Biden blocks mining on nearly quarter-million acres in Colorado

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Good morning, Colorado!

We’ve got a newsletter bursting with news, but before we jump in, here’s a quick reminder that there is still time to RSVP to tonight’s free online event about the future of more passenger trains in Colorado. Do we have the money to build the Front Range rail and would passengers climb aboard?

You can send in your questions ahead of time to questions@coloradosun.com and tune in for the answers when environment reporter Michael Booth talks with experts at 6 p.m. We hope to see you there!

THE NEWS

POLITICS & GOVERNMENT

Colorado Democrats say property tax relief is coming. There’s no money in the state budget to pay for it.

There’s about one month left in the state’s legislative session and top Colorado lawmakers still haven’t come out with a plan to deliver promised property tax relief. Last year, $200 million was budgeted to cover the cost of statewide property cuts, but Colorado’s budget proposal for the 2024-25 fiscal year doesn’t have similar funds set aside.

Brian Eason has more on the tough trade-offs and limited options lawmakers have as they look to overhaul Colorado’s property tax code amid the outcry over rising tax bills.

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WATER

Cherish that hamburger. It cost a quarter of the Colorado River, according to researchers

Next time you take a bite out of a juicy hamburger, show some gratitude for the Colorado River, please. Researchers just released the most complete accounting so far of how the river’s water is used and they found that alfalfa — used as feed for beef and dairy cows — sucks up more water than all the cities and industries in the enormous Colorado River Basin. Water reporter Shannon Mullane has more.

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• A citizen scientist has measured Colorado snowfall for 50 years. Two new hips help him keep going. Billy Barr first began recording snow and weather data more than 50 years ago as a freshly minted Rutgers University environmental science graduate in Gothic, near part of the Colorado River’s headwaters. 

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OUTDOORS

A Palisade resident asked federal, state boards to name the jagged ridge above the town. Here’s what they’re thinking.

Three years have passed since the 34-mile mountain biking trail from the top of Grand Mesa down to the Colorado River, known as the Palisade Plunge trail, opened above Palisade and now a Palisade resident wants to commemorate what has become the crown jewel in Mesa County’s outdoor recreation economy. What if the jagged ridge above Palisade is named “Plunge Point” or “Plunge Mesa”? The Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board began deliberating on possible names this week, Jason Blevins reports.

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• Biden blocks mining on more than 221,000 acres of federal land in Colorado after decadeslong fight. The Biden administration removed nearly a quarter-million acres in the Thompson Divide, which spans three counties, from mining and energy development for the next two decades. 
• Wolf kills a calf in Colorado, the first confirmed kill after the predator’s reintroduction. Colorado Parks and Wildlife didn’t say how many wolves were involved in the attack, but confirmed that the wolf or wolves were part of the 10 reintroduced to Colorado in December. 

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EDUCATION

These Colorado school districts are testing out new ways to boost student attendance after record absences

Rates of chronic absenteeism spiked across Colorado and the country during the pandemic. During the last school year, more than 1 in 4 Colorado students missed more than 10% of school, according to data from the Colorado Department of Education. Now, a group of school districts is making progress in drawing kids to school regularly, but there’s still more work to be done, Erica Breunlin reports.

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THE COLORADO REPORT

• This reporter tried Denver’s new AI dating app so you don’t have to. On Volar, users train an artificially intelligent chatbot to do the hard work for them. What could go wrong?
  — 5280 Magazine
• Denver doesn’t count dying as a “negative outcome” of homelessness initiative. The revelation comes as the Denver mayor’s office is struggling to answer questions from city council about how much the House1000 initiative actually costs.
  — 9News
• The founder of a $4.4 billion unicorn had a stroke at age 34. It altered her life — and reshaped the mission of her startup. Denver-based Guild announced that Bijal Shah will be taking over as CEO while its founder Rachel Romer focuses on her recovery.
  — Fortune
• Catch a free version of Shakespeare in a neighborhood parking lot as DCPA travels around the metro area in a pickup truck. The programming involves a cast and crew of 10 professionals who travel to schools, community centers and libraries, celebrating 700 performances over the years on April 2.
  — Denverite

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

THE OPINION PAGE

COMMUNITY

• Colorado teens don’t need strict laws to mitigate issues with social media, we need support to make healthier choices. Bill moving through state legislature would give families the proper resources to make decisions on their own
  — Melina Collier, a senior at East High School  

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

What’s Happening

Grand Junction Restaurant Week. A new take on a restaurant week in downtown Grand Junction swaps a fun, foodie scavenger hunt for pricey prix fixe menus. Now in its eighth year, Grand Junction Restaurant Week features 24 local restaurants — no chains or franchises — that will stamp a restaurant week passport when you spend at least $10 in their establishment.

Diners can pick up their passport at participating restaurants from April 5-14. At the end of the week, stamped passports will be entered in a raffle for downtown Grand Junction gift cards —one stamp gets you in the raffle for a $50 gift card, three stamps put you in the running for a $100 gift card, and so on at increasing tiers up to one $500 grand prize.

“Western Colorado is known for its vineyards and orchards, and a lot of those ingredients end up in the local restaurants,” said Dave Goe, community engagement manager for Downtown Grand Junction. “So (restaurant week) is a great way for locals, and people just passing through, to really experience Grand Junction by tasting Grand Junction.”

While there are some fine wine and dining experiences to be had, like 626 on Rood, a taco platter from Taco Party, a breakfast sandwich from Cafe Sol, or a pizza to-go will all get you one stamp closer to the grand prize.

$10 per stamp; April 5-14; Downtown Grand Junction

• Boulder Arts Week. A different kind of sampling is available on the Front Range, as Boulder Arts Week kicks off its 11th year Friday. With more than 120 events including an upcycled night market, cabarets, magic shows, photography workshops, dance classes and open air poetry performances, it’s hard to sum up everything you might encounter during the week. As one organizer told The Colorado Sun, it’s “kind of like a restaurant week — see everything that’s out there and try something new.” Various prices; April 5-13; Various locations in Boulder

• Women + Film Festival. A film festival that centers female filmmakers and stories of extraordinary women on-screen. Five days of features, shorts, documentaries, panels, industry events and a market featuring women-owned small businesses. $120; April 10-14; Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave., Denver

• ACT Human Rights Film Festival. This festival hosted by Colorado State University is focused on the intersection of human rights, social justice and filmmaking. Though the festival started yesterday, there are still plenty of interesting screenings, like “In the Dirt,” a film about mountain biking in the Navajo Nation, followed by a community conversation. Sliding pay scale; April 3-7; The Lyric, 1209 N. College Ave., Fort Collins

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Thanks for joining us this morning. See you all tomorrow — same time, same place.

— Olivia & the whole staff of The Sun

Corrections & Clarifications

Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.