Tag: environment
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Polis declares statewide drought emergency
Gov. Jared Polis declared a statewide drought emergency last week, citing the record-low snowpack and prolonged warmer temperatures across Colorado. He also activated the next phase of the state’s drought response plan. Polis had placed Colorado under Phase 2 in March. “Today, I am issuing a statewide drought emergency to support Coloradans, our economy, farmers…
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Polis declares statewide drought emergency
Gov. Jared Polis declared a statewide drought emergency last week, citing the record-low snowpack and prolonged warmer temperatures across Colorado. He also activated the next phase of the state’s drought response plan. Polis had placed Colorado under Phase 2 in March. “Today, I am issuing a statewide drought emergency to support Coloradans, our economy, farmers…
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First 2026 Colorado case of West Nile Virus in a human reported in Jefferson County
The first case of West Nile virus in Colorado in 2026 has been reported in Jefferson County. Jefferson County public health officials announced on Tuesday that a resident of the county had contracted the virus, which is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Most people who contract WNV do not feel sick, health…
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Tapped: Facing similar drought conditions, Utah declares emergency while Colorado relies on Phase 2 response
Editor’s Note: The Front Range sits at the center of one of the American West’s most complex and consequential water challenges. This series examines the interconnected systems that determine how the region secures, stores, and conserves its water while navigating the competing demands of fast‑growing urban communities and the increasingly unpredictable mountain snowpack that underpins…
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Yes, it’s really being recycled. (And it’s so much cooler than you’d imagine.)
Ask your friends and neighbors about recycling and you’ll hear some strong opinions — often the belief that it all ends up in a landfill. To see what really happens to Teller County’s recyclables, the Courier reached out to APEX Waste with a request to follow the trail. Terry Vaughn, the general manager for APEX…
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Garden of the Gods to hold 29th annual Earth Day celebration
What better place in Colorado Springs to celebrate Earth Day, a worldwide environmental movement dedicated to saving the planet from manmade issues like climate change and pollution, than the 1,341-acre natural playground known as Garden of the Gods? Earth Day is celebrated annually April 22, but Garden of the Gods is getting an early start,…
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‘Larger than life’ and ‘logistically challenging:’ Getting to know wolverines and Colorado’s restoration plan
Last month inside a Denver conference room, as the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission moved to the next agenda item, a whisper could be heard. “I’m excited for this one.” Bob Inman stepped to a microphone. “Colorado has many remarkable species of wildlife,” he said, “but it’s been missing one of its most mysterious and…
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Livestreaming camera reveals secret lives of rattlesnakes in Colorado
The rattlesnakes are hibernating now, spending the winter beneath the surface of a rock outcrop in Colorado where a camera has been posted. The camera has recorded a livestream online ー revealing the secret lives of a species like never before. But Project RattleCam pauses for the winter, for reasons both ethical and logistical. Ethically,…
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Largest wildlife bridge in North America is now complete, says Colorado Department of Transportation
The Greenland Overpass is a unique solution to a unique situation, says Chuck Attardo, I-25 south corridor environmental project manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Few places on the continent have a similar confluence of human activity and wildness like the Interstate 25 corridor between Castle Rock and Colorado Springs. An eight-lane highway handling…
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‘Turnkey’ solution: Fountain set to finalize major water contract
The city of Fountain is on the cusp of signing a 50-year agreement to pull hundreds of acre-feet in water per year from wells on the historic Venetucci Farm. “This is the cheapest water we’re going to get,” summarized Fountain Mayor Sharon Thompson at a presentation on the contract on Tuesday. The deal, if struck,…