Dan Gates says he’ll recover from 7 months of investigation, but fears threat of unfounded claims will discourage 3,600 other volunteers
Dan Gibbs
Posted inNews, Outdoors
Colorado Parks & Wildlife director suspended after alleged “back of the bus” comment about Black employee
The Colorado Department of Natural Resources placed Parks and Wildlife Director Dan Prenzlow on paid leave after a Black employee sent an open letter to Gov. Jared Polis complaining of racism against her and others at a Vail outdoors conference. The letter by the employee, statewide partnerships coordinator Alease “Aloe” Lee, said Prenzlow tried to […]
Posted inNews, Outdoors, Outsider
Coloradans will now automatically be charged $29 for a state parks pass when they register their cars
Colorado’s Parks and Wildlife Commission on Wednesday approved a $29 price for the new Keep Colorado Wild Pass. The pass, which will be part of every vehicle registration in the state unless drivers choose to opt out, could generate more than $54 million a year for Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s 43 state parks. “A historic […]
Posted inEnvironment, News, Wildfire
Colorado gets $10 million to fight coal seam fires like those burning at Marshall Mesa and Glenwood Springs
Colorado will get $10 million in new federal infrastructure money to combat decades-old coal seam fires like those on Marshall Mesa and in Glenwood Springs that periodically flare up and wreak havoc, state officials said Tuesday. The new funding more than triples Colorado’s existing federal budget for all coal mine cleanup efforts, and will be […]
Posted inNews, Outdoors, Outsider
Colorado’s 2020-21 avalanche season was tied for the deadliest. It’s helping forecasters hone warnings and outreach.
A once-in-a-decade layer of rotten snow in the mountains combined with unprecedented traffic in the backcountry made the 2020-21 avalanche season the deadliest in many years. The 37 deaths across the country — each a tragedy that will resonate for lifetimes — delivered lessons to avalanche forecasters and researchers, especially in Colorado, where 12 men […]
Posted inColoradans, Environment, News, Outdoors, Politics and Government
Colorado gets a 43rd state park under first-in-the-nation deal with the Forest Service
SWEETWATER LAKE — The newest federal land in Colorado will become the state’s 43rd state park in a first-of-its-kind partnership between the state and the U.S. Forest Service. What started as an effort to protect 488 acres surrounding Sweetwater Lake above the Colorado River from private development on Wednesday became the country’s first state park […]
Posted inOutdoors
All state parks in Colorado will get electric vehicle charging stations in deal with EV maker Rivian
Electric vehicle maker Rivian will put public charging stations in every state park at no cost to the state, with the first installations planned for July, after the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission unanimously approved the proposal. Backers on the commission and from outside environmental groups said the pact is a fast and worthy step […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, Energy, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Overhaul of Colorado oil and gas rules, stalled by coronavirus, gets going again — on Zoom
Colorado is in the throes of the most extensive rewrite of its oil and gas regulations in more than a decade, under deadlines now busted by the novel coronavirus pandemic – but regulators are soldiering on with the state’s first Zoom-based rulemaking. For now the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is relying on electronic […]
Posted inCOVID, Culture, Health, News
Social media shaming is spiking during the coronavirus pandemic, for better or worse
Big Brother is in your Facebook feed. And watching your Instagram account to see if you’re going anywhere besides the grocery store. And ready to troll you on Twitter for doing something selfish during the pandemic. If you were part of the hordes that parked at Berthoud Pass last weekend to backcountry ski, we saw […]
Posted inGrowth, News, Outdoors, Politics and Government
Colorado’s volunteer search and rescue teams are overwhelmed and there are fears it’s going to get worse
It’s been 23 years since Colorado lawmakers last crafted legislation to help the state’s now 2,800 search and rescue volunteers. And with increasing calls stressing overwhelmed volunteers, they could use a bit of help. Help could come with a bipartisan bill making its way through the Capitol that would explore potential funding options to better […]