Move over wolves, it’s wolverine reintroduction time

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Good morning, Colorado!

It was this very newsletter that inspired me to go dandelion hunting a few days ago. After reading about Carbondale’s Dandelion Day celebration in a Sunriser edition last week, I grabbed a jar and headed outside to start plucking as many yellow flower heads and green leaves as I could find from the so-called weeds near my house. I ended up with sweet dandelion jam and Greek-style dandelion greens, which I dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, feta and salt.

Whether or not I finished eating those dandelion greens, which certainly are an acquired taste, I value this newsletter every day as a vehicle for ideas — as small as dandelions or as big as property tax reforms — that help inform and inspire readers across our state.

All that is to say: Thank you for being here and reading these newsletters — we couldn’t do this without readers like you.

P.S. If you haven’t already signed up, please remember tomorrow’s in–person event at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies where the Colorado Sun’s politics team will lead conversation with the governor and state legislators about the 2024 legislative session. The event is free, but please RSVP as seats are limited.

THE NEWS

ENVIRONMENT

Colorado environmental groups threaten to sue EPA for failing to crack down on oil and gas permits

An environmental group says it plans to sue the EPA for failing to hold Colorado accountable after it missed a deadline to rewrite permits for a Weld County oil and gas company. In January, the federal agency said state regulators writing permits for Bonanza Creek Energy didn’t guarantee that its operations would burn off pollutants and prevent air quality violations. Now, the 90-day deadline for revisions is up and the Center for Biological Diversity wants the EPA to intervene.

READ MORE

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OUTDOORS

Wolverine reintroduction legislation is “completely opposite” of Colorado’s ballot–driven wolf plan

A new predator could be coming back to Colorado’s high country, but supporters of its return promise it will be nothing like the state’s reintroduction of wolves. Wolverines, which are the largest member of the weasel family, are native to Colorado, but the last wolverine here was killed in 1919. The legislation includes no deadline for reintroduction, but establishes a way for ranchers to be compensated if their livestock are killed by a wolverine. Jason Blevins has the details.

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ENVIRONMENT

Traffic detour following U.S. 50 bridge closure could put Colorado’s threatened sage grouse at risk

A broken highway bridge over Colorado’s largest reservoir has turned life upside down for many residents and businesses, and it’s also putting a rare bird found only in Colorado and Utah at risk. A few hundred Gunnison sage grouse live and breed in the Gunnison Valley along County Road 26, which has been set up as a local detour route for the closure, and conservationists say the rising rumble of cars along the native road could have significant impacts for the federally threatened birds. I talked to a wildlife biologist and a Gunnison county official about what is at risk and how they made the difficult but “balanced” decision to allow cars to drive through the bird’s sagebrush habitat.

(And if you’ve never seen the elaborate mating ritual by a male Gunnison sage grouse, I highly recommend watching the video in the story.)

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THE COLORADO REPORT

• Brighton farm facing condemnation by homebuilder draws support from hundreds at court hearing. The owners of Palizzi Farms, a vegetable farm that has been harvesting in Adams County for nearly 100 years, said on the stand that a plan by a developer-controlled district to lay stormwater drainage pipes across a portion of their land would essentially put them out of business. The head of the Parkland Metro District — who also happens to be the developer behind the nearby housing project — said the project would solve a longstanding drainage issue (while also allowing the housing development to continue, of course).
  — The Denver Post 🔑
• Half of what Aspen throws away at landfill is “locally recyclable,” city official says. A proposal would require any construction or demolition project with a footprint of more than 2,000 square feet to participate in a program that would divert the majority of building waste to be reused locally.
  — The Aspen Times
• Denver is “the national leader for living wage jobs,” according to a new study. Despite having a 4% unemployment rate using traditional calculation models, a report by the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity used what they call a TRU model to determine that the Denver Metro area has a “functional unemployment” rate of nearly 16%.
  — Denverite
• Miss Colorado resigns days after Miss USA, Miss Teen USA quit their crowns. Citing solidarity with the two pageant queens’ claims that the Miss Universe organization’s required contracts “undermine rights and dignity,” Miss Colorado Arianna Lemus announced that she was resigning her title in an Instagram post Friday.
  — 9News

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

THE OPINION PAGE

COMMUNITY

• Colorado, western U.S. are at a crossroads for the fate of the greater sage grouse.  “Good for the bird, good for the herd” philosophy is key as BLM looks at changes to how it manages the millions of acres of habitat.
  — Patt Dorsey (National Wild Turkey Federation), David H. McCord (Colorado State Muzzle Loading Association), Ryan Bronson (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) and Mia Anstine (Safari Club International)

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.

SunLit

“Galloping Gourmet” introduced Western cuisine to a worldwide audience

The entertainment extravaganza known as Buffalo Bill’s Wild West exported the experience of the American West to a hungry audience — both domestically and overseas. Author Steve Friesen takes a look at the multifaceted career of a Western icon by focusing on one lesser-known aspect: his fascination with food.

READ AN EXCERPT

• Interview with the author. Friesen was no stranger to the history of Buffalo Bill. For 22 years, he has directed the operation of the museum and gravesite honoring William Cody on Lookout Mountain. But it was a chance dinner conversation that steered him toward this third book on Cody that focused specifically on Buffalo Bill as a foodie. Listen to the podcast.

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Thanks for reading! Have a great Tuesday.

— 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.