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Bennet, Gardner Applaud House Passage of Bill to Install Colorado Artist’s Sculpture Commemorating Women’s Suffrage in Nation’s Capital

Today, Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D) and Cory Gardner (R) applauded House passage of H.R. 473, legislation to authorize Colorado artist Jane DeDecker to install her Every Word We Utter sculpture in Washington D.C. Introduced by Bennet and Gardner in the Senate and U.S. Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO-2) in the House, the bill would establish the first outdoor monument to commemorate the women’s suffrage movement and would feature Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Stanton Blatch, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul, and Ida B. Wells.

“I can’t think of a more fitting way to commemorate 100 years of women’s suffrage than with the first outdoor monument in honor of the suffragists in our nation’s capital. I see the suffragists as founders of our country just as much as the people who wrote the Constitution – they fought for over 50 years to secure the right to vote. They understood that their responsibility as citizens was to strengthen our republic,” said Bennet. “I’m grateful to Congressman Neguse for pushing this bill through the House and I look forward to moving it in the Senate so that we can pay tribute to the women’s suffrage movement accordingly.”

“Colorado was the first state to approve women’s suffrage by popular referendum, and three women from Colorado were the first women ever elected to any legislature in U.S. history when they were elected to the Colorado House of Representatives,” said Gardner. “I’m proud that our entire congressional delegation is working to establish the first outdoor monument honoring the women’s suffrage movement and the passage of the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution. I look forward to the day where women from all over the world will be inspired by the sculpture in our nation’s capital honoring the generations of women whose determination guaranteed women the right to vote.”

The text of the Senate version of the bill is available HERE.

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February 28, 2020
Thousands of Colorado 17-year-olds can vote on Super Tuesday

Thousands of 17-year-olds are eligible to vote in Colorado’s upcoming presidential primary for the first time under a new state law.

The law allows 17-year-olds to cast ballots in spring primaries if they turn 18 before November’s general election. At least seven states and Washington, D.C., have similar laws.

According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, about 24,000 teens are eligible to vote in the March 3 primary under the change, a small number in a state with 3.4 million voters, the Sentinel Colorado reported.

“Chances are that turnout won’t be very high among this group, since it tends to be low among young people in general, and probably a lot of them aren’t aware they can vote now,” said Seth Masket, a political science professor at the University of Denver.

However, the new voters could help Bernie Sanders’ candidacy and that could make a difference in a tight race, Denver pollster and commentator Floyd Ciruli said. The Vermont senator has benefited from support among Generation Z and millennial voters.

Three Overland High School students who were interviewed about the new law said they did not know about their ability to vote until a few weeks ago and figure most of their peers were not aware either.

Kyle Siple was the only one among the three who had registered to vote so far but all said they planned to cast ballots. Voters can register to vote and vote in person at polling locations posted online by the secretary of state’s office.

Siple said many Hispanic students at the school, considered one of the most culturally diverse in the nation, have lost faith in the electoral process because of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric.

“Some of them just think it is hopeless, they won’t vote,” said Siple, who is white.

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February 26, 2020
Defendant in 40-year-old murder pleads guilty

“Guilty.”

With that one word, the family and friends of a 21-year-old woman killed by a stranger ended 40 years of waiting.

On Friday, James Curtis Clanton, 62, pleaded guilty to murdering Helene Pruszynski on Jan. 16, 1980. Her body was found in a vacant Douglas County field in what is now Highlands Ranch.

It took 40 years of persistence by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and advances in technology to identity a suspect in the murder.

“Because of the unrelenting and outstanding efforts of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and United Data Connect, the resolution of a horrible sexual assault and murder in a desolate part of our county four decades ago ended within 15 minutes inside a courtroom this morning,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “Coloradans should know that having the ability to consider the death penalty on this case helped lead to its resolution. The legislature should think again about taking this tool away from elected prosecutors.”

Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock was also satisfied with the outcome.

“While we were prepared to go forward at trial, we are pleased that Mr. Clanton made the decision to plead guilty. I am very proud of all the hard work and dedication that was put into solving this case,” Spurlock said. “We sincerely hope that this brings closure one step closer for Helene’s only surviving sibling as well as the many friends she had.”

Investigators with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office utilized forensic genealogy and tracked Clanton, who had legally changed his name in the decades since the murder, to Lake Butler, Fla. They worked closely with the members of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and other law enforcement partners, including the 18^th Judicial District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit of Chief Deputy District Attorney John Kellner and Senior Deputy District Attorney Chris Wilcox. The partners worked hand-in-hand to bring Clanton to Colorado in December 2019 to face the charges he had evaded for decades.

Clanton pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder after deliberation. This is a Class 1 felony that carries a sentence of life imprisonment in the Department of Corrections. However, due to the laws in place in 1980, Clanton may apply for parole after serving a period of 20 calendar years of his sentence.

Sentencing is set for April 10 at 2 p.m.

photo credit: MGN

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February 25, 2020
THIRTY INDICTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING

photo credit: MGN

Lead defendant charged under the Federal Drug Kingpin Statute

United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn, along with federal, state, and local partners, today announced that 30 defendants were indicted in two federal grand jury indictments for trafficking drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Of the 30 defendants indicted, 24 have been arrested and one is in state custody on a separate charge. Four others are in Mexico and one is at large in the United States. The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Douglas County Sheriff and the Aurora Police Department all joined in the announcement.

According to the indictments and other court documents, following an investigation that began in late 2018, agents seized approximately 400 pounds of methamphetamine, 5 pounds of heroin, 4 pounds of cocaine, and 15,000 fentanyl pills, which were disguised to look like prescription oxycodone.

The arrests included more than two dozen suspected members of a Mexican drug trafficking organization based in Denver, including one, Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo, who is being charged with operating a Continuing Criminal Enterprise (CCE), otherwise known as being charged as a Drug Kingpin. To be considered a Drug Kingpin, the individual has to violate the Controlled Substances Act as part of a series of related or ongoing violations. Additionally, the defendant must be an organizer, supervisor, or manager of at least five other persons connected in the same activity, and obtain substantial income or resources from the series of violations. If convicted of being a Drug Kingpin, Vallejo-Gallo faces not less than 20 years, and up to life in federal prison. Vallejo-Gallo is a Mexican national.

In addition to the drug trafficking charges, at least one defendant is charged with carrying a firearm in furtherance of the drug conspiracy.

“This is a very significant operation that took a massive amount of drugs and a large number of drug traffickers off our streets,” said United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn. “I want to commend the work of the FBI for their outstanding investigation, as well as for their tactical operation last week in apprehending this large number of defendants without incident. I also want to thank the other law enforcement agencies that participated in this operation and the arrests. Colorado’s law enforcement community is second to none in terms of our ability to work collaboratively to ensure that criminals are apprehended and that the best interests of the public are always our controlling objective.”

“The combined efforts of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Patrol, Aurora PD, and a multitude of other law enforcement agencies resulted in the FBI OCDETF Strike Force Group taking a significant drug trafficking organization off the streets of Denver and Aurora,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Dean Phillips. “Thanks to these partnerships, our community and children are safer.”

“This indictment reflects the hard work of our special agents and law enforcement partners who worked diligently over the last year to investigate the Vallejo Drug Trafficking Organization and bring them to justice,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Denver, Stephanie Lord Eisert. “Homeland Security Investigations remains committed to targeting the flow of money which fuels transnational organized crime, and we will continue to aggressively pursue those that enable the flow of deadly narcotics into our communities.”

“IRS-CI has and will continue to investigate drug traffickers by pursuing sophisticated, high profile, income tax, currency-related, and money laundering charges against these criminals,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge, Amanda Prestegard.

This investigation was handled by the FBI, the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Douglas County Sheriff, the Colorado State Patrol, and the Aurora Police Department.

The defendants are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus Chung and Zachary Phillips.

The charges contained in the indictments are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

CASE NUMBERS: 20-cr-0028 and 20-cr-0025

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February 25, 2020
GOVERNOR’S AG FORUM WELCOME RECEPTION MAKES A MOVE TO THE COLORADO HISTORY CENTER FOR FIRST TIME IN 29 YEARS.

For the first time in 29 years, the welcome reception for the Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture will not be at the Governor’s Mansion. On Feb. 25, from 5:30p to 8:00p, the Welcome Reception for the Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture will be held at the History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway, Denver, Colo.

This year marks the 29th year for the Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture. This change in venue will allow the forum reception to welcome a greater number of guests and allow a stronger opportunity for networking and engagement. With a theme this year of “Brand it Agriculture”, CALP Class 14 hopes to cover a diverse range of agricultural issues and topics in an attempt to create solidarity among all agricultural industries. Registration is open through 1 pm at the event, Feb. 26, 2020 at the Renaissance Stapleton Hotel in Denver.

For more information or to register, go to governorsagforum.com or contact Dani Traweek at (303) 547-5963. Speaker biographies available on-line and interviews may be arranged through Dani.

About Colorado Agriculture Leadership Program (CALP)

CALP is an intensive, two-year agriculture leadership program, focused specifically on developing high caliber leaders for Colorado agriculture who are well-versed in the complex and diverse issues of food production, agriculture policy, and the converging interests of rural and urban populations in Colorado. For more information, please visit www.coloagleaders.org.

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February 25, 2020
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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February 21, 2020
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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February 21, 2020
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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February 20, 2020
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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February 20, 2020
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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February 20, 2020