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Tag: Community News

Metro State Unveils ‘Cannabis Hospitality’ Program

A new certificate program at Metropolitan State University of Denver aims to serve as a catalyst in reviving the state’s reputation as the “Silicon Valley of Cannabis.”

READ: Weathering the Storm — How the Colorado Cannabis Industry Can Thrive Amidst Market Disruption

MSU Denver will be the first higher-education institution in the nation to offer students a comprehensive view of cannabis hospitality, with an emphasis on the supply chain, said Shannon Donnelly, an affiliate professor in the University’s School of Hospitality and a former cannabis regulator for the City of Denver.

Students in the program will study a wide range of topics that will focus on the responsible sale and consumption of cannabis in dispensaries and in food preparation, she said.

“This represents a significant leap forward in formalized cannabis education,” said Donnelly, who developed MSU Denver’s cannabis curriculum. “We’re defining cannabis in hospitality.”

The University will offer an entry-level Cannabis Hospitality Specialist certificate and a more advanced Cannabis Hospitality Manager certificate. Both certificates will be offered to degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking students, with classes to begin this fall.

“We want to equip those working in the industry with the knowledge and skills to create an elevated experience, centered on high-quality, responsible customer service that can only truly be perfected through the hospitality lens,” said Donnelly. “If we’re going to create spaces that are safe enough for users of all levels to consume, we need to understand the entire supply chain.”

Along with the certificates, MSU Denver is forming state and international advisory boards that will provide recommendations to the University and collaborate on joint initiatives. The state board will aim to enhance student opportunities, develop curricula, promote social equity in the industry, foster research collaboration and identify financial resources.

READ: Cannabis Cares Program Aims to Provide Relief to Coloradans with Physical Disabilities

The international board, meanwhile, will aim to contribute to the global standardization of cannabis education, explore international job-placement opportunities, promote student-exchange programs and provide insights on global drug-law reforms.

“It’s encouraging to see MSU Denver hoping to optimize new methods of consumption that allow people to interact with each other in hospitality settings, while keeping safety and responsibility in mind,” said MSU Denver graduate Albert Gutierrez, owner and president of the cannabis company Bud & Mary’s and a member of the state advisory board.

Gutierrez emphasized the importance of the leadership and management courses that will meet a significant need in the industry. “We need people who know how to navigate relationships, since so many regulatory departments have to visit facilities to ensure compliance,” he said. “Sometimes, that professionalism is missing in this industry.”

Denver Extends Support to Migrants to Six Months but Limits Spaces

DENVER (AP) — Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced a major shift Wednesday in the city’s response to the migrant crisis, extending support to six months but with only about 1,000 spaces. The mayor’s pivot follows failed attempts to get federal aid and deep cuts to the city’s budget as Denver served a total of nearly 41,000 migrants since the end of 2022.

It is a sharp departure from Chicago’s, New York City’s and Denver’s strategy over the past year of weeks- to months- long shelter stays. Instead, Denver’s new program will place asylum seekers in apartments for up to six months, provide job and skill training, opportunities to get certifications and unpaid work experience, food assistance and help with asylum applications.

The goal is to act as a buffer and offer intensive preparation while new arrivals wait six months for a work permit after applying for asylum, under federal law.

“In Denver, we believe that the way to solve these problems is not by turning our back on our American values, but by turning to our American values,” said Johnston, waxing poetic about immigration to America over the centuries.

New York City is only guaranteeing most adult migrants 30 days in the city’s shelter system, which is a patchwork of facilities including converted hotels and huge tent dormitories. Some younger adults and families with children get 60 days. But they — unlike single adults — can also get a new placement when their 60 days run out. That lets them stay in the system as long as they need to do so.

Chicago began enforcing a 60-day limit on shelter stays in mid-March. But many exemptions, including for families with children in school, have meant few people are actually being evicted yet. The city has reported only 101 people leaving shelters so far because of the caps.

As of Wednesday, the city said more than 15,000 people have found other housing since officials began keeping data in 2022. Many have sought rental assistance provided by the state. Chicago has reported more than 38,000 migrants arriving to the city since 2022.

Denver and other Democratic-led cities had asked the Biden administration for help in dealing with the influx of migrants into their communities. Biden in turn asked Congress for $1.4 billion in funding for the effort as part of his budget. But Congress allocated none and cut the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Shelter and Services Program by $150 million, from $800 million to $650 million.

“Whether we’d like the federal government to do it or not, that was no longer a choice for us,” Johnston said.

In Denver, the roughly 800 migrants currently in city’s shelters would be first in line for the new program, called the Denver Asylum Seeker Program. The city expects the cap of approximately 1,000 to be reached in the coming days.

The city will still run a congregate shelter with stays capped at 24 to 72 hours — far shorter than previous shelter allowances that ranged from two to six weeks. The assumption, Johnston said, is that many new arrivals are either moving forward to other locations or settling with families and friends.

The city’s costs for supporting migrants will be roughly half of what they had initially expected in January. Services such as recreation centers will come back online after being cut to help afford the financial burden of the seven hotels it was operating.

The program was partly made possibly by people offering up their apartments, rental assistance that doesn’t require U.S. citizenships, and nonprofit partnerships providing debit cards for food to cook at home — a less costly strategy than preparing three meals a day for people in shelters.

“We are going to share this playbook with all cities around the country, we think we have now cracked the code on how to help people,” Johnston said.

 

Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Elevations Credit Union named a national Top Workplace by USA Today

USA Today recently announced Elevations Credit Union as a recipient of the national Top Workplaces 2024 award.

Elevations ranked as a top employer, outperforming more than 75 percent of similar-sized organizations (500-999 employees). Of approximately 370 total organizations recognized in this category, the credit union is one of 21 Colorado-based organizations and two Boulder-based employers.

“We are honored and proud to be recognized as a top workplace in the nation,” said Elevations President and CEO Gerry Agnes. “We strive to be the best place our employees have ever worked, and it’s so rewarding to see we’re making that a reality.”

The list and rankings are determined solely by employee feedback gathered through a survey administered by a third party, Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to organizational success. More than 68% of eligible Elevations employees participated.

Leading up to this honor, Elevations was recognized by Top Workplaces 2023 as a national leader in the financial services industry in addition to the following cultural categories: compensation and benefits, innovation, leadership, purpose and values, professional development, employee well-being, employee appreciation and work-life flexibility.

In 2023, Elevations Credit Union was also named one of the top 10 places to work in its size category via the Denver Post’s Top Workplaces award. Additionally, the organization is a twotime winner of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, the only presidential recognition for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive.

“It’s incredible to see that our employees feel heard and valued,” said Chief People Officer Tammy Teitscheid. “When people feel they’re making a difference and believe in a purpose, we all win.”

Elevations offers a competitive benefits package, hybrid options for support staff, volunteer time off, self-led employee resource groups centered on women, mental health, the LGBTQ+ community, the Hispanic community and veterans. The organization also offers frequent feedback touchpoints throughout an employee’s tenure. For professional development, the organization offers free LinkedIn Learning courses, work mentorship and shadowing. Elevations also frequently promotes employees from within the organization.

Business Incubator Center Announces Partnership to Promote Manufacturing With Recycled Materials in Grand Junction

The Grand Junction-based Business Incubator Center announced on Jan. 22 a partnership with the state’s Circular Economy Development Center in a venture designed to promote the use of recycled materials in manufacturing processes.

The Business Incubator Center currently supports several businesses in the Incubator Intensive Program that are implementing circular economy practices, including Grand Junction-based Surpstone, whose owner Jill Layton uses recycled plastics to recreate custom garden stones, and Conuence Woodcraft, also based in Grand Junction, whose owner Dave Grossman builds modern furniture and reuses wood by-products to create handmade zero-waste furniture, charcuterie boards, coasters and gifts. 

“Our commitment to our communities in Western Colorado aligns with the essence of a circular economy,” said Dalida Sassoon Bollig, CEO of the Business Incubator Center. “Through our strategic partnership with Circular Economy Development Center, we are dedicated to building robust pipelines across diverse sectors. Together, we aim to identify and manage challenges, and help entrepreneurs and small businesses seize opportunities for sustainable growth.” 

The Business Incubator Center offers entrepreneurial support to Western Coloradans through eight programs including the Small Business Development Center, the Incubator Intensive Program, the Commercial Kitchen Program, Mesa County Enterprise Zone, Mesa County Loan Fund, GJ MakerSpace, F-Works Coworking Space and Strategic Training for Nonprofits. For more information, visit gjincu-bator.org.

The Circular Economy Development Center is a program of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment funded through the Front Range Waste Diversion Program and the Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity Program. Its mission is to establish Colorado as a leader in sustainable economies. To learn more about CEDC, visitcoloradocedc.org.

New Owner, New Era for ColoradoBiz

When BridgeTowerMedia announced on Feb. 8 the acquisition of ColoradoBiz, it signaled a bold new direction for the brand that has been the authoritative voice of business statewide since 1973.

BridgeTower owns more than 40 media and research brands across the country. The addition of ColoradoBiz to the fold marks its first foray into Colorado, and BridgeTower President and CEO Hal Cohen made it clear he has high expectations for his company’s newest brand.

READ: BridgeTower Media Acquires ColoradoBiz for Its Growing Business-Intelligence Media Portfolio

“Business is booming in Colorado, and we see an opportunity to accelerate growth in ColoradoBiz through this acquisition by leveraging the power of BridgeTower Media’s audience platform and best-in-class capabilities,” Cohen said. “For decades, ColoradoBiz has been an indispensable part of the business community in the Centennial State. We look forward to delivering even more value to readers and advertisers in the years ahead.” 

The allure of covering business in a state as vast and diverse as Colorado has been evident since media visionary Bob Tisch launched Colorado Business more than 50 years ago. (The magazine was re-branded as ColoradoBiz in 1999.)

“There’s tremendous opportunity in Colorado, especially Denver, and where there’s opportunity, of course, you have an ample amount of challenge,” Tisch said in a 1984 interview on C-SPAN, another enduring media platform he co-founded. 

Those elements — opportunity and challenge — have been constants for ColoradoBiz, which was acquired by WiesnerMedia in 1985 and owned by the Wiesner family until the acquisition by BridgeTower in February. 

Chief among the challenges and opportunities ColoradoBiz has successfully navigated throughout its history has been covering business and businesspeople in a state where 70 percent of the 5.9 million residents live along the Front Range urban corridor, yet where so much vital commerce — notably agriculture, natural resource development and most of the $27.7 billion tourism economy — emanate from the Western Slope or Eastern Plains. 

The aim, always, has been to convey to our audience through our magazine and vibrant website, the issues, achievements and stories of people doing business not merely along I-25,but throughout the state, from Burlington to Durango, Walden to Lamar, and everywhere between.

Features introduced over the years to fulfill this statewide mission of coverage include Colorado Companies to Watch, Top Company Awards, Made in Colorado, Top Entrepreneur, Executive Golf Guide, and authoritative lists such as the Top 100 Woman-Owned Companies, Top 200 Private Companies and Top 50 Family-Owned Companies. 

Those offerings and others yet to be unveiled or perhaps even yet to be conceived can only benefit from BridgeTower’s proven expertise in leveraging its national platform to optimize marketing and audience reach.

“BridgeTower Media is a B2B super-power with over 40 business products,” said WiesnerMedia CEO Dan Wiesner. “They have a super-aggressive growth plan, and they have the talent and resources that can help ColoradoBiz get to the next level on its digital transformation.” Added BridgeTower’s Cohen: “We’re thrilled and honored to be aligned with such a prestigious brand. ColoradoBizis the statewide authority for relevant and high-utility information business leaders rely on.”

History Colorado Awards More Than $74,000 to County and Municipal-led Preservation Projects

History Colorado’s Certified Local Government (CLG) program has awarded $74,870 for county and municipal government-led historic preservation projects. The three projects funded in this grant round help with the identification and study of historic resources and provide guidelines for meeting the needs of growing communities while minimizing the impacts on the character-defining features of those communities.

“Surveys and design guidelines like the ones funded in this round of grants are vital building blocks for historic preservation efforts across the state,” said Patrick Eidman, chief preservation officer and deputy state historic preservation officer. “These projects build awareness of historic resources within our diverse communities and create frameworks for how we can protect those resources while still meeting the needs of our growing communities.”

The Certified Local Government program is part of the State Historic Preservation Office and is one of the many ways that History Colorado invests in the prosperity of rural communities and preserves the rich history of the Centennial State.

Currently, 67 of Colorado’s 127 local governments have been certified by the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service as CLGs. This distinction makes them eligible for grants and shows the community’s commitment to maintaining standards consistent with federal archaeology and historic preservation requirements.

READ: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $37.47 Million for Locally-Led Projects That Reconnect Communities in Colorado

Highlighted projects

City of La Junta | Otero County, CO

The City of La Junta has been awarded $25,000 toward a Cultural Resource Survey of the Northeast sections of the city. This grant allows for the surveying of an area comprising 82 developed parcels of land that appears to have a high concentration of resources associated with the city’s Black community.

Building off of a 2021-22 survey — which identified a shortfall of documentation and recognition of the contributions by Black, Indigenous and People of Color to the development of La Junta — this effort will focus on resources connected to Green Book travel and others closely related to the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Beyond the resources connected to Black history, the survey area also includes a number of structures connected to the history of the Latinx population of Otero County, as well as several properties connected to regional railroad history.

This funding allows for eight of these resources to be intensively surveyed with reconnaissance surveys of the other 74 properties. Selections of properties for intensive surveys will be determined by CLG staff, La Junta Historic Preservation Board members, and community members.

The intensive surveys will gather photography, geographical information, property description, construction and historic backgrounds and establish the significance and eligibility to the City, State and National Registers of Historic Places.

Representatives of La Junta feel this is an important next step to capitalize on recent efforts to raise awareness about the history of the community, the historic resources within it and to lay the groundwork for the creation of a National Register Historic District.

This historic district would create opportunities for property owners to apply for historic preservation grants and tax credits to assist with the rehabilitation of historic buildings in Northeast La Junta.

“Until we are further aware of the importance of the resources, it is difficult to advocate for their preservation,” said Cynthia Nieb, director of the La Junta Certified Local Government.

“At the present time, many of these homes are at a tipping point of becoming blighted. Rather than seeing these residences decline further, we would like to advocate for their preservation. However, we need more than conjecture to convince funders, locals, and program administrators to invest in these endangered resources.”

READ: Celebrating Black Business Owners in Boulder — Leontyne Ashmore’s Barefoot-inspired Shoes

Town of Carbondale | Garfield County, CO

The Town of Carbondale was awarded $24,870 to update the Historic Preservation Design Guidelines for its Old Town Residential Zone District. These guidelines will assist with the preservation of the town’s distinct character by codifying requirements for new construction and additions to existing buildings in the Old Town Residential Zone.

Consisting of structures constructed from 1879 to 1920, the Old Town Residential Zone encompasses architecture from the initial settlement of Carbondale to just after World War I.

The buildings within the Residential Zone document an architectural progression from Queen Anne and Shingle styles to later forms embodied in the Foursquare, Classic Cottage, Bungalow and Craftsman styles.

Altogether, the buildings in the Old Town Residential Zone maintain Carbondales historic connection to two major railroads through the community and both the agricultural and mining industries of the region. A desire to maintain this strong connection to the history of Carbondale was a sentiment overwhelmingly expressed by the residents of the town during the community’s 2022 comprehensive plan update.

Carbondale elected officials are optimistic that these guidelines — which will be crafted with input from the community — will allow for developers to maintain the defining characteristics of the Old Town Residential Zone while also allowing for the creation of additional affordable housing to meet the needs of the expanding community.

“Carbondale’s population is expected to continue growing through the next decade and our Comprehensive Plan identifies infill development as a key source for much-needed residential housing,” said Jared Barnes, planning director for the Town of Carbondale.

“Design guidelines for the Old Town Residential Zone District would ensure that new development, additions, and accessory dwelling units are compatible with the surrounding historic and neighborhood context.”

City of Northglenn | Adams and Weld Counties, CO

The City of Northglenn was awarded $25,000 toward the creation of a Citywide Survey Plan that will guide the community’s future preservation efforts and build off the recent addition of historic resources in Northglenn to the National Register of Historic Places — including St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in 2019 and the Deza Estates Historic District in 2023.

The proposed survey plan will audit the quality of existing historical records and previous surveys to identify any gaps that need to be filled in with additional research.

This project also allows historic preservation experts to conduct an initial review of the community to better understand the city’s historical resources, identify areas for additional study and prioritize which structures have historic designation potential.

Community leaders plan to engage the community throughout the planning process for guidance on the evaluation of previous survey efforts, and input on priorities for future preservation work, which aims to uncover lost stories of city residents.

“This process will allow for a proactive approach to understanding and prioritizing areas of the city for further research and potential designation,” said Sara Dusenberry, senior planner for the City of Northglenn. “Understanding the potential resources the city has allows for more informed future planning and understanding impacts of development on possible resources.”

February 6 Event to Discuss Inaugural Northern Colorado Intersections Report

The Community Foundation of Northern Colorado’s inaugural report, Northern Colorado Intersections: Pursuing Regional Well-Being, is a result of a year’s worth of research, discussions and engagement that discovered what the Northern Colorado region is doing well and where is it feeling the pressures of growth most acutely.

The goal of the report is to help inform the Northern Colorado region on how it builds and implements a collective strategy that will create well-being for all. The NoCo Foundation partnered with Colorado State University to review and analyze local, state and national data in relation to needs and gaps in services and opportunities.

Findings from the report will be shared with the Northern Colorado community on Tuesday, February 6 from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Embassy Suites in Loveland and will offer dialogue with a Mayoral Panel and Industry Expert Panel.

Mayor panelists are Jeni Arndt, Fort Collins; John Gates, Greeley; Paul Rennemeyer, Windsor and Jacki Marsh, Loveland. It will be facilitated by Ken Amundson, Managing Editor of BizWest.

The industry panel of experts include Andy Feinstein, University of Northern Colorado President; Jay Dokter, CEO of Vergent Products, and general partner in The Forge; Tracy Mead, Executive Director of Project Self Sufficiency and the Nonprofit Sector Partnership; and Raymond Lee, Greeley City Manager. It will be facilitated by Erin O’Toole Host and Senior Producer at KUNC.

To secure your spot to the February 6th launch event, register here by January 30. Tickets are $25 ticket and include breakfast and parking.

Registration link: https://nocofoundation.org/intersectionslaunch.

“The data and stories gathered in this report make it clear that there are issues we cannot solve alone that will require a collective and collaborative approach throughout Larimer and Weld Counties,” said Kristin Todd, President & CEO of the NoCo Foundation.

The NoCo Foundation will also engage community partners and leaders to work together to address the report’s findings. To read the full report, visit nocointersections.org.

About the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado

The NoCo Foundation is a nonprofit, public foundation that stewards more than 600 individual funds and over $200 million in assets. We play a unique leadership role by bringing people and resources together around important regional issues. Together with community partners and organizations, twe are a confluence of ideas, impact, and solutions. Community is our business. Learn more at nocofoundation.org.

“Underground at the Showcase,” Youth-Produced Official Podcast of the Underground Music Showcase, Announces a Second Season

Season two of “Underground at the Showcase,” the official youth-produced podcast of the Underground Music Showcase (UMS), launches on January 30th on all podcast streaming platforms.

Season 2 Highlights:

  • Inside scoop: Hear candid conversations with top local artists who rocked UMS 2023, including Destino, Corsicana, Dandu, Horse Bitch, The White Moms, LOBO LARA, Fruta Brutal, iZCALLi, Grace Devine, Rootbeer Richie & The Reveille, Fuya Fuya and Dead Boyfriend.
  • Capturing the energy: Recorded live at the iconic HR Meininger Company during UMS 2023, bringing the festival energy to your ears.
  • Empowering youth: This project is powered by Youth on Record (YOR), UMS co-owner and provider of a year-round podcasting internship program for young creatives (18-24).

READ: Youth on Record Releases New Youth-Led, Youth-Produced Podcast: Youth on Rewind

This podcast emerged as a UMS project stewarded by YOR, who became a co-owner of the festival in March 2022. YOR runs a year-round podcasting internship program, teaching young creatives ages 18-24 skills in storytelling, production, interviewing and more. Underground at the Showcase is a project undertaken by these talented youth podcasters, who are being prepared for work in the growing podcast industry.

“The Underground at the Showcase podcast was an experience of a lifetime,” YOR intern Xavier Gauthier said. “It was so much fun getting to research and interview upcoming musicians from all over the world and local to Denver. We spoke with artists from all walks of life and each one brought an extremely unique energy and perspective to the table. Even now, I follow all the artists and bands on social media and streaming services to keep up with their latest projects. I hope to be featured on the podcast in the future, but until then I’m truly excited to even be a part of the process to create something so profound. It’s an inspiration to hear the challenges and journeys these artists took to get to where they are today. I’ll always take away the advice and knowledge given to us by such hardworking and passionate musicians we interviewed.”

YOR’s Youth Success Manager David Ladon is the executive producer of Generation Collaboration and supports all podcast interns as they learn the professional skills required to thrive in the audio arts and entertainment industry.

“I love that we are able to create this container of Underground at the Showcase, and then hand it over to the hosts and producers to make it their own,” Ladon said. “You definitely see their personalities shape the conversations. They are all musicians and you can see how they bring their own artistic lens to the conversations. In particular, the partnership between UMS and Youth on Record creates this unique opportunity for our interns to get professional experience while building their creative portfolio. One of the highlights for me this season is having Genevieve from Dead Boyfriend on the show. She was a podcasting intern at Youth on Record and hosted Season 1 of the podcast. We were just thrilled that she returned for season 2 as a guest. Also, the hip-hop trio The White Moms performed live, which was so much fun, and a first for this show.”

Listeners of Underground at the Showcase will hear candid conversations about songwriting, motivation, community, identity, mental health and more.

In their featured episode, Miguel Avina from iZCALLi opened up about the ways the trio has come into their own over the last fifteen years.

“At the beginning, we were just a Mexican band,” Avina said. “And anywhere we’d play, we’d be the Mexican band, and we’d be playing Cinco de Mayo and Dia de los Muertos…and even at the UMS were like the Mexican band…we owned that. We thought we were the best Mexican band…one day we just realized, hey, we don’t have to be ‘the Mexican band.’ We can be a great Denver band, and just be a band, and to keep expanding that idea that we don’t have to limit ourselves with that label…We still play those Cinco de Mayo shows and Dia de los Muertos, but it doesn’t define us anymore.”

You can find this podcast on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast and Amazon Music.

 

About Youth on Record:

At Youth on Record, we believe that all young people, including those who are at-risk and written off, have the ability to turn their lives around. We are committed to ensuring that the youth we serve graduate from high school and are ready to enter the workforce, and transition to college or enter advanced technical training and careers. Our programs empower thousands of teens in some of Denver’s most vulnerable communities to make life choices that positively impact their future by teaching them to develop the coping tools, inspiration, and wherewithal to succeed in today’s world and to become leaders of tomorrow.

How the EXPLORE Act is Boosting Outdoor Recreation on Public Lands

This week, lawmakers in the House Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously to advance the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, a bipartisan package of outdoor recreation policy that could serve as a companion to America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA). The EXPLORE Act, like AORA, includes many key bills that Outdoor Alliance and its partners have helped develop and refine alongside lawmakers. Now, there are complementary packages of outdoor recreation policies in Congress: the America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA) in the Senate and the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act in the House.

READ: How Aspen Groves Are Driving Economic Growth in Colorado’s Mountain Communities

“Outdoor recreation is growing, and Outdoor Alliance is thrilled to the House Natural Resources committee vote to advance the EXPLORE Act, a first-of-its-kind package of outdoor recreation policy that would improve and protect outdoor recreation experiences on public lands and waters,” said Louis Geltman, VP of Policy and Government Relations, Outdoor Alliance. “Millions of Americans get outside each year, and the EXPLORE Act will improve management for climbing and mountain biking, enhance how agencies manage outdoor recreation and invest in parks where they are needed most with the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership.”

Some of the bills highlighted in the EXPLORE Act include:

  • The Biking on Long Distance Trails Act (BOLT Act) would identify and create more long-distance bike trails.
  • The Protecting America’s Rock Climbing Act (PARC Act) would safeguard Wilderness climbing.
  • The Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act (SOAR Act) would modernize recreational permitting for guides and outfitters.
  • Codifying the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership, which funds parks and green spaces in neighborhoods that need it most.

The EXPLORE Act would also help land managers inventory and protect outdoor recreation on public lands. 

There is no denying that outdoor recreation is growing in popularity. According to recently released economic and participation data, there has been a rapid growth in outdoor recreation, and therefore, a need for public land improvements in terms of how recreation is managed and protected to address the increased demand. The EXPLORE Act helps provide a solution for managing this new level of use.

The voice of the outdoor recreation community will matter tremendously in moving this package along. Outdoor Alliance has established a quick-action form to help people send personalized letters to their lawmakers. To learn more, please visit www.outdooralliance.org. 

 

Outdoor Alliance is the only organization in the U.S. that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to conserve public lands. A nonprofit coalition comprised of 10 national advocacy organizations, Outdoor Alliance’s members include American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the Mazamas, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the Surfrider Foundation. By working with its member coalitions and helping mobilize the involvement of individuals to protect public lands and waters, OA helps ensure public lands are managed in a way that embraces the human-powered experience. Outdoor Alliance — conservation powered by outdoor recreation.

Denver Ranked 3rd Nationally in New Study for ‘Future-Readiness’

The future looks comparatively bright for the Mile High City, at least according to a recent study that set out to rank the 100 largest U.S. cities in terms of their “future-readiness.” Denver ranked third, behind only Seattle and San Jose, California.

The study, released Oct. 10 and conducted by Point2, a Canada-based real estate services and research firm, was based on 30 metrics across five categories: Business & Technology; Internet Connectivity; Environment & Sustainability; Transit & Mobility; and Economy & Demographics.

Here’s a snapshot of what Point2 analysts concluded about Denver:

Innovation Leader: The city is no stranger to thought forums that brainstorm solutions for climate change, urban design and sustainability.

Aerospace Hub: Denver’s thriving aerospace industry is propelling it into the future. With a 16.32% share of science and tech jobs, it’s no wonder the city stands alongside established tech hubs like Seattle and San Francisco. This demonstrates its commitment to fostering a thriving tech ecosystem.

Startup Culture: The city’s startup scene is flourishing, with 460 startups leaving their mark. This entrepreneurial spirit is crucial for future innovation and economic growth.

Economic Wellbeing: Denver boasts an annual median income of $81,630, reflecting the city’s financial stability and potential for future economic growth.

Green Oasis: With an impressive total of 318 parks, Denver is committed to enhancing the quality of life for its residents and ensuring a sustainable urban environment. Additionally, it ranks sixth out of the 100 largest U.S. cities in number of LEED Certified Buildings (954), highlighting its dedication to environmental sustainability.