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Hello Coloradans!
I’ve spent the week traveling our beautiful state—from Salida to Center to Monte Vista to Del Norte to Creede to Lake City to Gunnison to Gothic to Crested Butte to Loveland to Mead to Louisville to Denver—listening and learning from people who are doing their best to stay afloat and support their communities in these challenging times.
While the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on our health and economy, wildfires are also raging through our towns. My thoughts are with those affected by the fires, and with the first responders as they fight to keep Colorado safe.
I rounded up some of the highlights of the week for you and hope you’ll take a moment to read them, respond, and get in touch with our office.
As my daughters often remind me: Coloradans are my boss, and it’s my job to serve you.
Stay safe this weekend.
Best,
Michael
FIGHTING COLORADO WILDFIRES
First and foremost, I want to address the Colorado wildfires that are putting lives, property, and health at risk in our state. I’ll be heading out to the Western Slope tomorrow to lend my support in response to the Pine Gulch and Grizzly Creek Fires.
Thank you to all the firefighters, first responders, and community leaders for all you’re doing.
These are rapidly evolving situations. For the most up-to-date information, please follow the Facebook pages for the Pine Gulch Fire, the Grizzly Creek Fire, the Cameron Peak Fire, and the Williams Fork Fire to stay safe. For real-time air quality monitoring, you can visit Purple Air’s website.
(Photo by Denver Post)
PROTECTING THE POSTAL SERVICE
I have called on the Senate to immediately return to Washington to fund the U.S. Postal Service. The president’s attack on the USPS and mail-in ballots is a threat to our democracy. Vote-by-mail is a great idea in normal times. It is essential in the middle of a pandemic.
That’s why I wrote an op-ed in the Colorado Sun, outlining President Trump’s attempts to suppress people from voting and how we can fight back. You can read the op-ed here.
I also organized an event with Governor Jared Polis, Secretary of State Jena Griswold, Attorney General Phil Weiser, and Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul D. López to highlight Colorado’s leadership on mail-in voting. You can watch the full event here.
(Watch the Vote-By-Mail Event here)
MEETING WITH COLORADANS ACROSS THE STATE
This week, I heard from parents, farmers, business owners, community leaders, health care workers, and COVID survivors about the challenges they’re facing to overcome these uncertain times and the incredible work they are leading in their communities.
In Salida, I saw how the Chaffee County Leadership Council is putting politics aside to do what’s right in keeping their community safe from COVID.
In Center, I listened to the moving story of a network of community health educators—or “promotoras"—who came together to navigate a coronavirus outbreak in their town, overcoming language and literacy barriers to bring critical information to families.
In the San Luis Valley, I visited Mitchell Farms, where local farmers are choosing farming practices that maximize water conservation, soil health, and carbon sequestration to fight changing weather. During a round table with farmers, water managers, and land conservationists, I learned about the challenges the region is facing with persistent drought and how Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) funds that I helped secure in the Farm Bill are helping to support local agriculture.
(Monte Vista, Colorado)
In Del Norte, I toured the town’s water system and talked to leaders about my RESILIENT Act, which invests directly in rural communities so they can better plan, design, and implement infrastructure projects.
In Creede, I visited with community leaders and stopped by the Historic Creede Mining District and Willow Creek watershed, where their clean-up and restoration efforts demonstrate the ingenuity of a small town tackling big challenges.
In Lake City, I toured a Flexible Partner Site, where we discussed my legislation to collaborate with the Forest Service to address housing needs and provide new growth opportunities in rural communities.
In Gunnison, I met with local leaders who are leveraging programs we created in the Farm Bill to protect ranchlands and sage-grouse in the Gunnison Basin. I also met with folks from the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative to determine how we can start turning their final plan into legislation in Congress.
(Gunnison County, Colorado)
In the Gunnison River Basin, I met with leaders from Trout Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and Background Hunters & Anglers to discuss the CORE Act, my legislation to protect 400,000 acres of Colorado’s public lands.
In Gothic, I learned about the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab’s critical research to provide new insights into tackling climate change and protecting one of our most precious resources — water.
In Crested Butte, I met with local leaders to hear about their response to COVID-19, and heard from a resident who survived the virus and is now advocating for others.
In Loveland, I saw local artist Jane DeDecker’s “Every Word We Utter” Monument, which we are trying to install in Washington D.C. as the first outdoor monument for the women’s suffrage movement.
In Mead, I toured a Sugar Beet Farm and heard about the methods they’re using to reduce costs and increase yields—while also tackling climate change in a sustainable way.
And finally, in Louisville, I stopped by Solid Power to tour their impressive research facility and manufacturing line—where they’re busy creating innovative technology to power electric vehicles and help build the clean energy economy.
(Louisville, Colorado)
Thank you to everyone I met — of course, at a distance while wearing a mask — for sharing your stories. I’ll keep fighting for you, your families, and your businesses in Washington.
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