By Shannon Lukens.
United States Senator John Hickenlooper has been visiting Northwest Colorado with a Town Hall in Walden Tuesday, and then a gathering to discuss water conservation projects in the Colorado River Basin at the Bruchez Ranch in Grand County Wednesday.
“So being up here on the Bruchez Ranch, you get a real taste of what high altitude ranching can be. It’s been inspiring and exciting and we look forward to working with them on innovations that be translated across the entire state.”
The discussions were about keeping water on the Western Slope, and projects in the Colorado River Basin that affect other rivers like the Yampa River, White River, and Green River. Federal funding has contributed to the water conservation programs.
Other discussions were on alternative forage crops for animal feed, compared to what is traditionally grown for livestock.
More on the Story — US Senator Hickenlooper talks water conservation on the Western Slope
The annual meeting for the Northwest Colorado Development Council was Tuesday in Craig. Elected officials and leaders were there. The council is an intergovernmental agreement with Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt counties and their seven communities to collaborate on regional economic development.
Routt County Commissioner Tim Redmond was the emcee of the meeting. He said he knew the region was moving away from coal and that the three counties would be stronger together.
“When the transition was announced, and we were going to be moving away from coal and coal fire generation and I looked at these three counties, we all had the same things in common. Coal mines in Moffat, and in Routt County coal-fire generation. I immediately looked at where we were, where we lived and realized we didn’t have the population and the political voice independently. But yet as a region, I believed that we could be noticed. And I also thought as a region, we could do excellent work together. And it was a learning experience, I would say, for all of us. But now we have proven it and we’re on a situation where I go on a national stage and I’m told we are the poster boy of how regions work together. I’m proud of this organization and the work that we’ve done but I’m really proud of what we’re going to do.”
Priority areas for the Northwest Colorado Development Council are economic diversification, workforce development, affordable housing, access to childcare, and regional transportation.
The council is meeting at Yampa Town Hall at 3 p.m. today.
Hunting season has started. Colorado Parks and Wildlife sends a reminder that coyotes and gray wolves can look similar from a distance. They’ve created a handout with pictures. They also want to remind people that penalties for illegally killing a gray wolf can vary, but can include fines up to $100,000, jail time, and a loss of hunting privileges.
Coyote or Gray Wolf – How to Spot the Differences Handout
Here are some hunting season dates for Colorado in 2024:
- Archery elk: September 2–30
- Muzzleloader elk: September 14–22
- First rifle elk: October 12–16
- Second rifle combined deer and elk: October 26–November 3
- Third rifle combined deer and elk: November 9–15
- Fourth rifle limited deer and elk: November 20–24
- Bear over-the-counter and/or limited: September 2–30
- Moose: September 7–30
- Plains deer east of I-25, except Unit 140: October 1–25, November 6–30, and December 15–31
- Pronghorn bucks only, over-the-counter: August 15–31
- Pronghorn buck or doe, over-the-counter: September 1–20
Craig City Council and city staff are meeting all day today in council chambers for a 2025 Pre-Budget Retreat.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. REPS, which is Reaching Everyone Preventing Suicide, is having a QPR Session, which is Question, Persuade, Refer. It’s to bring more awareness to suicide, how to educate the community, and what impact it has on the community. Resources will also be discussed. It’s at 5:30 p.m. today, Thursday, Sept. 5, in the community room at Old Town Hot Springs. Call 970-846-8182 to sign up or email repssteamboat@gmail.com.
There is a job fair at the Craig Post Office from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 6. The Craig Post Office is at 556 Pershing Street in Craig.
Then there is another job fair that same day, from 1-4 p.m. at the Steamboat Springs Post Office at 3rd and Lincoln. This is for jobs within the U.S. Postal Service.
Steamboat Springs Rotary Club heard from the 8th graders and high school students who they sent to leadership camp last summer on scholarships. It was inspiring for the kids and they reported that back to the Rotarians.
More on the Story — Local Rotary Clubs hear from local students