Happy Monday from the few blessedly cool morning hours we can expect here in the apex of the dog days of summer. And after a week (and weekend) of watching the Front Range deal with a string of wildfires, these dog days can’t end soon enough.
But with a (knock on wood) good weekend of containment and the lifting of evacuation orders for some residents displaced by the flames, hopefully we can get through the week without anything else sparking.
Meanwhile, we have an absolute spread of news for you in today’s Sunriser that touches on just about every big topic in Colorado: Fire, tourism, climate change, food insecurity, housing, tax structures, elections and, of course, fugitive llamas.
So while I’d love to stop and chat, we need to get this train a-rollin’. Onward!
CTO & Newsletter Wrangler
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THE NEWS
WILDFIRES
Crews make gains on Front Range fires, amid chance of rain and thunderstorms
Firefighters had a good weekend dealing with the wildfires burning along the Front Range: The 10,000-acre Alexander Mountain Fire was 54% contained as of yesterday afternoon, progress on the Quarry fire jumped to 35% containment and the Stone Canyon fire was declared fully contained. Catch up on the weekend’s progress with our live updates from Sunday.
“Calm but freaked out”: Estes Park business owners hunker down as fire and tourism seasons collide
During a week when Estes Park is typically buzzing with vacationers trying to eke out a little bit more mountain time before the end of summer, the town found itself on the other side of closed roads with locals and tourists alike watching for evacuation notices. Parker Yamasaki talked to business owners about what happens when wildfire season comes knocking.
OUTDOORS
Llama drama in San Juans: 2 pack animals on the lam and very naughty doggie
Lisa Balcomb and her sister Barbara embraced llama-assisted backpacking years ago to save their knees. But after an encounter with an aggressive sheepdog on a trail through the San Juans last month, Lisa’s llamas Rones and Vio took off into the high-altitude forest and haven’t been seen since. Michael Booth breaks down the case of the llamas on the loose — and what to do if you spot them.
WATER
Irrigation emits greenhouse gases. Now Colorado researchers know how much and where the top emitters are.
The process of pushing water through pumps, canals and center-pivot sprinklers can add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. But it’s hard for farmers to know where to start improving efficiency without knowing exactly the quantity and location of emissions. Shannon Mullane has more on new Colorado State University research that will help pinpoint the biggest culprits.
ECONOMY
As food-insecurity funds end, Colorado farmers focus on food hub, ag incubator
How does one go from growing hydroponic microgreens for high-end restaurants to running a 14,000-square-foot “food hub” that connects fresh food with underserved communities? In this week’s “What’s Working,” Parker Yamasaki digs into the East Denver Food Hub and how hard lessons learned in the pandemic led to an effort to change the whole food ecosystem.
HOUSING
Investors fear a property tax cap could stifle attainable housing development in Colorado
Investors are starting to pull back from the Colorado housing market, in part because of fear about a potential cap on property taxes floated by a conservative nonprofit that Coloradans could vote into law this November. Brian Eason explores the municipal bond investment market and why the attempt to keep taxes low for homeowners could have major effects on building much-needed inventory around the state.
MORE NEWS
COLORADO SUNDAY
Big city water buy-ups in the Lower Arkansas Valley are raising alarms as age-old battles erupt again
Matt Heimerich and his family are some of the few farmers left in the 790 square miles of northern Crowley County after city water buy-ups shrank the county’s irrigated acres from more than 50,000 in the 1970s to fewer than a thousand this year. The small community is a reminder of the cultural and economic ruin that happens when cities in Colorado and elsewhere buy farms, dry up the land and move the water to urban areas, Jerd Smith and Michael Booth write.
Section by Eric Lubbers | CTO & Newsletter Wrangler
THE COLORADO REPORT
🔑 = source has article meter or paywall
Section by Olivia Prentzel | Reporter
THE OPINION PAGE
COLUMNS
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Stay safe, stay cool and thanks for starting your week with us. See you tomorrow!
— Eric and the whole staff of The Sun
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