ICYMI: Hickenlooper Visits Southwest Colorado, Talks Tribal Issues, Innovation, Drought, Wildfires, Childcare, More

COLORADO - In case you missed it, Senator John Hickenlooper took to the road this week to meet with Coloradans in Durango, Towaoc, Dolores, Ouray, and Ridgway.

Hickenlooper arrived in Durango on Wednesday for a full day of events. He started the day at Agile Space Industries for a tour and ribbon-cutting event at their new expanded facility. The senator received a first-hand look at how Colorado is leading the country in aerospace innovation.

Senator Hickenlooper then made his way to the site of the largest gasoline spill in Colorado history, which occurred two years ago when a pipeline ruptured near Durango. There, he met with Tribal, local, state, and federal officials to receive an update on cleanup efforts led by the company responsible for the spill, Enterprise Products. In discussion with residents and officials, Hickenlooper heard about damage already done to local water resources.

Watch Hickenlooper provide an update from the ground here

The senator, a father of two himself, made his way to the opening ceremony of the Durango Powerhouse's brand new WonderLab Early Learning Childcare Center. There, he spoke on the importance of funding childcare in Colorado at a time when slots are at a premium.

Watch Hickenlooper's remarks outside the Durango Powerhouse here

Thursday, Senator Hickenlooper met with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council (UMUT) to hear about the Tribe's priorities, including water projects, law enforcement funding, and the recently terminated Bears Ear Commission. The group celebrated Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) Hickenlooper helped secure for various UMUT projects. Hickenlooper expressed his continued support for Tribal sovereignty and pledged to continue fighting for federal funding that helps address Tribal needs.

Hickenlooper continued his day at the McPhee Reservoir outside Dolores and Cortez, where he met with water managers, county commissioners, farmers, and other experts to discuss how the 1,200-year record drought across the West is impacting Colorado. McPhee has dropped 15 feet in one year and stands at 42% capacity. The group chatted about how to move forward with a new water reality that places the state and region in crisis.

Watch Hickenlooper's update from McPhee Reservoir here

On Friday, Hickenlooper began his day attending a forest management event in Ouray, where he secured $600,000 in CDS funding for a project to reduce fuels, improve forest health, and enhance safety for recreationists and firefighters in an area with heightened wildfire risk. He received a tour of the project's progress and discussed forest management with local and federal forest managers and elected officials.

Shortly after, Ouray County officials gave Hickenlooper a tour of the damage from the Gold Mountain Fire and subsequent flooding and debris flows. On the tour, the senator received updates on local efforts to recover from these disasters. Hickenlooper has written to President Trump urging him to approve Colorado's request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration.

Up the road in Ridgway, Senator Hickenlooper finished his week by sitting down with local business owners and leaders to discuss the impacts of drought and the Gold Mountain Fire on the local economy.

Check out what they're saying:

Durango Herald: Hickenlooper: Pipeline safety standard should be 'zero accidents

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper said he's not sure if the federal pipeline regulatory agency has failed to adequately protect residents and investigate pipeline failures like the one that occurred nearly two years ago south of Durango - but he intends to find out.

…If this is PHMSA's normal pace, "they're not meeting their standard" and that's unacceptable, Hickenlooper told The Durango Herald after Wednesday's tour.

…Like aviation, the standard for pipelines should be "zero accidents," or as close to zero as possible, Hickenlooper said.

When asked if he will advocate for stricter regulations regarding pipeline safety enforcement, he said he can't promise specific reforms until he has facts about whether the system is fundamentally flawed or if this is an outlier.

"I got to get the facts first and figure out: Is this something that is a poorly designed system that needs to be fixed, or is this once in a million?" Hickenlooper said.

KSJD: Hickenlooper expresses concern for farmers and ranchers in ongoing drought

Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper would like to see a new political party called the Agriculture First Party. That was one of the comments he made on a hot Thursday afternoon at an overlook to McPhee Reservoir.

…Hickenlooper voiced concern for ag producers, saying, "We need a political party that is pro-farmer and pro-rancher."

He said no civilization has ever prospered if it could not feed its people. "Farmers should come first," he said. "They should be our highest priority."

…Hickenlooper said the climate is clearly changing and farmers and ranchers need to be prioritized so they can grow the food people depend on.

"We need to come together as Coloradans, not Republicans or Democrats, and fight for the federal funding - not to make it easier for big farms and big ranches to survive this decline in their revenues," he said. "We want to invest money in infrastructure that will help us take the water we have and get more crops, more livestock."

…In an interview with KSJD and The Journal, Hickenlooper reiterated that ag producers need to be high on the list of priorities for the federal government.

"We've got to really prioritize, with the limited resources we have, help for farmers and ranchers so they can grow the food and the livestock and the products we depend on," Hickenlooper said.

He spoke of some of the agricultural products Colorado is famous for, such as Palisade peaches and Rocky Ford cantaloupes.

The Journal: Montezuma County leaders tell Hickenlooper of drought's toll

A meeting converged between local leaders and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper where the discussion was on water, especially the severe shortage for the Dolores Project and all the ways that impact cascades to affect Montezuma County's ecological health and economy.

…Hickenlooper, pen and paper in hand, jotted notes while several leaders from different governmental agencies and advocacy groups provided their takes on drought impacts for the agricultural, environmental, recreational, municipal and forest sectors.

…While post-fire debris flows led to the devastating kill, Unterreiner noted a tiny silver lining. He said in the unspoiled sandstone, canyon country, debris flows and drought have likely cleared away the invasive smallmouth bass.

"That's a pretty thin silver lining. Still, it's a silver lining," Hickenlooper said, who used to be a geologist.

WATCH:

CBS (Grand Junction, CO): Ouray Wildfire Management Visit

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