Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Tag: Climate

Polis Activates Emergency Drought Measures As Reservoirs Feel Growing Strain
No Comments
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Polis Activates Emergency Drought Measures As Reservoirs Feel Growing Strain

By Luige Del Puerto and Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday declared a statewide drought emergency, citing the record-low snowpack and prolonged warmer temperatures across Colorado. He also activated the next phase of the state’s drought response plan. Polis had placed Colorado under Phase 2 in March. “Today, I am issuing a statewide drought emergency to support Coloradans, our economy, farmers and ranchers, and outdoor enthusiasts in the face of one of the most severe droughts in Colorado’s recorded history. With every county in the state experiencing drought conditions, activating Phase 3 of our Drought Response Plan allows us to better coordinate agencies, prepare for worsening conditions, and support Colorado communities, agriculture...
Read More
Colorado Mountain Towns Feel Economic Pain After Historic Dry Winter
No Comments
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Mountain Towns Feel Economic Pain After Historic Dry Winter

By Bernadette Berdychowski | Colorado Politics Rocky, snow‑starved slopes. Rivers rising too soon. Resorts shutting down in April. Drought rules spreading statewide. These aren’t just signs of a bad winter — they’re red flags. And now another one is flashing across the Rockies: falling sales‑tax revenues that threaten the budgets and stability of mountain towns already stretched thin. Sales‑tax revenues — a key measure of local spending and a major source of city funding — dropped across many Colorado mountain towns in the first months of the year, largely because the unusually dry winter kept visitors away. In December, some towns saw only slight declines or even small gains. In Breckenridge, businesses said tourists who had already booked their trips an...
Read More
Colorado Drought Forces Denver Water To Drain Key Reservoir
No Comments
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Colorado Drought Forces Denver Water To Drain Key Reservoir

By Nicole C. Brambila | The Denver Gazette HARTSEL • The Antero Reservoir isn’t empty yet. But it will be in about six weeks. Facing historically low runoff from this year’s drought-stricken snowpack, Denver Water expects to drain Antero Reservoir within the next six weeks to reduce evaporation losses and preserve water supplies. On May 1, Denver Water began releasing water from the reservoir, which is located 110 miles southwest of Denver. The move is expected to save roughly 5,000 acre-feet. That accounts for about a quarter of the reservoir’s capacity. An acre-foot of water is enough to cover an acre of land with one foot of water — or 325,853.3 gallons. That’s more than four times the amount of water used annually by a typical four-person household in Denver...
Read More
Hunters And Anglers Across Colorado Confront Growing Drought Crisis
No Comments
The Collegian, Approved, State

Hunters And Anglers Across Colorado Confront Growing Drought Crisis

By Katie Fisher | The Collegian As Colorado faces the lowest snowpack the state has seen in over four decades, 5 million residents across the state have been left to confront how they must adjust their behavior in response to increasing drought conditions. While watering restrictions become more common, some have been forced to reconsider their activities close to land and livelihoods. Big-game hunting is categorized by the practice of hunting large animals on a tag-based licensure system applicable to the state’s public lands. Similarly, angling requires a fishing license in the state of Colorado.  Both sports take several types of strength, according to Kara Van Hoose, a public information officer for C...
Read More
Local Farmers Battle Dry Conditions and Higher Costs Ahead of Market Openings
No Comments
DENVER7, Approved, State

Local Farmers Battle Dry Conditions and Higher Costs Ahead of Market Openings

By Ethan Carlson | Denver7 Unseasonably warm weather and expensive water are forcing local farmers to adapt. LONGMONT, Colo. — Farmers markets are set to open across Colorado in the coming weeks, but local growers are facing a tough season marked by drought, rising fuel and fertilizer costs, and warm weather. The City Park Farmers Market starts Saturday, May 2, and the Lafayette Farmers Market opens Sunday, May 3. Shoppers may see a different selection of goods than usual for this time of year. Peter Wanberg, co-owner of the City Park and Lafayette Farmers Markets, noted that the weather has affected what crops are going to be available. “Normally, there’s a lot of greens and there’s not a huge amount of those really big harvest mid-seaso...
Read More
Lawmakers Debate Fee Based Plan To Cut Insurance Costs With Hail Resistant Roof Grants
No Comments
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Lawmakers Debate Fee Based Plan To Cut Insurance Costs With Hail Resistant Roof Grants

By Bente Birkeland | The Colorado Sun Colorado insurance premiums have risen 65% in 5 years. Hail storms are mostly to blame. Colorado lawmakers want to impose a per-policy fee on home insurance providers to raise $20 million a year for a program that would provide grants to homeowners to protect their properties against hail. The hope is that the program will protect enough Colorado homes against hail that insurance rates will drop across the state. A similar effort failed last session. In the last five years the average premium in the state has gone up 65%, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. That makes Colorado one of the top-10 most expensive states in the country for homeowners insurance.   Climate exp...
Read More
Colorado Faces Elevated Wildfire Risk As Conditions Outpace Historic Fire Seasons
No Comments
The Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Faces Elevated Wildfire Risk As Conditions Outpace Historic Fire Seasons

By Nick Smith | The Gazette Colorado’s blistering, dry and breezy conditions have fire officials on edge as the state braces for a wildfire season forecast to be worse than during the Waldo Canyon fire in 2012. Officials warn that wildfires are becoming more frequent, more destructive and larger. “We are not looking good for fire this year,” Colorado Springs Fire Marshal Kris Cooper told the city council on Monday. “It’s got the fire department on pins and needles.” According to Tracy LeClair, a spokesperson for The Wildland Fire Management Section of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, conditions are a “magnitude worse” than those ahead of major historic wildfires in the state, such as the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fire...
Read More
Colorado Drought Pushes Water Districts Toward Higher Rates
No Comments
DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Drought Pushes Water Districts Toward Higher Rates

By Dan Grossman | Denver7 Denver Water and Aurora will determine drought restrictions and corresponding rate hikes next month. DENVER — Colorado’s drought has intensified dramatically this year, and Front Range water districts warning that rate hikes may soon follow. More than 90% of Colorado is under some level of drought, which is up from 62% at this point last year, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor. Perhaps most alarming is that 95% of Eagle County is in a drought, up from 0% at this time last year. Drought MonitorThis map shows Summit County — in bold above — which is currently experiencing a drought of D3 or higher across the entire area. D3 is extreme drought. About 15% of the county is under D4, or exceptional drought. The drought...
Read More
Colorado fuel retailers face up to $20,000 fine for failing to post warning stickers about global warming under proposed bill
No Comments
Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado fuel retailers face up to $20,000 fine for failing to post warning stickers about global warming under proposed bill

By Scott Weiser | Denver Gazette via Colorado Politics According to a proposal by Democrats at the Colorado state Capitol, up to a $20,000 fine will hang over the heads of every retailer who sells either liquid or gas fuels if they don’t have global warming warning stickers on their pumps and products if House Bill 25-1277 is signed into law. The bill, Increasing Transparency Impact of Fuel Products, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder and Sen. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, says retail outlets selling petroleum-based fuel products must put stickers on pumps, store displays and other retail items or face fines. “Evidently the purpose of the bill is to shame buyers for purchasing a product necessary for them to use in many cases to transport t...
Read More
Walcher: Climate protocols are the ultimate entangling alliances with foreign governments
No Comments
Approved, Commentary, National, Rocky Mountain Voice

Walcher: Climate protocols are the ultimate entangling alliances with foreign governments

By Grag Walcher | GregWalcher.com The “doctrine of unstable alliances” in George Washington’s “Farewell Address” underpinned U.S. foreign policy for decades and is still considered wise, though mostly ignored. “The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible,” Washington wrote. “It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.” Even the opposing party under President Thomas Jefferson continued to rely on that wisdom. He explained an “essential principle of our government,” in his inaugural address: “peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.” What a long way we have ...
Read More

FD863768-0ACF-495E-9D21-2EF784DFFA6B[1]

Join us at RMV's Freedom Festival

Click Here for Tickets!

This will close in 0 seconds