November Currents: A voice for Colorado's rivers

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Happy November! As we head into the last bits of fall, check out the latest from CTU. Stories include:

  • Colorado Gives Day: December 8, 2020

  • Despite COVID-19 impacts, youth programming adapts & continues

  • Ballot Measure 7a passes!

  • How to practice a straight cast

  • Rendezvous Recap & Survey

  • Tying the Sparkle Bugger

  • Habitat connectivity helps trout take care of themselves

and more!

Ballot Measure 7a passes

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Dear Trout Unlimited Members and Supporters,

While the nation awaits final election results on a sharply divided vote, Colorado’s western slope voters showed a broad and bipartisan consensus of support for investment in the Colorado River. With approval from more than 70% of voters, Ballot Measure 7A easily passed and will provide much-needed funding to the Colorado River Water Conservation District. The measure was supported by a diverse coalition of interests – including Trout Unlimited.

The voter-approved measure will increase property taxes by a half-mill – or an extra $1.90 per year for every $100,000 of residential home value. While a modest cost for property owners, the measure will provide nearly $5 million annual for the River District to invest in securing western slope water. Funds will be used for projects across five categories: productive agriculture, infrastructure, healthy rivers, watershed health and water quality, and conservation and efficiency.

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TU has partnered with the River District and other local water stakeholders across its boundaries on a range of projects that highlight the benefits the new funding can provide. From agricultural partnerships like those benefiting Tomichi Creek, to healthy river efforts such as restoring fish passage on key Colorado River tributaries like Elk Creek, Trout Unlimited has demonstrated the ways that collaborative water projects can benefit our fisheries, communities, and working lands across the western slope. With the passage of 7A, the River District will be able to continue to build on these partnerships for the benefit of all users within the basin.

In a period of great national divisiveness, it is great to see voters of all stripes joining together to support our Western Slope waters and the River District’s vital role in sustaining them. And Trout Unlimited is proud to be a part of those efforts building common ground around healthy and productive rivers and watersheds across western Colorado. Thank you to all of you who voted for 7A and who have helped support TU in our work to benefit west slope rivers!

Sincerely,

David Nickum

Executive Director, Colorado Trout Unlimited

 

Drew Peternell

Director, Trout Unlimited – Colorado Water Program

Despite COVID-19 impacts, youth programming adapts & continues

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Despite COVID-19 impacts, Colorado TU is excited to share some successes in the Stream of Engagement programming from this fall. The youth education programs faced challenges with many schools operating in new models and group gatherings limited by public health orders. To adapt to these challenges, Colorado Trout Unlimited and chapters across the state stepped up to continue to provide high quality educational experiences focused on water and fisheries conservation. Most notably, CTU is excited to share nearly a dozen Trout in the Classroom (TIC) sites kicked off and four STREAM Girls events were held in September and October.

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This year, 11 TIC sites received trout eggs from CPW in early through mid-October. This included several sites along Colorado’s Front Range, as well as sites in the San Luis Valley and Gunnison Gorge area. Of the 2020-21 TIC sites, chapters are supporting six new locations including one virtual community tank through a partnership between Denver TU and the Greenway Foundation. The 2020-21 TIC sites are listed below with their supporting TU chapters:

  • Academy High School – Denver TU

  • Angler’s Covey – Pikes Peak Chapter TU

  • Arvada West – Denver TU (New Site)

  • Cheyenne Mountain Junior High School – Pikes Peak Chapter TU (New Site)

  • Del Norte Jr/Sr High School – San Luis Valley TU (New Site)

  • Greenway Foundation Community Tank – Denver TU (New VIRTUAL Site)

  • Heaton Middle School – Southern Colorado Greenbacks TU

  • Hotchkiss High School – Gunnison Gorge TU (New Site)

  • Lyons Elementary School – St. Vrain Anglers TU

  • The Classical Academy – Pikes Peak Chapter TU (New Site)

  • Ute Pass Elementary – Pikes Peak Chapter TU

CTU is excited to see follow these TIC sites over the course of the year and hear what students are learning through the program! Additionally, CTU transitioned to raising trout eggs provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife hatcheries. We hope this will increase the local partnership between sites and the state agency!

In addition to in-school programming with Trout in the Classroom, CTU hosted STREAM Girls programming through four virtual/self-guided events with the support of local chapters. To facilitate these programs, CTU staff and volunteers created and sourced instructional videos to support each of the six STREAM Girls activities. The four STREAM Girls programs engaged 59 girl scouts from across Colorado. After completing the session, Girl Scouts and Leaders have said:

“This is a great program to introduce girls to fly-fishing and knowledge of local streams. It was a well-thought out, self-guided program that covered a great deal of information. We had a fun time doing all of the steps.”

“It was really fun and would like to do it again in person. All the activities were awesome!”

A big THANK YOU goes out to Girls Scouts of Colorado, Pikes Peak Chapter, St. Vrain Anglers, Rocky Mountain Flycasters, Gunnison Gorge Anglers, Grand Valley Anglers, and all of the volunteers who helped support these events! Colorado TU was the first to pilot and host virtual/self-guided STREAM Girls events across all of Trout Unlimited. We are proud to have shared our success and lessons learned

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with TU Headwaters staff and state councils. We look forward to further developing these resources to help support in-person STREAM Girls events in the future!

As we transition into the winter months, CTU will be exploring opportunities to support ongoing engagement among the TU teens. Please reach out to Geoff.Elliot@tu.org, if you have any thoughts or feedback! We are especially interested in input from youth, so feel free to ask friends and family to share their ideas.

Digital Rendezvous Recap

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This past Saturday, Colorado Trout Unlimited wrapped up its first Digital Fall Rendezvous. The online conference was spread out across 2 weeks and featured a variety of speakers. If you happened to miss out of some of the sessions or would like to share them with friends or colleagues, there is a YouTube playlist linked below.

This event could not have been possible without our amazing speakers and sponsors. Thank you to everyone who attended and we hope next year we can be together in person!

CTU President Matt Moskal will present an update on the range of projects, challenges, and opportunities with which TU is engaging in Colorado, followed by t...

The last day of the conference was the annual Board meeting where CTU presented awards recognizing volunteers and chapters. Below are this year’s winners:

Outstanding Volunteer

Tom Palka for his tireless work in maintaining creative and effective communication and engagement with Collegiate Peaks chapter membership.

Mickey McGuire for his leadership in restructuring the RMFC board to instill values of leadership development, committees, and succession. His leadership has empowered others to grow and be successful in the organization.

Allyn Kratz for his dedicated efforts in conserving and protecting Bear Creek and educating the community and state about its unique population of Greenback cutthroat trout

Stephen Brant for his leadership in developing cooperative relationships, sound science, and projects to protect and improve stream health in South Boulder Creek through its Stream Management Plan

Exemplary Project

San Luis Valley Chapter for their leadership in the Sand Creek Reclamation Project to begin restoration of the Rio Grande Cutthroat trout to a stronghold watershed that can support native trout for generations to come

Dolores River Anglers for their vision and leadership in developing The Upper Dolores Stream Protection Working Group, a model for science-based, collaborative conservation efforts.

Exemplary Chapter

Denver Trout Unlimited Chapter for their outstanding efforts in restoring habitat, engaging the community, educating youth, and overall raising the quality of their homewaters on the Denver South Platte.

Exemplary Youth Education

Gunnison Gorge Anglers for their collaborative effort with the stream girls programming to bring an outdoor watershed experience that employs STEM education plus recreation and arts to explore a local stream.

Pikes Peak Chapter for their collaborative effort with the stream girls programming to bring an outdoor watershed experience that employs STEM education plus recreation and arts to explore a local stream.

The John Connolly Outstanding Chapter Communications Award

St. Vrain Anglers for their newly redesigned website, strong social media, Speaker Series, and email communications, as well as local partnerships to broaden community outreach

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS

Dale Smith for his years of service and leadership in establishing the Dolores River Anglers chapter as a strong TU presence in Southwest Colorado, and his work in engaging other volunteer leaders to carry it forward.

Barbara Luneau for her dedicated and effective efforts to build programs and deliver “Stream of Engagement” youth education from the annual youth camp to STREAM Girls, as well as her local conservation leadership in the St. Vrain watershed.

SILVER TROUT Award– Presented by the Silver Trout Foundation

Buck Skillen was recognized for his many years of volunteer leadership in the Durango area including his work to promote protection of the Hermosa Creek watershed and of the rediscovered San Juan lineage cutthroat trout.

Paula Fothergill was honored for her long-time efforts as an instructor, organizer, and mentor, helping TU chapters and allies to engage more women with fly fishing and conservation.

Thank you to our 2020 Digital Rendezvous Sponsors!

Let's go fishing before the ice comes!

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Colorado's aspens are changing color and that means that cooler weather is here. Before winter gets here, we hope you can enjoy some beautiful fall fishing. Below are some great resources and tips to get you pumped to get outside and enjoy the great public lands we have to offer.  Remember to respect spawning fish and mind the redd!

Statewide Fishing Conditions

VIDEO: Fall Streamer Tactics | Fly Fishing & Floating in Colorado

Podcast: More Catch-and-Release Science, with Dr. Aaron Adams

Colorado Flow Reports 

Check out these five streamers for fall fishing

VIDEO Inspo: Livin' The Wildlife: Colorado Spawning Brown Trout

October Currents

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The latest issue of “Currents” is out now! Currents is our monthly newsletter that goes out to all our subscribers and members. Topic headlines include:

  • Let's go fishing before the ice comes!

  • "Something Fishy & Building Fish" - River Radius Podcast

  • Learning By Doing Project Updates

  • Annual TU Teen Essay Contest - Grand Prize is a Temple Fork Outfitters BVK fly rod with a Prism reel

  • Fixing what ails our western forests and communities

  • Q&A with Colorado’s U.S. Senate Candidates

  • Tying the Autumn Splendor

  • Fall 2020 High Country Angler

  • Featured Business Partner: Williams

  • The Five Rivers TU Chapter is raffling off a fly fishing gear package, and more!

Learning By Doing Project Updates

Update comes from https://www.grandcountylearningbydoing.org/ ‘s newsletter:

Learning By Doing is a collaborative effort dedicated to maintaining and, where possible, improving the aquatic environment in Grand County.

2020 Water Operations

The Williams Fork fire as seen from Granby.

The Williams Fork fire as seen from Granby.

This year marked the sixth consecutive year of weekly water operations calls from May through September with Learning By Doing partners representing 12 different agencies and organizations. The group makes recommendations on reservoir and water diversion system operation in response to low flows and/or high stream temperatures, or to ensure streams within Grand County receive sufficient “flushing flows.” Flushing flows are needed to move sediment and clean fish spawning beds so as to preserve good aquatic habitat.

The 2020 water season started with above-average snowpack in the Upper Colorado River Basin, which allowed reservoirs that rely on water from the basin to fill or nearly fill. However, long periods of below average precipitation, coupled with above average air temperatures extending through the month of August, along with water diversions, reduced streamflow levels during the summer.

During spring runoff, Learning By Doing asked Denver Water to operate its water system so as to direct flushing flows to the mainstem of the Fraser River. Flushing flows on all Fraser River tributaries have been met in recent years and the Fraser River mainstem experiences impacts from increased development, diversions, and other stressors.

Throughout the hot, dry period in August, good water management along with cool nighttime temperatures helped keep Grand County stream temperatures from exceeding either the chronic (weekly maximum) or acute (daily maximum) state standards for aquatic life, with one exception: an acute stream temperature exceedance in St. Louis Creek on July 21.

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Other beneficial operational adjustments in 2020 included:

  • Denver Water bypassed diversions at Ranch Creek that kept water temperatures within acceptable limits

  • Environmental water released from Granby Reservoir helped water temperatures downstream of Windy Gap Reservoir

 A large, human-caused wildfire broke out in the Williams Fork River Basin above Williams Fork Reservoir in mid-August and burned approximately 19 square miles on U.S. Forest Service land into September. The basin is part of Denver Water’s catchment area. While the fire didn’t impact water operations, future issues with sediment buildup may become a factor.

Aquatic Habitat Monitoring: Spotlight on Stream Temperatures

Three temperature sites in the Colorado River that Learning By Doing reviews weekly.

Three temperature sites in the Colorado River that Learning By Doing reviews weekly.

Learning By Doing partners carry out an extensive annual monitoring program to evaluate the aquatic environment in Grand County. Monitoring includes stream temperature monitoring, evaluation of sediment transport and accumulation in fish spawning beds, macroinvertebrate (i.e., bug) monitoring, and fish surveys. This issue of the Learning By Doing eNews spotlights our ongoing stream temperature monitoring program.

In 2020, Learning By Doing and partners once again committed significant time and resources to gather stream temperature data at over 60 sites throughout Grand County. Temperature data are recorded in 15-minute intervals, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These data are used to assess compliance with Colorado’s stream temperature standards. Data from key locations are reviewed weekly throughout the summer months to support timely and informed decisions about where to request releases of environmental water. Learning By Doing reviews and reports on results for over 60 stream temperature sites in Grand County annually.

This year, Learning By Doing added two new monitoring sites on Ranch Creek to assess the results of willow planting efforts undertaken in 2018 and 2019 by Learning By Doing and Trout Unlimited’s Colorado River Headwaters Chapter. Plantings of more than 3,000 willow stakes are expected to help shade Ranch Creek through an open, flat meadow section with no vegetation along its banks. Ranch Creek is prone to elevated temperatures that are unhealthy for fish.

Teams of volunteers planted willow stakes along a 1-mile stretch of Ranch Creek to provide a shaded canopy.

Teams of volunteers planted willow stakes along a 1-mile stretch of Ranch Creek to provide a shaded canopy.

Project on Cabin Creek Delayed Because of COVID

Learning By Doing will replace the old culvert on Cabin Creek with an aquatic organism passage (AOP) culvert in 2021.

Learning By Doing will replace the old culvert on Cabin Creek with an aquatic organism passage (AOP) culvert in 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic postponed Learning By Doing’s plans to install an aquatic organism passage (AOP) where Cabin Creek crosses under Forest Road 128 northeast of the Town of Fraser. The existing culvert is a barrier to fish migration. This project, in the works since 2018, will provide an additional 3.6 miles of passage for Colorado River Cutthroat Trout. Learning By Doing now plans to carry out construction during low flows in the fall of 2021.

Learning By Doing Partner Profile

Colorado Parks & Wildlife Aquatic Biologist Jon Ewert

Colorado Parks & Wildlife Aquatic Biologist Jon Ewert

When it comes to understanding fisheries, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Aquatic Biologist Jon Ewert is the expert Learning By Doing partners turn to again and again. Based out of Hot Sulphur Springs and serving Grand and Summit counties, Jon knows every river, lake and reservoir in the region as he keeps watch over fish and their habitat.

Jon is instrumental in helping Learning By Doing determine where river and habitat restoration efforts are most needed. He performs onsite studies that measure aquatic health and works with contractors to ensure projects go according to plan.

Each year, Jon leads teams of volunteers in “electrofishing surveys,” in which fish are temporarily stunned by an electric current, captured, counted and released in several sections of the Fraser and Colorado Rivers to provide a snapshot of the fish populations. This year, Jon had to turn away volunteers wanting to take part in the project, as word has spread to anglers and river lovers alike about the appeal of spending a day on one of Jon’s teams.

This year, his electrofishing activities on the Colorado River will include an additional component — tagging fish to monitor their movement via solar-powered antenna. This is part of a CPW research study to determine fish passage in the soon-to-be-constructed connectivity channel, reconnecting the Colorado River around Windy Gap Reservoir.
 

Vote YES on Question 7A

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Dear Trout Unlimited Members and Supporters,  

We are writing to urge you to vote in support of Question 7A on the November 3 ballot in 15 western Colorado counties. 

Often referred to as the hardest working river in America, the Colorado River originates on Colorado’s West Slope and provides water supply to western Colorado families, businesses and farms and ranches.  The Colorado River and its tributaries also offer endless environmental and recreational benefits enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. The Colorado River is the economic driver for western Colorado, and it is the foundation of the high quality of life we enjoy on the West Slope.  

Though not widely known, the Colorado River Water Conservation District provides a hugely important service to western Colorado. Put simply, the River District works to protect the waters of the Colorado River for the benefit of Colorado’s West Slope. For over 80 years, the River District has delivered wide-ranging benefits to water interests in the 15 West Slope counties it serves.   

But because of Colorado’s tax laws – which severely limit the ability to raise taxes, even for important purposes like protecting Colorado water – the River District has been forced to scale back its services to western Colorado in recent years. Without additional resources, the River District will need to make additional cuts.      

Question 7A would allow the River District to increase its mill levy from .252 to .5 mills – or $1.90 per $100,000 of residential property value – with the median residential property tax increase sitting at just $7.03 per year. Expected to raise $4.9 million per year, Question 7A directs the River District to spend the new revenues for four specific purposes: 

  • Fighting to keep water on the West Slope; 

  • Protecting adequate water supplies for West Slope farmers and ranchers; 

  • Protecting sustainable drinking water supplies for West Slope communities; and 

  • Protecting fish, wildlife and recreation by maintaining river levels and water quality. 

Trout Unlimited and its local chapters across western Colorado strongly support Question 7A. We have worked with the River District in the past on projects that provide mutual benefits to river health and agricultural producers.  Some of these projects have involved modernizing irrigation infrastructure, while others have created programs that allow for innovative and flexible irrigation water use, with coincident benefits for stream flows or water quality. Question 7A will allow us to build on our past successes with the River District and provide even greater benefits to West Slope rivers in the future.  

Please vote YES on Question 7A. 

Best Regards,  

Drew Peternell                                                                                                 David Nickum

Director, Trout Unlimited Colorado Water Program                         Executive Director, Colorado TU

Q&A with Colorado’s U.S. Senate Candidates

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High Country Angler and Colorado Trout Unlimited had the chance to pose a series of questions to the major-party candidates for U.S. Senate – current Senator Cory Gardner, and former Governor John Hickenlooper. Both campaigns were given up to 250 words to answer each question; their answers appear exactly as submitted. We encourage you to read through their responses, to take time to get educated on the candidates and issues on this year’s ballot, and to vote by November 3!

HCA: What do you see as the top 2-3 issues you would like to tackle over the next 6 years as Colorado’s US Senator?

Gardner: As millions of Americans struggle with the public health and economic crisis occurring as a result of the coronavirus, we must continue to focus on the steps necessary to keep people safe and get Americans back to work. Prior to COVID-19, Colorado’s economy had seen record job growth, wage increases, and its lowest unemployment rate in history. Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy in particular, employed 229,000 workers and added $11 billion to the economy annually. As a result of the coronavirus, Colorado’s economy is suffering, leaving countless communities and families vulnerable in this time of need.

The CARES Act I helped craft and pass earlier this year provided hundreds of billions to keep small businesses open and their employees on payroll. It also expanded testing, bolstered the availability of critical PPE, and delivered resources for state and local governments. But more needs to be done. Ensuring my Great American Outdoors Act is fully implemented remains critical. This bipartisan bill fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund, revitalizes our National Parks by addressing critical maintenance shortages, and creates 100,000 jobs at a time when millions are struggling. I also remain committed to passing the TEST Act, which I introduced with my colleague Senator Michael Bennet to ramp up testing and streamline detection for future infectious diseases. Together, these actions can help us defeat the coronavirus, giving Americans the certainty and confidence they need to return to work and the great outdoors Colorado is known for.

Hickenlooper: Health care, climate change, and the economy (and in Colorado, especially the outdoor economy).

HCA: Defining what waters are or are not protected under the Clean Water Act has been a contentious issue, and a moving target, over recent years. What is your view on how best to define the scope of what waters are covered under the Act?

Gardner: Every Coloradan knows how critical water is to life in the Centennial State. Former Colorado Congressman Wayne Aspinall once said, “When you touch water in the West, you touch everything.” Whether we are addressing drought, wildfire, agriculture, streams, or clean drinking water, I believe that a critical balance of federal and state policy is a must. 

As the only state where all of our water flows out rather than through, I have made it my mission to ensure that federal policy protects every corner of Colorado’s economy and constituency. That’s why I worked to get $28 million in federal funding for the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a project that will deliver clean drinking water to 50,000 Coloradans. And that’s why I was proud to help secure passage of the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan that will provide stable funding and laws to advance Colorado Water Policy for generations to come.  I also secured passage of two critical endangered species laws, extending work on fish recovery in the South Platte and Colorado River. 

Hickenlooper: Hickenlooper will follow the recommendation of scientists in determining which waters and wetlands have a clear connection to maintaining flow and quality of “navigable waters” - the standard used to justify regulation under the Clean Water Act. It is a high priority for Hickenlooper to keep pollutants out of our waters.

HCA: What is your proudest accomplishment as a public servant over the past 10 years?

Gardner: The recent passage of my Great American Outdoors Act into law is a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment that permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), fixes the crumbling infrastructure in our National Parks System, and will create 100,000 jobs in the process.

The LWCF is the crown jewel of conservation programs, using revenues from offshore oil and gas operations to fund critical public lands projects across the country, giving people from all walks of life more opportunity to fish, raft, recreate, and more. 

The second piece of the bill is aimed at addressing the $12 billion funding shortfall for maintenance projects within our National Park system, $275 million in Colorado alone. Home to four National Parks and eleven National Forests, Colorado welcomes millions of visitors each year to these historic and protected areas, providing much needed economic stability for the towns in the surrounding areas. For every $1 invested in National Parks, $10 is returned to the economy. The funding commitment we secured in the Great American Outdoors Act will help solve this crisis and ensure that future generations can enjoy our public lands.

Hickenlooper: As Governor, Hickenlooper expanded health care under the Affordable Care Act to half a million Coloradans and led Colorado out of the Great Recession by taking it from 40th in job creation to the number one economy in the country.

HCA: Colorado has extensive public lands – National Parks, National Forests, Wildlife Refuges, BLM Lands – that face increasing pressure from many competing uses as well as from factors such as wildfire risk. What do you see as the Federal role – including any needed legislation – in conserving those lands for future generations?

Gardner: Defending and protecting Colorado’s public lands has been a priority of mine since day one. I believe the federal government’s role must include sufficient funding, innovation, and accountability in order to combat climate change and protect public lands for future generations.

99% of the approximately 250 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) resides West of the Mississippi River, which is why I spearheaded moving BLM’s headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado. This will give Western states more accountability and access to BLM because the decision makers will now live in the communities their policies impact.

For years I have been working on legislation to allow for the cleanup of orphan mine sites by Good Samaritans such as Trout Unlimited. Across Colorado and the West we have needed a permanent solution to the dangerous problem of abandoned mines. The opportunity to clean up the environment around these sites is crucial and Good Samaritan programs will finally allow for the long overdue process to begin. I have also worked extensively on wildfire legislation that fixed fire borrowing and brought our first responders into the 21st century with innovative technology. Coloradans are all too familiar with wildfires and I was proud to champion efforts that have provided real solutions to these tragic natural disasters. 

But much more has to be done. Commonsense regulations and policies must continue to ensure Coloradans’ access to clean, safe, and prosperous public lands is not hindered.

Hickenlooper: The Trump Administration continues to diminish the federal lands estate, shrinking national monuments and repealing sensible protections for fish and wildlife habitats in National Forests and Bureau of Land Management lands. As Senator, Hickenlooper will work to pass the CORE Act, which will protect over 400,000 acres of public lands and create new wilderness. He will fight any efforts to diminish the scope and quality of our land, water, and outdoor resources.

HCA: If elected, you may be working with a Senate majority and/or a President from the other major party. How would you approach working across the aisle to serve Colorado’s interests?

Gardner: I am ranked the third most bipartisan member of the US Senate. Bipartisanship is a duty I aspire to uphold and it's the only way to be truly effective for the entire state. Since being elected to the Senate, I have authored ten bills that have been signed into law; that’s more than the entire Colorado delegation combined. Of those bills, five were signed by President Obama, five were signed by President Trump, and many passed with unanimous support. I have and will continue to work with any member of Congress or President that is interested in moving this country forward and ensuring more prosperity for all Coloradans. 

I look forward to continuing that work and ensuring Colorado has a strong bipartisan voice in Washington, DC.

Hickenlooper: As Mayor and Governor, Hickenlooper worked to bring people together to deliver change. As Mayor, Hickenlooper brought mayors from across the Denver metro area to build one of the nation’s most ambitious transit projects. As Governor, he expanded health care to half a million Coloradans on a bipartisan basis. Hickenlooper has a proven record of bringing people together to get results, and that’s exactly what he’ll do in the Senate to solve our biggest challenges.

HCA: Is there anything else you would like High Country Angler readers to know about you and how you would approach service in the U.S. Senate over the next six years?

Gardner: As a fifth-generation Coloradan born and raised in a rural community, I believe strongly that Colorado’s best is yet to come. We are a unique Western state and strongly independent. Here in Colorado, we work across party lines, we roll up our sleeves and get the tough job done. It’s a part of our history, our culture, our values. The Pioneer spirit lives on in each and every one of us and it again falls on us to address the most gripping challenges of our time. Whether it involves coming together to support small businesses and protect our most vulnerable in the time of COVID-19, or finding common ground to protect our public lands, Coloradans will continue to lead the way. 

Hickenlooper: Like most Coloradans, Hickenlooper enjoys the outdoors and highly values the quality of our environment – our air, water, wilderness, and other open spaces. After four years of Donald Trump and the Republican Senate, Hickenlooper believes we have much work to recover from all the efforts to abandon federal responsibility for protecting these natural resources. He will actively seek opportunities to promote legislation that helps solve the pressing issues like climate change, improving water conservation and quality, designating new wilderness, and supporting the outdoor industry. Hickenlooper looks forward to working with partners such as Trout Unlimited.

 This is an article from High Country Angler Fall 2020 Issue. You can read the whole e-zine for free here.

 

Fall High Country Angler is out!

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Check out the new Fall 2020 issue of High Country Angler e-zine!

Featuring articles on fishing still water with Landon Mayer, the CTU president reflecting on a historic public lands win, a Q&A with Colorado's U.S. Senate candidates, Colorado’s energy future, CTU's Annual Report and much more, including the regular columns:

  • FALL FLING by Joel Evans

  • A DAY ON THE CONEJOS by Hayden Mellsop

  • YOU ARE WELCOME TO FISH WITH ME by Peter Stitcher

  • THE LAST CAST by Dr. John Nickum.


Download the PDF here.

High Country Angler is published 4 times a year by High Country Publications, LLC., in cooperation with Colorado Trout Unlimited. HCA is there to keep you up-to-date with all the latest news and advice from some of the high country’s most skilled and knowledgeable fly fishers. The articles are written by anglers, for anglers, about high country fishing!