Drought Tour, Affordable Housing, and Eating like a Yampavore! There are amazing things going on all over our state, and I'm honored to be able to celebrate and support what makes Colorado special. As I hear from people all over the state, I am inspired by the positive spirit and optimism of Coloradans.  - Jared Polis A Quick Look Back Glenwood Springs Survey On Wednesday morning, I went to Glenwood Springs to get a first-hand look at the extensive damage on I-70 and to see CDOT’s massive recovery efforts. Joined by Shoshana Lew, Executive Director of Colorado Department of Transportation we met with CDOT employees working around the clock to get I-70 opened to one lane by Saturday. Although the canyon is facing the threat of another mudslide, we know that the longer-term repairs will take time and that, as we battle new challenges to our infrastructure with climate change, alternative routes for the I-70 corridor become more urgent. Our administration is focused on the short, medium, and long-term response and recovery from this incident. Meow Wolf Denver | Convergence Station I was invited by Meow Wolf Denver to get a sneak peek of their third permanent location and their first in Colorado! Meow Wolf is an art production company that focuses on unique and otherworldly immersive experiences. Over 110 Colorado-based artists will be a part of the exhibit, and more than 80 projects have been in the works since 2018. The Denver exhibit opens to the general public on September 17th, and I highly recommend it. This is truly an exciting moment for Colorado’s art community and we know that Convergence Station will bring more tourists to our state and inspire a new generation of Colorado artists. MAXAR Technologies  We made two Aerospace business visits last Monday and our first stop was MAXAR Technologies. MAXAR is an international geospatial imagery company headquartered in Colorado and with key operations in Longmont. Aerospace is a key component to Colorado’s successful economy and employs many people over the state. As we look to ensure our economy recovers faster and stronger as we work to put this pandemic behind us, Colorado’s aerospace industry is going to be essential to that bounce back. Sierra Nevada Corporation  Our second Aerospace visit was Sierra Space in Louisville. SNC Space is a leader in development of spacecraft mechanisms and electromechanical subsystems, precision motion control, low-shock separation and passive thermal control technologies which are key technologies of the aerospace ecosystem in Colorado. On our tour we met numerous engineers working on the Dream Chaser, a space plane vessel tasked by NASA to transfer crew members and cargo to the International Space Station. Colorado is the #2 space economy in the nation because of our highly skilled and talented aerospace workforce. Sierra Nevada space will thrive and grow in Colorado because of our extensive and very collaborative aerospace ecosystem. Colorado has over 290 direct aerospace related businesses to collaborate with on innovative technology. Companies like Sierra Space are innovators in aerospace and are national leaders in the growing space industry. We hope with the continued growth of this industry in Colorado, more and more students will look to STEM as a future career.  Drought Tour Visit at Loudy Simpson Park Craig I joined local and state officials for a lunch meeting at Loudy Simpson in Moffat County, to discuss the economic impacts of the ongoing drought in Moffat County. Pervasive drought conditions have set the stage for another record wildfire season, and continue to jeopardize the resilience of our outdoor recreation and agriculture industries, both key economic drivers in Colorado. We need to continue to work together to protect our water resources and protect our communities. Drought Tour Visit to Elkhead Reservoir At Elkhead Reservoir State Park I announced that the State of Colorado and Colorado River District have partnered to pay for additional water supplies from Elkhead Reservoir, specifically to support our farmers and ranchers. This collaboration is essential for sectors of our economy, such as agriculture and outdoor recreation, and supports the incredible quality of life that we all enjoy. The Yampa River Basin has experienced back-to-back drought years and a call was placed on the river for the third time in its history – almost a month sooner than ever before – and most counties on the West Slope are experiencing extreme and exceptional drought – the two worst classifications on the U.S. Drought Monitor. This collaboration is an example of local solutions that will become more and more common in the future. I was proud to announce that the Colorado River District in partnership with the Colorado Water Conservation Board are doing their part to help farmers by releasing 677 acre-feet of water from Elkhead Reservoir to local farmers free of charge. Proposed Affordable Housing Site Steamboat Springs I met with Yampa Valley Housing Authority to visit their new 536-acre affordable housing site, a project that will address Steamboat’s long-term housing crisis. Yampa Valley Housing Authority is working closely with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs on a master plan for the project. The current proposed site will house approximately 4,000 residents. We need new forms of development to expand wisely, not just at the urban fringe, but in our high country areas. We also need to prioritize system-wide changes that will transform the state and make housing affordable. Community Agriculture Alliance I got to do some Colorado Proud grocery shopping in Steamboat Springs at the Community Agriculture Alliance (CAA). CAA is a nonprofit organization founded in 1999 that sponsors ‘“Eat like a Yampa-vore”, a program that encourages consumption of locally grown products. Located off of Oak Street in Steamboat, CAA is a fantastic place to get fresh produce all sourced within 40 miles. Shopping locally allows money to stay in the local economy, benefits our environment by reducing transportation emissions, and results in fresh, delicious food. I picked up some locally grown squash blossoms which I cooked up in our air fryer. South Park's 24th Anniversary Interview You can watch South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone join me for an interview celebrating the show's 24th Anniversary at the link below! WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S TEAM IS READING Where The Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River Colorado Leads States in Protecting Wildlife Migration Corridors Housing Authority closes on Steamboat 700 land; Polis says project is good candidate for state support WE GROW STRONGER WHEN WE GROW TOGETHER. Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email Office of Governor Jared Polis | Website State of Colorado - Governor's Office | 136 State Capitol , Denver, CO 80203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected]