendly competition in previous years, this year it’s about embracing the healing power of nature. Participants should safely document biodiversity in whatever way they can, even from the safety of their own homes if necessary. Participants are urged to carefully follow public health guidelines provided by your local governments, as they are changing in real-time. Individual safety and public health is of utmost priority. 

    Citizen Science and the iNaturalist app

    To participate in this collaborative effort, download the free iNaturalist app, join the project, then get outside and start taking pictures of nature around you. By participating, you will be embracing the healing power of nature while also contributing crucial data about Colorado’s unique biodiversity. Scientists can then use this information to make important decisions about how to protect and improve Colorado’s nature.

    The iNaturalist app that people use to identify species during the City Nature Challenge has been part of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s efforts to engage citizen scientists over the past few years.

    In just under four years, the app has documented more than 91,000 observations of nature in Colorado’s 41 state parks. The new technology is helping CPW biologists track the wildlife resources, and in some cases, even contributing toward furthering important research.

    From April 28 – May 3, users who identify photos of wildlife down to the species level will count toward the point tally.

    Colorado nonprofits and government agencies like Colorado Parks and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, the WILD Foundation, MetroDNA, Denver Botanical Gardens, and Denver Audubon all see the value in this effort to connect people to their environment and reap the benefits of crowd-sourced citizen science.

    “We have so much amazing nature in and around Denver, that we encourage people to explore their backyards and neighborhoods to discover incredible wildlife,” said Chris Hawkins, urban conservation program manager for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. “Not only will participants be having fun outside, but they will also be making valuable scientific contributions that will help The Nature Conservancy as we work to create a thriving region for people and nature.”

    “As a mom of two young children who have now transitioned to online learning, I am so excited about the opportunity to engage them in a community science project that gets us outdoors in our own neighborhood,” said Kate Hogan of Denver Audubon. “The iNaturalist.org app is easy to use, and even my 4-year-old knows how to take pictures with my cell phone, so each one of us can be involved!”

    “The City Nature Challenge is an extraordinary opportunity for individuals to connect to the wild nature that surrounds them; something that is essential considering we live in this time of rapid human development, species extinction, and disconnection with nature,” said Melanie Hill, Director of Communications & Outreach at the WILD Foundation. “This event offers a fun and easy way for people of all ages to get to know these wild beings and understand not only what they need to survive, but thrive.”

    “Plant and wildlife enthusiasts from across the region can participate simply by staying at home and helping to identify species through the iNaturalist program,” said Jennifer Neale, Director of Research & Conservation for Denver Botanic Gardens. 

    “The City Nature Challenge offers Metro Denver residents, especially kids and families, a chance to get outdoors in a way that contributes not only to our shared knowledge of the region’s biodiversity but to their physical and mental health,” said Dana Coelho, Metro DNA Director and co-lead of Safe Summer Kick Off on Get Outdoors Day, a Southwest Denver-based partnership inspired by and connected to the statewide Get Outdoors Colorado coalition of partners.

    “At its core, it’s a citizen science project that is trying to engage as many people as possible to record the diversity of life wherever they happen to be,” said CPW Forest Management Coordinator Matt Schulz. “Anyone can participate with this challenge, just by observing what is outside their door, whether it’s the tree that lines your street or the bird stopping over to find a bit of food.”

    Colorado state parks are a great place to be outdoors, as well as a great place to participate in the City Nature Challenge. But please remember to only visit your neighborhood state parks consistent with public health recommendations. Colorado state parks within this year’s boundaries include: Barr Lake, Boyd Lake, Castlewood Canyon, Chatfield, Cherry Creek, Cheyenne Mountain, Eldorado Canyon,Golden Gate, Lory, Roxborough, St. Vrain and Staunton. 

    Check CPW’s City Nature Challenge page or the co-organizers page at www.wild.org/naturechallenge for updated information on the City Nature Challenge project.

    Details

    More information on the City Nature Challenge is available at: https://citynaturechallenge.org.

    For those interested in the Denver-Boulder Metro area: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020-denver-boulder-metro-area

    For those interested in the Colorado Springs area: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020-colorado-springs

    For those interested in the Fort Collins/Northern Colorado area: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020-northern-colorado

    Stats from last year:

    Boulder-Denver Metro Area 2019:

    Total observations: 6,374

    Total observers: 433

    Species identified: 955

    Worldwide 2019

    Total observations: 963,000+

    Total observers: 35,000+

    Species identified: 31,000+

     

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  • Colorado Secretary of State’s Office Extends Charity Filing Deadlines

    Colorado Secretary of State’s Office Extends Charity Filing Deadlines

    Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold has issued emergency rules extending certain filing deadlines for charities to August 15, 2020.  These rules will address the filing deadlines for charity registration renewals and solicitation campaign financial reports.  They will not affect the filing deadline for new solicitation notices, which must be filed at least 15 days prior to the commencement of a solicitation campaign.

    “Like the IRS, we are extending some filing deadlines for charities,” said Secretary Griswold.  “This will enable charities to focus on providing vital services to Coloradans during this time of need.”

    Last year, Coloradans donated over $4.6 billion to 7,321 Colorado-based charities. With the extension, charities are required to file their financial statements, Form 990s, and state financial forms to the Secretary of State’s by August 15, 2020.  These extensions were granted in light of the IRS extension of certain filing deadlines, which also impacts charities and their ability to prepare documents needed for filings with the Secretary of State.

    For the Notice of Temporary Adoption for the Colorado Charities Program Rules (8 CCR 1505-9), please click here. The notice includes the adopted rules, a statement of basis, and statement of justification. For an unofficial copy of the charity rules as adopted and effective on April 3, please click here.

    For more information, please visit www.sos.state.co.us. 

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  • Unified Command Group Member Tests Positive to COVID19

    Unified Command Group Member Tests Positive to COVID19

     A member of the Colorado Unified Command Group (UCG) working at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) tested positive for COVID-19.  The staff member went through daily medical screenings and was asymptomatic until April 4 when symptoms started. The staff member then contacted executive leadership and self-isolated pending testing arrangements.  Test results are positive.

    The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is conducting a full epidemiological investigation to evaluate the level of exposure in the SEOC.  Staff members at the facility were notified tonight.  All staff were asked to:

    1. Evaluate whether or not they worked in the same area of the facility in the last 48 hours following public health guidance for possible exposures. 
    2. Inform supervisors if they had contact or worked near the person before transitioning to  remote work following CDPHE guidelines to self-quarantine and monitor for symptoms twice daily (including measuring your temperature) for 14 days.
    3. If staff were not in close contact with the member they will monitor symptoms daily for  the next 14 days.  Asymptomatic staff will report to work as previously assigned.  Symptomatic staff will  stay home and inform supervisors at the SEOC .

    For the protection of all staff members the SEOC has a decontamination service clean the facility each evening.  The decontamination has been in place for the last two weeks.  This will continue.  

    Monday the SEOC will conduct twice daily medical screening, once in the morning and again mid-day.  Daily health screenings were implemented at the beginning of March.  

    And, consistent with the Governor’s recommendations announced on Friday, UCG is embracing a culture of masking and supports the Colorado Mask Project.  Staff are asked to wear a non-medical fabric cover over their mouth and nose when away from home. 

    image credit: MGN online

     

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  • State provides COVID-19 modeling data

    State provides COVID-19 modeling data

    The state today released additional COVID-19 modeling data to the public. Governor Jared Polis first provided an in-depth analysis of the data during a press conference on March 27. The state will continue to review data as it evolves to inform future policy decisions.

    The modeling data was produced by an expert team that the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) assembled to assist the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) in understanding the potential course of the pandemic in Colorado. 

    Drawing on expertise from the ColoradoSPH and the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, and the University of Colorado in Denver and Boulder, a team of volunteer experts modeled the pandemic using approaches tailored to Colorado, updating the modeling as the disease continues to spread in the state.

    The team uses a fundamental approach: the SEIR model. The basics of the models are intuitive: prior to infection, individuals are susceptible (S) and once exposed (E) and infected (I) they are contagious, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic; those infected may recover and become resistant (R) or become sufficiently ill to need hospitalization and possibly critical care and to die. This standard model is thus abbreviated as the SEIR model. 

    Another important number in the model is the reproductive number (R0), that is, the average number of new cases generated per infected person at the beginning of the outbreak. (The Governor has referred to this number as the “R naught.”) If that number exceeds one then the infection will spread. Various figures for R0 have been reported at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic from different parts of the world, ranging from about 2 to 5. The reproductive number depends, in part, on the frequency of contacts between infected and uninfected individuals. The goal of social distancing, which we are all experiencing now, is to reduce these contacts and lower the reproductive number with a target value below one so that contagion ends. A critical question is: How much social distancing is needed to control the epidemic, and how long does it need to be in place?

    The tables below provide two sets of numbers provided to CDPHE and the Governor’s Office. The numbers provided are for critical indicators and show the variation by the value of R0 at the beginning of the outbreak and the effectiveness of social distancing at reducing the contact rate, ranging from none to an 80% reduction. When these numbers were calculated, the team found that the R0 value for Colorado was likely above 3. To capture the uncertainty in R0 and the effectiveness of social distancing, estimates are provided for a range of values.

    Model R0 3.5 4.0 with SD 0 to 80

    Model R0 3.0 4.0 SD 0 to 60

     The Colorado modeling team has continued to refine its models as the data accumulate on the course of the pandemic. There are other models that provide estimates for Colorado, but those models are not as closely linked to the state’s data.

    Continue to stay up to date by visiting covid19.colorado.gov.

     

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  • Now’s the time to submit big-game hunting applications; deadline to apply is April 7

    Now’s the time to submit big-game hunting applications; deadline to apply is April 7

    DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s on-line hunting license application site is open around-the-clock and hunters are urged not to wait until the last minute to apply for 2020 big-game licenses. Deadline to apply is April 7 at 8 p.m.

    “When a high volume of people hit the site on the last day, that can cause system slowdowns and we want to ensure you have the ability to put in for the license you want,” said Rebecca Ferrell, public information and website manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “There’s no reason to wait until the last minute – get online now, spend some quality time with our videos, harvest data and other resources, and be sure your account is set up correctly.”

    To apply for a limited big game license, go to cpwshop.com sign in to your account and then click on the “Go Hunting and Fishing” tab in the menu bar at the top of the page. The system is set up to guide hunters easily through the well-defined steps. Hunters must be sure to have their CID number and a valid credit card before beginning the process.

     

    Hunters should go on line to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website as soon as possible to apply for limited big-game hunting licenses. Deadline to apply is April 7.

    Please review the big game section of the CPW site for background information on Colorado’s hunting seasons and how to apply. The web pages include harvest statistics from the 2019 seasons for all big-game species, seasons and units.

    You can also call CPW’s hunt planners at 303-297-1192 if you have questions. Please note that call-wait times may be lengthy as our staff is complying with current stay-at-home orders.

    Although all CPW offices are closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic, staff members are available to answer questions. Phone numbers and contact information are posted at all CPW offices for direct staff assistance.

    Hunters are also reminded that they are required to purchase a “qualifying license” before submitting an application. You’ll be prompted to make that purchase as you start the application process.

    For first-time hunters who have not completed a hunter education class, an apprentice certificate is available to those who are able to hunt with a mentor. Those who hunted last year with an apprentice license can obtain a second certificate. But previous year’s apprentice certificates will not be renewed automatically; you need to go to cpwshop.com and add a new profile before applying for a limited license.

    “Everything you need to apply is at your fingertips,” Ferrell said. “So please get your application in now and get ready for the fall hunting season.”

     

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  • CPW’s Aquatic Nuisance Species inspections underway in 2020

    CPW’s Aquatic Nuisance Species inspections underway in 2020

    DENVER – As the final winter frosts begin to thaw, reservoirs are opening to boating and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials are busy ramping up inspection stations for the upcoming season. Boat inspections for aquatic nuisance species (ANS) are mandatory in Colorado and required for motorized or trailered watercraft entering the state and prior to launching on most public waters within the state. 

    ANS boat inspections and COVID-19

    Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, many local and federal waters are postponing opening to boating and ANS inspections at this time. Waters operated by CPW are continuing to open and provide recreation opportunities as weather permits. Boaters are reminded not to travel long distances to go boating or fishing while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect Colorado. Recreate at local reservoirs in compliance with the Stay-At-Home order from Gov. Jared Polis.  

          • Boaters are reminded to stay at least six feet away from inspection station staff at all times. 

    • Do not congregate in groups larger than 10 individuals and practice good social distancing in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease and Prevention and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Local health orders may further limit group size; please be aware of local requirements.
    • Boaters should wait until the inspector calls them up to the station. 
    • Boaters should stay in their vehicles, set the parking brake, turn their vehicles off, and remain in the vehicles unless instructed by an inspector to get out and assist with the inspection. 
    • If you have a green seal receipt, please keep your window closed and show it to the inspector through the window glass. CPW reminds everyone to get a green seal and receipt after boating to speed up the next inspection. CPW is diligently working to keep state parks’s waters open for boating so the public can enjoy the health benefits associated with being outside. However, visitors must enjoy parks responsibly during the COVID-19 outbreak. It’s important for everyone to follow the recommendations from CDPHE for easy, everyday actions to protect yourself and those around you.

    Up-to-date information about how CPW is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic is available on our website. 

    As waters open to boating in Colorado, aquatic nuisance species (ANS) boat inspections are underway. Keeping Colorado mussel-free depends on boaters following posted rules, purchasing an ANS stamp and undergoing mandatory inspections prior to launch.

    Reminder: Get your ANS stamp

    An ANS stamp is required prior to boating in Colorado. The stamp helps CPW fund ANS inspections, monitoring, education, and other activities across the state.

    Colorado boat owners who operate motorboats and sailboats on lakes and reservoirs must purchase a $25 ANS stamp annually. The cost of the stamp for out-of-state motorboats and sailboats is $50. Boaters from out of state can purchase online at www.cpwshop.com.

    Colorado is one of just a few states in the country that doesn’t have an infestation of adult mussels in any of its waters,” said Elizabeth Brown, invasive species program manager for CPW. “That’s directly attributable to our mandatory inspection and decontamination program that’s been in place for over a decade now.”

    There have been 281 watercraft infested with zebra or quagga mussels intercepted in the state since the program’s inception. Last year, inspectors intercepted 86 infested watercraft, a huge increase from 51 in 2018 and 26 in 2017. 

    “CPW is very confident in the statewide inspection and decontamination system to protect our waters. However, this program relies on the compliance of the boating community,” said Reid DeWalt, Assistant Director for Aquatic, Terrestrial and Natural Resources for CPW. “Boaters need to know the rules and follow them if we are going to be effective at keeping zebra and quagga mussels out of the nation’s headwaters.”

    Aquatic nuisance species, such as zebra and quagga mussels, pose a serious threat to natural resources, recreation and the water infrastructure of the state. Mussel infestations cause a variety of major problems. Because mussels consume plankton, they disrupt the food web and out-compete sport fish and native fish. Mussels clog infrastructure, including reservoir dams, outlet structures and distribution systems that carry water for irrigation, municipal and industrial uses. Mussels also infest boats and damage engines.

    Mussels have caused billions of dollars in damage, especially in the upper Midwest. Nearby states where mussel infestations exist include Utah, Arizona, Kansas, Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Invasive mussels could have devastating ecological, economic, and recreational impacts if infestations were to establish here.

    “Keeping Colorado’s waters free of invasive species is critical to maintaining efficient water delivery and infrastructure systems, and providing high-quality fishing and boating opportunities for our residents and visitors,” Brown said. “The success of the ANS Program is due to the dedicated inspection and decontamination staff across the state. We are grateful to those individuals that are working on the front lines to provide recreation and protect our waters.”

    A complete list of Colorado inspection sites and hours of operation, along with information about the ANS stamp, can be found on CPW’s boating page. Always check with your destination reservoir before going to verify hours of operation.

    For more information on preventing harmful aquatic nuisance species in Colorado, visit www.cpw.state.co.us.

     

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  • Interest Waived on Certain Tax Payments

    Interest Waived on Certain Tax Payments

    From Sue Sandstrom, Arapahoe County Treasurer

    As the elected official tasked with the collection and distribution of property taxes for Arapahoe County, I want to keep individuals and businesses apprised of the current options available for the payment of those taxes.

    All property tax payment due dates and interest rates are determined by Colorado state statutes, and my office must follow those statutes. Due to the financial difficulties associated with this extraordinary health crisis, the Governor is able to issue Executive Orders that allow temporary variances from those statutes. On March 20, the Governor issued Executive Order D 2020 012, which gives me, as the County Treasurer, some flexibility in collecting interest on tax payments.

    Businesses and individuals in Arapahoe County, who intended to pay their property taxes in one installment due April 30, now have the option of paying in two installments. The first installment (one half of the total tax due) may be paid with no interest added if paid by April 20. The second installment will then be due June 15. Hopefully, this will provide some relief by spreading out the tax payments and lengthening the time allowed to pay without interest. To take advantage of this relief, the tax payment must be made by check or cash, via mail or deposited in the secure drop box in front of the Arapahoe County Administrative Building at 5334 S. Prince Street in Littleton. Online and over-the-phone payments do not qualify for the interest waiver.

    As of the day of this writing, March 27, no adjustments to tax payment due dates or additional late interest waivers have been made. Full payments made after April 30 and second half payments made after June 15, will accrue statutory interest.

    The above information does not apply to mass payments, title company payments and delinquent payments for prior years.

    For additional information, visit please www.arapahoegov.com or call the Arapahoe County Treasurer’s office at 303-795-4550.

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