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Breaking rank
Two Colorado Republican congressmen urge caution in climate cuts by Allen Best / Big Pivots On the cover A sign that we’re pretty sure is meant to warn trail users about a potentially dangerous drop-off but might be apropos in general right now./ Photo by Missy Votel
Ear to the ground:
“I told my hair stylist, ‘Give me a haircut that will fill the void of me not having a tattoo.’”
– How one man arrived at his mullet, which fortunately is not quite as permanent as ink
Ready for takeoff
It’s been nearly a year since Andy “AA” Atha passed away suddenly at the age of 61, but the former ski jumper’s spirit and memory will soar this Sat., March 29. Friends of Atha’s have put together the first annual “Double A Gelande Event” above Little Molas Lake. The free spectator event will feature live music, a barbeque, retro spring skiing vibes (weather permitting) and, of course, ski jumping.
Atha, a longtime North La Plata County resident, worked at Purgatory Ski Resort for years as a snow cat driver and mechanic. However, he was best known for his long, illustrious career as a gelande ski jumper, among other athletic pursuits. “Andy was well known locally as an expert mountain biker, motocross biker, water skier, alpine skier and competitive gelande jumper. He was a ‘larger than life’ character, gone too soon,” longtime friend and event organizer David Breed told the Silverton Standard.
Atha at Howelsen Hill
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Breed said the idea for the event came about while reminiscing about spring cat skiing with Atha over the years. He said the plan is to make the Double A an annual event and raise money in subsequent years to support a local skier going to the annual gelande event at Steamboat Springs’ famed Howelsen Hill. It was Atha’s favorite competition and one he competed in up until a few years before his death. In fact, a group of friends spread some of Atha’s ashes on the ski jump at this year’s event in February. For those out of the know, the sport takes its name from the German word for “open fields.” Beginning in Alta, Utah, in 1963, gelande hit its peak from 1972–78. Competitions were held in Alta, Steamboat, Crested Butte, Jackson Hole and Durango, where there were gelande jumps at Chapman Hill and Purgatory.
The Double A kicks off at the Molas Lake Campground at 8:30 a.m. for competitors and 9 a.m. for spectators, who will need to walk, ski, snowshoe or hitch a ride on a snowmobile to the venue site. The first jumper is scheduled to take off at 10:30 a.m. with barbeque and awards to follow. For more info. go to: doubleagelande.com.
LaVidaLocal
Loop-the-loop
My unspoken rule (until now): a good hike begins and ends as a circle. While a loop may not technically qualify as a circle, at least I understand the geometry, that it will take me back to where I started. For me, woe is the way that promises to be a line, especially a wobbly one. A line demands I tread the same ground I previously trod; greet the same old rocks and trees on the way back, even stifle a yawn as the same magnificent vista reasserts itself.
If this rule sounds eccentric, at least consider this simple advice: always hike with a companion. Pam said she’d go with me, and I was relieved that she did.
Prater Ridge Trail is the longest trek in Mesa Verde National Park – 7.8 miles – and described on nps.gov as “strenuous.” The site goes on to report, “After climbing 1.1 miles to the top of Prater Ridge, hikers may choose ... either or both loops.” The north loop is longer than the south loop, but I recommend – as your unofficial guide – hiking the perimeter, which gathers the two smaller loops as if caught by a lasso. Mileage varies, but stay to the right, or you’ll end up like a cowboy tangled in your own rope tricks.
Spruce Canyon Loop – not Prater – is the one that seduced us with its map of gentle topographical curves. It starts just below the Mesa Verde Museum where a convenient bathroom stop is located, and upon reaching a sign that points toward Petroglyph and Spruce Canyon trailheads, go right. On a summer day we’d have gone left, along the steeper, more shaded Petroglyph path, even having hiked it many times before. The view of prehistoric rock carvings on a 20-foot sandstone panel never gets old.
On this December day, only a whisper of snow lingered beneath the trees where the sun couldn’t reach it. The temperature hovered in the 40s and the trail stayed mostly in the sun. Switchbacks snaked past enormous boulders stacked like cairns from a land of prehistoric giants.
When we reached the canyon floor, the sun insisted we remove our jackets. The path turned into a single-track hiking (not biking) surface.
I’d forgotten how dirt has its own rule, and when mixed with water, becomes mud. It also adheres to a hiker’s boots. Our pleasant stroll with the sun on our backs shifted to an occasional hop, from one side of the path to the other. Then the low spots got so muddy we had to straddle, one foot on each side of the trail, walking like bowlegged cowboys.
As we moved down the path, we encountered a family of hikers coming up. They stopped for a collective breath and chilled us with this caution: “We decided to play it safe and turn around; the trail below looks like it might still be frozen.” Frozen? We both glanced toward the sun, smiled and wished them a safe return to the pavement.
Thumbin’It
Wait – the Democrats have a pulse! Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently embarked on their “Fight Oligarchy” tour, which has been drawing crowds of thousands across the country and energizing the resistance.
Nearly four years after the King Soopers shooting, Colorado finally has some meaningful gun reform, with a new law that prohibits the sale, purchase or transfer of gas-operated, semiautomatic firearms that accept detachable magazines –which includes most assault weapons.
Red Mountain Pass appears to be an outlier in the lagging area snowpack, boasting 100% of average for this time of year. So we got that going for us.
We picked up our pace, galloping along on the canyon’s spine until the path’s inclination was to climb. Elevation and drainage took over, so we gratefully walked on dry ground again, but more like lumbering dinosaurs heading up the trail with our shoes thickly shod in mud. As for the hikers’ warning that we might face glacial extinction, the irony was not lost on us, that is, until we faced a stone staircase.
Not actually constructed of stone, the way out of the canyon made use of stones protruding from the soil like a crooked set of teeth, many glistening as if they’d been waxed. Where the path ran straight, a frost-covered rail lay between them. The ridge’s shadow cooled to a betterput-your-coat-back-on temperature and climbed. We stopped smiling.
Each time I paused to look back, the trail felt steeper but the more breathtaking the view from behind. When I glanced ahead, where the loop’s end must eventually be harnessed to the top of the ridge, I decided on a new strategy: don’t look back.
Rock by rock we climbed, attached to each other as if participating in a tug-of-war with gravity, hand over hand, each step seeking a grip, one hand ahead, one hand behind. If we found a rock where we could stand together for a moment, our arms instinctively reached out like safety belts to encircle each other’s waist, as if to suggest what we didn’t have the breath to say, let us rest.
I held to a reckoning that I’d be rewarded with some gloriously straight, dry, and flat terrain, and we finally surfaced like a submarine, gasping relief, but in my mind all the way to the top I kept repeating a line I’d revised from Sir Walter Scott’s poem, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when a loop gets twisted and I’m nearly deceived.”
Hey, people! The bears are waking up. Let’s secure our trash and food sources and not have another dismal year like 2024, when we led the state in bear relocations and euthanizations.
The Colorado State Forest Service’s annual forest health report just came out, and it’s not good. Due to a warm and dry winter, trees are stressed, making way for bark beetles and other insects to take hold and leave dead trees in their wake. So when you’re done securing that trash, put out that fire.
The unqualified neandertal in charge of the military is leaking classified war plans in group chats, and we’re worried about Elmo and his “communist agenda?” What’s wrong with this picture?
SignoftheDownfall:
– David Feela Modern Shart Marco Evaristti is an artist living in Copenhagen. For his latest installation, called “And Now You Care,” Marco made a cage out of shopping carts and trapped three piglets inside with the intention of letting them starve to death. His goal was to raise awareness about pig suffering in Denmark by letting pigs suffer in Denmark. However, shortly after the exhibition opened, actual animal rights activists broke in and rescued the animals, which angered Marco, so he called the cops to complain that someone had stolen the piglets he was trying to starve. But after the police report made headlines, Marco started receiving hate mail for animal cruelty, so he apologized, “and now he cares.”
Crying wolf
When it comes to elk and CWD, wolves are our allies, not enemies
by Ted Williams
On Jan. 31, the 30th anniversary of wolves getting reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park, Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Tom Tiffany, R-Wisc., introduced their “Pet and Livestock Protection Act.”
It would abolish Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado and Michigan, among other states.
“Protective listings,” wrote Boebert, are the work of “leftists (who) cower to radical environmentalists.”
As Boebert notes, populations of wolves have rebounded. But the constant slaughter of the animals in the Northern Rockies makes it likely that at some point, federal recovery actions will once more be necessary. That can’t happen if Boebert’s bill succeeds, because it contains a provision that blocks courts from again ordering protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Wolf recovery in the West – the biggest success in wildlife management history – took decades to achieve. I served on the advisory board of the Wolf Fund, which pushed for wolves coming back to Yellowstone, helped get grants for wolf recovery and urged recovery in national publications. As a lifelong hunter, I confronted wolf-haters publicly.
But what does recovery look like?
In Montana, wolf quotas are increasingly liberal. In 2023 alone, a quarter of the state’s wolves were killed. The population is declining by about 100 animals per year, but that’s not fast enough for wolf-haters. Montana’s Legislature is considering a bill for nonstop hunting until a 600-wolf quota is reached.
The sponsor, 19-year-old Rep. Lukas Schubert, R-Kalispell, said it’s needed “to drive the wolf population down faster.”
In Idaho and Wyoming, one may collect bounties by choking wolves to death
with neck snares, gunning them down from helicopters, shooting them at night, attacking them with dogs, burning pups and nursing mothers in their dens, and trapping. In Wyoming, it is still legal to chase wolves from snowmobiles – a sport known as “wolf whacking.”
Wayne Pacelle, president and founder of Animal Wellness Action and Center for a Humane Economy, said, “It’s astonishing to me that, last year, House Republican leaders brought up a bill to remove all federal protections for wolves on the heels of the gut-wrenching revelations about cruelty to wolves in Wyoming. In that state, a man ran down a wolf with a snowmobile and crushed
the animal… Then he paraded her around a bar before finally killing her.”
That is why states can’t be trusted when they allow such practices and when they jeopardize wolf recovery.
Wolves also get unfairly blamed for fewer animals to hunt. Elk are being depleted by wolves, proclaim the Sportsmen’s Alliance, Safari Club International and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, all of which sued to block ESA protections.
But in most of their range, elk are dangerously above population objectives. The real issue for these litigants is that with wolves back in the ecosystem, elk are acting like wild animals again,
becoming more wary and harder for hunters to kill.
Wolves do occasionally kill livestock, especially livestock unprotected by fences and guard dogs. Much of that loss is compensated, and sometimes wolves need to be moved out of an area.
But wolves can be useful on the land, killing deer and elk that have contracted chronic wasting disease. Dan Ashe, former U.S. Fish and Wildlife director, said wolves and other predators cleanse CWD from the environment by removing infected ungulates.
In a column for Writers on the Range, Ashe noted that the CWD pathogen is a self-replicating protein called a “prion” that is not alive. Humans can’t kill it by inoculating animals or even by cooking infected flesh. Wolves, however, are immune to the prions, deactivating them through digestion.
Here’s the irony, as Princeton University biologist Andrew Dobson and University of Calgary biologist Valerius Geist said in a Denver Post opinion: “Killing off the wolf allowed chronic wasting disease to take hold in the first place.”
Because CWD may infect humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns people not to handle or eat infected game. In 2022, two hunters died who ate venison from a CWD-ravaged deer herd. CWD seems the likely culprit in their deaths.
“We are quite unprepared,” warns Michael Osterholm, Center for Infectious Disease director at the University of Minnesota. “If we saw a spillover (to humans) right now, we would be in free fall.” In the words of Dan Ashe about wolves, “Emerging science tells us that these apex predators aren’t the enemy, they’re allies.”
Ted Williams is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is a longtime environmental writer and author.■
Rather than de-list the wolf, as proposed by legislators including Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., wolves deserve protections. Not only do they keep the ecosystem in check, they also help stop the spread of chronic wasting disease, which could be devastating for humans. / Photo by Darren Welsh via unsplash.jpg
SoapBox D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim
Clutching our pearls
Letter writer Dennis Pierce in last week’s Telegraph is confused or lacks understanding of the difference between the public and private sector. The writer wonders why liberals don’t get as upset at job losses at a Starbucks or JoAnn’s as they do at the current massacre of federal employees.
As a so-called pearl-clutching liberal, I never want to see people lose their jobs. But in the private sector, people are hired or laid off due to changing market conditions or just poor decisions by business owners. The public sector is different. Federal agencies are created by Congress with specific mandates for the public good. That we, the taxpayers, have invested in these agencies for decades only to have them vandalized and decimated with the stroke of a megalomaniac’s Sharpie should generate outrage in all Americans.
It is irresponsible and immoral for President Musk (who btw, knows nothing about how government works but does know how to mine money from it) to destroy USAID to force the starvation of millions of children. Or to try to destroy Social Security, so Grandma has to stand in line for hours to get an important source of income.
So much for compassionate conservatism, which was a sham anyway. That is why pearl-clutching liberals are upset. Our government may be imperfect, but it works and would work better if billionaires like Bezos and Musk paid taxes.
– Tom Sabel, Lakewood
Shirley Gonzales for Durango
Join me voting for Shirley Gonzales, who shines among this year’s decent crop of City Council candidates for 3 open seats. Ms. Gonzales and her husband Kevin have 3 kids in Park Elementary and own Pedal the Peaks, a bike shop in downtown Durango. She expresses her love for our gem of a village, saying that everyone here is friendly – part of what drew the family here, along with opportunities for her son Ian to pursue his passion for biking.
During eight years as city councilor in San Antonio Texas, she rode her bike and advocated for alternative and multimodal transportation. Here, too, she is an ardent biker, using her 2-wheeler whenever she can to
get around our fair city, so she notices first-hand where safety and accessibility could be improved. Another issue she would like to work on, talking to other parents at Park Elementary: the lack of childcare options. Shirley has suggested a new approach – creating and funding a stipend parents could use to pay for childcare services. This direct approach removes start-up and overhead costs for building new facilities, putting funds directly into a trusted relative- or friend-provider’s pocket. That’s sensible and effective!
Shirley researches what other cities are up to, so she offers new ideas for the problems we face, including lack of affordable housing and wages that do not sustain life in a gentrifying city. We can use her gentle, deeply thoughtful approach to spur new directions for Durango. Let’s elect Shirley Gonzales!
– Deen Leonard, Durango
A huge step back for climate
The Trump administration’s proposal to reconsider the EPA’s endangerment finding is reckless, antiscience and a huge step backward for climate action. This decision isn’t just about politics – it puts our health, environment and future on the line.
The endangerment finding, established in 2009, is based on clear scientific evidence that greenhouse gases harm public health and the planet. It has been the legal backbone for policies that reduce emissions from cars, power plants and industry. Without it, we lose a key tool for fighting climate change – and that’s exactly what polluters want.
The reality is, climate change isn’t some distant threat. It’s here. We’re seeing record-breaking heat, wildfires, floods and hurricanes that devastate com-
munities. Our state is not immune from these catastrophes, and the Trump administration’s actions would reverse progress. Gutting this policy ignores science and common sense at a time when we need stronger action, not more rollbacks.
This also sends a terrible message to the rest of the world. While other countries are working toward clean energy solutions, the U.S. risks becoming a climate laggard instead of a leader.
We can’t let this happen. We need to push back against this dangerous move and demand real climate solutions. The health of our planet – and future generations – depends on it. The EPA should scrap its plan to undo this regulation and maintain the rules that are protecting all of us and the air and water we rely on.
– Margaret Lewis, San Juan County, N.M.
Building connection, community and love
The Unitarian Universality Fellowship of Durango joyfully welcomes our vibrant new minister. A Michigan native, the Rev. Jamie Boyce arrived here last August from her recent ministry in Hamilton, Ontario.
Boyce is passionate about building communities of connection, love and justice for all people and the Earth. She also is committed to serving the wider Durango community, nurturing interfaith networks that support local programs and service opportunities.
Come meet her at our weekly service, Sundays at 10 a.m. at 419 San Juan Dr., or visit our website at durangouu.org.
The UUFD is a nondenominational faith congregation that does not require adherence to a specific religious creed or doctrine.
– Lynn Griffith, Durango
Securing reliable, affordable power
As we move into spring, we want to acknowledge the valuable conversations we’ve had with members across our service territory. Your voices are at the heart of our work, and we appreciate the time you’ve taken to share your thoughts. One of the most common concerns we’ve heard is about our rate adjustment – particularly, the need for greater clarity and ensuring that our most at-risk members are considered.
We hear you. Unlike investor-owned utilities, we don’t answer to shareholders. As a not-for-profit cooperative, our sole focus is serving our members,
and we take that responsibility seriously. We understand that rate changes impact your household budgets, and we don’t make these decisions lightly.
These adjustments stem from an extensive cost-of-service study, ensuring rates reflect the actual cost of delivering power. While we’ve worked hard to control operational expenses, we can no longer absorb the effects of more than five years of inflation. The proposed changes – an average 7.7% increase – reflect rising costs in a sector that has seen a 30% increase over the past five years. Without these adjustments, we risk jeopardizing the future reliability and financial health of our cooperative.
Our approach balances fairness, affordability and long-term sustainability while keeping the energy charge below the Colorado average. By increasing the residential base charge and peak power charge while lowering the energy charge, we ensure all members contribute equitably to maintaining and improving the grid.
Stability also depends on proactively managing our power supply. The broader energy sector faces challenges, including uncertainty with Tri-State’s federal loans, which has complicated their ability to invest in renewables. This reinforces why LPEA’s decision to take control of our energy future is the right one.
By securing our own diversified energy portfolio, we are well-positioned to meet and exceed Colorado’s climate targets while maintaining reliability. We’ve already engaged with potential partners and reviewed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for renewables. The indicative pricing we’ve received is encouraging, showing that competitive procurement and direct negotiations allow us to secure cost-effective renewable energy tailored to our members’ needs.
Based on current analysis, we do not anticipate a rate increase to support our energy transition in 2026. We’re optimistic about the opportunities ahead and will continue to share updates as more details come into focus.
As John F. Kennedy once said, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” Thoughtful, proactive decisions today will ensure a strong, resilient energy future for our members.
As we navigate these changes, we remain committed to transparency, collaboration and ensuring that LPEA continues to serve our members’ needs – today and for years to come.
– Chris Hansen, CEO, La Plata Electric Association
Mining madness
Trump’s latest order throws multiple-use, environmental safeguards into the dirt
by Jonathan P. Thompson
Last week, President Trump signed an executive order – his 150th so far this term, by my rough count –invoking the Defense Production Act to expedite mining on federal lands. The wording of the order suggests that the aim is not just to cut through red tape hindering proposed projects but to incite the industry to mine areas that it may not have been considering previously.
The order has understandably alarmed public lands advocates, but it has also spawned some misconceptions, particularly concerning the 1872 General Mining Law.
While Trump’s attacks on the nation and public lands have been unprecedented so far, his use of the Cold Warera DPA is not all that unusual. The Carter administration used it to justify pouring billions of dollars of subsidies into “synfuel” production as part of its quest for “energy independence.” This sparked massive oil shale operations in western Colorado (which crashed spectacularly). And Biden used the Act to encourage mining for so-called “green metals,” such as lithium, boron and manganese. He also streamlined permitting for the proposed Hermosa manganese mine in southern Arizona and loaned the contested Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada $2.6 billion.
But Trump’s order goes much further. He is expanding the list of target minerals to just about everything, including “critical minerals, uranium, copper, potash, gold and any other element, compound or material as determined by the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, such as coal.” While Biden wanted a survey of the nation’s mineral production capacity and promised to adhere to all existing environmental laws and consult with tribal nations, Trump is
ordering his agencies to:
• Compile a list of all proposed mining projects “in order to expedite the review of those projects in coordination with the National Energy Dominance Council.”
• Amend or revise land use plans under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act to “support the intent of this order.”
• “Identify as many sites as possible that might be suitable for mineral production that can be permitted as soon as possible.”
• Prioritize mineral production over other activities on federal lands.
• Provide financing, loans and investment for new mines, including from a “dedicated critical minerals fund established through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.”
• Make new “recommendations to Congress regarding treatment of waste rock, tailings and mine waste under the Mining Act of 1872.”
Instead of adhering to environmental laws, Trump would alter them to support mining. He not only wants to help
proposed projects with regulatory and financial subsidies but also wants to spur on “as many sites as possible.” And he is prioritizing mineral extraction over all other activities on federal lands, a blatant violation of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act’s multipleuse mandate.
That would mean not only that mining would take precedence over conservation and recreation, but also livestock grazing and other extractive uses. The OHV crowd that’s worried about the BLM closing a few roads to motorized
The Lisbon Valley copper mine in southeastern Utah. Under Trump’s latest executive order, mining projects such as this throughout the Four Corners and Southwest could be fast-tracked, with no deference to multiple-use mandates or environmental oversight. / Photo by Jonathan P. Thompson
vehicles around Moab might just find themselves ousted from a lot more areas by potash ponds, uranium mines or lithium operations.
Trump’s recommendations to Congress likely will be to tweak the 1872 Mining Law to ensure that mining companies can store waste on public mining claims that aren’t valid, meaning that they have not proven that the parcels contain valuable minerals. This was actually the norm until 2022, when a federal judge ruled that the proposed Rosemont copper mine in Arizona could not store its tailings and waste on public land. That ruling was followed by a similar one in 2023, leading politicians from both parties to try to restore the pre-Rosemont Decision rules.
It’s around the General Mining Law that misconceptions have arisen. The award-winning filmmakers and conservationists the Pattiz Brothers, of “More Than Just Parks,” a Substack newsletter, say the new order “doesn’t create a new legal framework. It exhumes an old one – a fossil from the 19th century … It’s the Mining Act of 1872, back from the dead, and now wearing body armor.” Which is a nice way to put it, but the Mining Act never died, so this order can’t revive it.
The other misconception appeared
in Lands Lost, another great Substack focusing on public lands, which wrote: “… there are no meaningful environmental safeguards in place because public land mining is a free-for-all governed only by an 1872 law that’s never been modernized.”
It’s true that the 1872 Mining Law is inadequate, allowing mining companies or individuals to stake a claim to any public land without public input or environmental review, conduct exploratory work with a minimum of review, and pay no royalties on hardrock minerals they extract. However, federal agencies do have additional regulations governing mining. Before a company can do any mining, it must get an operating permit from the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service or Department of Energy (depending on the land’s jurisdiction), which includes an environmental review (either an EA or a more extensive EIS). A mine may also need a Clean Water Act permit for any water discharges, including adits, and many states require additional permits as well.
By ordering agencies to alter the FLPMA land-use plans, Trump is essentially doing away with these additional safeguards, which really is scary. That would take us back to a time when the
1872 Mining Law was the only federal regulatory framework, which would give mining companies free rein to trash public lands. However, Trump can’t do much about state requirements, except to try to bully them out of existence.
The order applies only to federal lands, so mining projects that are on patented mining claims – which are entirely on private land – would not be affected (although they might be eligible for government handouts).
Proposed projects this fast-tracking could affect include:
• Resolution Copper’s proposed copper mine at Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, aka Oak Flat, in central Arizona.
• Copper World Complex, née Rosemont Mine, in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson. After a judge kiboshed Canada-based Hudbay’s plan to dump mine waste on Forest Service land, the firm decided to base the initial phase on patented, i.e. private, mining claims and later expand to public lands.
• South32’s proposed Hermosa Mine in the Patagonia Mountains of southern Arizona. Biden already fasttracked permitting for this battery-grade manganese mine, but Trump’s order could speed it along.
• Energy Fuels’ Roca Honda uranium mine and Laramide Resources’ La Jara
Mesa uranium project, both on Forest Service land near Grants, N.M.
• Anson/A1’s proposed lithium extraction projects and American Potash’s lithium and potash projects on BLM land east and north of Moab and south of Green River, Utah.
• Lithium, copper and uranium projects on BLM land in the Lisbon Valley in southeastern Utah.
• Numerous proposed uranium mining projects on Energy Department leases and BLM land in the Uravan Mineral Belt in western Colorado.
• Atomic Minerals’ uranium prospects on Harts Point, just outside the boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument.
• Metallic Minerals is only doing exploratory drilling on its mining claims in the La Plata Mountains of southwestern Colorado and has yet to make any mining plans public, so it’s not clear whether Trump’s order would affect this contested project.
Learn more about these and other projects with the Land Desk’s Mining Monitor Map
The Land Desk is a newsletter from Jonathan P. Thompson, author of “River of Lost Souls,” “Behind the Slickrock Curtain” and “Sagebrush Empire.” To subscribe, go to: www.landdesk.org. ■
Edgemont Ranch Studio
Easy-to-care-for upper unit in Edgemont Ranch’s Farmhouse Condos. Bright and sunny, with well-maintained finishes and appliances. Edgemont offers many amenities for the outdoor enthusiast: hiking and biking trails, tennis, fishing, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Private setting just minutes from town.
$214,000 MLS#818398
Tina Miely Broker Associate (970) 946-2902 tina@BHHSco.com
Walking the line
Two Colorado Republicans urge restraint in gutting climate legislation
by Allen Best
Colorado sends four Democrats and four Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives. Of them, Jeff Hurd, a Republican from Grand Junction, and Gabe Evans, a Republican from Fort Lupton, will be the most interesting to watch during the next two years.
These two representatives, both new to Congress in January, were among 21 Republican signatories in the House to a letter calling for restraint in efforts to gut the Inflation Reduction Act.
The letter expresses concern about “disruptive changes to our nation’s energy tax structure.” The New York Times and Utility Dive both interpreted this as a reference to the IRA, the landmark climate legislation adopted in August 2022. President Donald Trump, the Times notes, often talks about repealing the law.
Atlas Public Policy, a research firm, reported in February that 80% of funds authorized by the law have gone to Congressional districts represented by Republicans.
Hurd, an attorney who formerly was chief counsel for the Delta-Montrose Electric Association, replaced Lauren Boebert in the Third Congressional District. Boebert was almost certainly headed for defeat had she tried to run against Aspen’s Adam Frisch a second time in the Republican-leaning district after squeaking out just 50.6% of votes in the last election. With a new home in Windsor, she easily won election in Colorado’s Fourth Congressional District.
While Boebert inevitably echoes Trump, Hurd signaled his measured distance from MAGA hat-wearing positions when he criticized Trump’s blanket pardon of rioters who invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. At the same time, Hurd’s Productive Public Lands Act rhymes with Trump’s drillbaby-drill slogan. Never mind that the United States has already been setting records for oil and gas extraction.
As long as he can survive Republican primaries, Hurd can probably return to Washington for a good many terms. His drill bill is likely part of that political
Evans has a more tricky path to negotiate. He narrowly beat incumbent Democrat Yadira Caraveo in the Eighth Congressional District. The district extends from the edge of Denver to the farm country of northern Colorado. Although a former police officer in Arvada, he nonetheless refrained from criticizing Trump’s pardons of the rioters, as Denver TV newscaster Kyle Clark pointed out
Most of Weld County lies in Evans’ district. The county delivers 82% of Colorado’s crude oil and 56% of its natural gas extraction. The district also has the Vestas factory in Brighton that produces nacelle housing for wind turbine engines. Vestas has 1,800 employees between that factory and another in Windsor. Evans’ district also has many solar-energy installations.
On March 13, Evans visited the Vestas factory, a five-megawatt solar installation near LaSalle, south of Greeley, and an oil installation. Bayswater, operator of the latter, proclaims itself a producer of “some of the cleanest energy molecules in the country and world.”
Invited to tag along, Channel 4 gave Evans the time to say that he favored an “all-of-the-above safe, affordable, secure energy supply to bring costs down to consumers and jobs back to the United States.”
That “all-of-the-above” energy approach was a key element of the letter signed by Evans and Hurd. Combined with a robust advanced manufacturing sector, the approach “will support the
Rep. Gabe Evans, RFort Lupton (center, in black) tours a community solar project in La Salle, south of Greeley.
United States’ position as a global energy leader,” the letter said. “Both our constituencies and the energy industry alike remain concerned about disruptive changes to our nation’s energy tax structure.”
Tax credits adopted over the last decade “allowed energy developers to plan with these tax incentives in mind. These timelines have been relied upon when it comes to capital allocation, planning and project commitments, all of which would be jeopardized by premature credit phase outs or additional restrictive mechanisms such as limiting transferability.”
Evans’ “all-of-the-above” tour was arranged by a former Republican state senator, Greg Brophy. Brophy grows watermelons north of Wray and operates an organization called The Western Way. Brophy has been a strong supporter of renewable energy for eastern Colorado and also has a presence on the Western Slope.
Brophy told me that he has organized a similar tour for another member of Congress from Colorado, but it has not been scheduled. He declined to identify the representative.
What if Trump succeeds in rolling back federal energy tax credits? Energy Innovation, a think tank, estimates increased average household energy costs in Colorado of $180 per year by 2030. Will other Republicans in Colorado’s congressional delegation join Evans and Hurd? Only time will tell.
Allen Best chronicles Colorado’s energy and water transitions at BigPivots.com. ■
dance.
FlashinthePan
Righteous rice
Becoming a jedi master of the versatile staple
by Ari LeVaux
As we approach the growing season, this is a good time to discuss rice, the ultimate blank slate. A rice dish is likely to be more compatible with whatever is in the garden or CSA box than any other carb. Flexibility is key, and rice is more flexible than most yoga instructors.
When it comes to cooking rice, I consider myself something of a John Henry, the steel-driving man who could outpound a steam driver. I may be nothing special with a sledgehammer, but I can cook rice better than any rice cooker. I don’t even measure. I just pour the rice from a 25-pound sack until it looks like enough. And then I stick my finger in it. Based on what my finger tells me, I might add more water or pour off excess.
My rice finger senses its environment, comparing the relative depths of rice and water, and then notifies me. I realize, however, you might need a bit more than “stick your finger in the rice, and listen to what it reports.” Alas, I used a tape measure to reverse-engineer my technique, in order to translate what my submerged digit is looking for.
But first, a few words about rice varieties. There is a bewildering number, each with different flavors, textures, colors and needs. The beauty of my technique is it works with any rice. White jasmine with its mesmerizing fragrance is my favorite. I also like white basmati, which is a bit more nutty, less floral, but just as intoxicating. My preferred types are coated in a starchy pow-
der, which I rinse off, so the rice is more fluffy and less sticky.
As you read the following instructions, they may seem more complicated than just measuring out rice and water. But in the long run, the finger technique will save time and guesswork and help you vibe with whatever rice is on hand. So hang in there, push through the learning curve, and you will come out the other side as a legit rice master.
Directions: Add two or three-ish cups of rice to a small pot that has a tight-fitting lid, preferably glass, so you can monitor progress. Fill it with water, and stir. If the water turns cloudy, dump it out and add more. Repeat until the water stays clear. Then stick your finger in. According to my tape measure, the water depth should exceed the rice level by about 3/4 of an inch.
Put the lid on, and turn the heat to high. When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium. After about 10 minutes, the water will drop below the rice level, and the rice will puff up and begin to look done. Remove the lid, and pluck a grain from the top. If it tastes done, replace the lid, turn off the heat and let the rice peacefully come in for a landing. If it’s a little crunchy, stick a spoon straight down, and gently create a gap, so you can see how much water is left. If it’s almost gone, add a little more, like a half cup, and turn off the heat. The rice will still be hot enough to absorb that water and finish cooking. If it’s a lot crunchy, add maybe a cup, replace the lid, and cook a few more minutes on low. Whatever you do, don’t let it run
out of water while the heat is on, or the rice will burn.
A perfectly cooked batch of rice needs little else: a dash of seaweed sprinkles; a splash of soy sauce; or cooked veggies of your choice. Or try this recipe for a shoulder-season stir-fry.
I’m leaving this recipe loose, because I don’t want to micromanage. As with the rice cooking, my goal is to set you free, not boss you around. I am here to teach you how to fish, so to speak, rather than simply hand you a fish – or send you to the store. I want you to create a rice-based meal with whatever you have on hand, and build flexibility as the season evolves.
Since squash is still readily available, I decided to serve my rice with a carnival squash, which is easy to pan-fry. The thin skin is edible, so you don’t need to peel it, and the small seeds get crispy in the pan, adding texture.
Pan-fried Squash on Rice 2 servings 1 lb carnival or delicata squash
3 tablespoons olive oil, butter, bacon or sesame oil. Or a combination ¼ medium onion, minced.
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oyster sauce, fish sauce or soy sauce
White pepper if you have it, otherwise black pepper
Juice of a ¼ lemon or a tablespoon of rice wine, for acid
Cut the squash into ½-inch slices. Lay the slices on the cutting board, and chop into chunks.
Add oil and squash, including skin and seeds, to a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, and fry until the seeds begin to pop. Add the onion, stir, and cook until translucent.
Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice or cooking wine.
Add the garlic, stir, and as soon as you smell the magical aroma of garlic cooking, add the oyster sauce and white or black pepper. Stir, and serve with youknow-what. (Hint: it rhymes with “nice.”) ■
Stuff to Do
Thursday27
“Business Brainstorm!” 12 noon-1 p.m., Center for Innovation, 835 Main Ave., Ste. 225, second floor of the Main Mall
Four Leaves Winery Songwriter’s Showcase, 5-7 p.m., Four Leaves Winery, 528 Main Ave.
The Official Summer Kickoff Party, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing World HQ, 225 Girard St.
Durango Green Drinks, 5 p.m., 11th Street Station, 1101 Main Ave.
Filmed by Bike film festival fundraiser for Bike Durango, 5:30 p.m., The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino del Rio
Weekly Dart Tournament, 5:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Human Factors of Avalanches, presented by Friends of San Juans, 6-7 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
CreativiTEA, meet-up for crafty and creative individuals, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Sunnyside Library, 75 CR 218
Naturalist Margaret Mayer speaks to the Rotary Club about the biodiversity extinction crisis and climate change, 6-7 p.m., Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
Terry Rickard plays, 6 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Valkyrie Multisport Relay informational/team forming meeting, 6:30 p.m., Union Social House, 3062 Main Ave.
Book Club: “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” 6-7:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. Third Ave.
AskRachel Cock fight, shoulder season and buzzing off
Interesting fact: The term “cockpit” for a pilot’s little room seems to come from ye olde nautical term for “where the coxswain sits.” That ought to clear up any other possible misuse of the word.
Dear Rachel,
I am an officer and gentleman. As a Navy pilot, I fly with the best women pilots in the world. Now I have non-military women tell me I can’t say “Let’s get in the cockpit to fight for our country.” What am I to do with this? This is not my mission to come up with a new name. I need your help.
- Top Gun
Dear Cockfighter,
I’m going to recommend you speak with a dialogue coach. No one talks like that. No one. You sound like a campy send-up or some kind of patriot porn: “Let’s get in the cockpit to fight for our country”? It’s not the words you use, Top Gun: it’s how you use them.
– Try again, flyboy, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
I just spent a week visiting the grandkids out of state. Lots of playtime. Except now, it turns out I need rotator cuff surgery. It seems
Man 2 Man Prostate Cancer Support Group, 7-7:30 p.m., via Zoom, prostategroupdro@gmail.com
Ghost-Note with Nu Bass Theory performs, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Dr.
Wednesday02
Good Food Collective’s Southwest Colorado Food & Agriculture Summit, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Blue Lake Ranch, 16919 CO-140, Hesperus
Spring Resource Fair for families, presented by the Durango Education Foundation, 4-7 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds
Skyhawk’s Football Happy Hour, 67 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.
“100 Years of Silence: The Aniknuche Incarceration” presentation, 6:30-8 p.m., Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College
Donny Johnson plays, 5:30-9 p.m., Diamond Belle Saloon, 699 Main Ave.
Open Mic with Leigh Mikell, 7 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.
likely to me that hoisting my grandkids exacerbated it. Not the little ones’ faults, but my kid owes me one. How can I leverage this?
-– Heavy Lifting
Dear Cold Shoulder,
Sadly, you don’t get to leverage this with your own kid. They’re too old. But the grandkids? They are gullible. You get to milk your bum shoulder the rest of their childhood. Fly them out and make a game out of everything you need done: raking leaves, sweeping floors, chopping wood, being passive aggressive with their parents. It’ll be some real quality time.
– Guiltlessly, Rachel
Dear Rachel,
I keep seeing think pieces (and hearing annoying friends) saying that I need to get out of “hustle culture” and take more time for presence, mindfulness, joy and all that. But they don’t tell me how I’m supposed to pay my bills when I cut out work. How do I tell them to stuff it unless they’re going to pay me to chill?
- Overworked & Underpaid Dear Hustler, I say join the military! You can’t say “cockpit” any-
Jarabe Mexico “Bordeno-Soul” in concert, 7:30 p.m., Community Concert Hall, FLC
Karaoke Roulette, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.
Upcoming
Spanish Conversation Hour, Thurs., April 3, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.
Trivia Night, Thurs., April 3, 6:30-9 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1333 Camino del Rio
“Disney Descendants the Musical” presented by BHS Theatre, April 3-4, 7 p.m., Bayfield Performing Arts Center, 800 CR 501, Bayfield
“Hit the Road” artist reception with Tony de Luz, Fri., April 4, 5-7 p.m., Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Ave., Unit B
Celebration of Southwest Artist Joe Toledo, Fri., April 4, 6-8 p.m., Dancing Spirit Center for the Arts, 465 Goddard Ave., Ignacio
Andy Beyer plays, Fri., April 4, 6 p.m., American Legion Hall, 878 E. 2nd Ave.
Email Rachel at telegraph@durangotelegraph.com
more, it seems, but you’ll get to see the world. Panama, Canada, Greenland … . Plus, you’ll get the promise of a lifetime of financial and medical support. You won’t actually GET that support, but you’ll have the PROMISE of it. Plus, you’ll have the pride of knowing you survived long enough to have grandkids someday … presuming you make it out alive.
– Three square a day, Rachel
FreeWillAstrology
by Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Ancient Rome’s emperor Julius Caesar undertook a radical move to fix the calendar, which had become increasingly inaccurate as the centuries passed. He added three months to the year 46 BCE, which as a result was 445 days long. I’m thinking that 2025 might seem equally long for you, Aries. Your destiny may feel like it’s taking forever to unfold. APRIL FOOL! I think 2025 will be one of your briskest, crispest years ever. Your adventures will be spiced with alacrity. Your efforts will be efficient and expeditious. You may sometimes be amazed at how swiftly progress unfolds.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Guilt and fear are always useless distractions from what’s really happening. Right? APRIL FOOL! The fact is that on rare occasions, being anxious can motivate you to escape from situations that your logical mind says are tolerable. And guilt may compel you to take the right action when nothing else will. This is one time when your guilt and fear can be valuable assets.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The German word Flüsterwitze means “whisper jokes.” These jests make taboo references and need to be delivered with utmost discretion. They may include the mockery of authority figures. Dear Gemini, I recommend that you suppress your wicked satire and uproarious sarcasm for a while and stick to whisper jokes. APRIL FOOL! The world needs your outspokenness. Your ability to call out hypocrisies and expose corruption – especially with humor and wit – will keep everyone as honest as they need to be.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the leadup to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, the iconic Eiffel Tower was repainted gold. This was a departure from tradition, as the usual colors had been brown on the bottom and red on the top. The $60-million job took 25 painters 18 months. I recommend that you undertake an equally monumental task in the coming months, Cancerian. APRIL FOOL! I do hope you undertake a monumental task – but one that’s more substantive than changing the surfaces of things. Like revisioning your life story, for example. I think you are ready to purge inessential elements and exorcize old ghosts as you prepare for a re-launch around your birthday.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): When I worked on the Duke University grounds crew years ago, I did the work as quickly as possible. Then I would hide in the bushes, taking unauthorized breaks for an hour or two, so I could read books. Was that unethical? Maybe. But I would never have been able to complete my assigned tasks unless I allowed myself relaxation retreats. If there is an equivalent situation in your life, I urge you to do as I did. APRIL FOOL! I half-lied. You should be a little less extravagant than I was – but only a little – as you create the spaciousness and slack you need.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In his film “Fitzcarraldo,” Virgo director Werner Herzog tells an epic story. It includes hauling a 320-ton steamship up a hill and moving it from one river to another. Herzog could have relied on special effects to simulate this almost impossible project, but he didn’t. With a system of pulleys and a potent labor force, he made it happen. I urge you to try your equivalent of Herzog’s heroic conquest. You will be able to summon more power and help than you can imagine. APRIL FOOL! I half-lied. While you will be able to summon more power and help than you can imagine, I still think you should at least partially rely on the equivalent of special effects.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Researchers discovered that Egyptian fruit bats engage in extensive communication with each other while nesting in their roosts. Surprisingly, they talk about their problems a lot. In fact, they quarrel 60% of the time. Areas of disagreement include food allocation, positions within the sleep cluster and males initiating unwanted mating moves. Let’s make these bats your power creatures. The astrological omens say it’s time for you to argue more than ever. APRIL FOOL! The coming weeks will be a good time to address disagreements and settle disputes, but hopefully through graceful means, not bitter arguing.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Unlike many modern poets, Scorpio-born Alice Notley rejects the notion that she must be part of any poetic lineage. She aspires “to establish or continue no tradition except one that literally can’t exist – the celebration of the singular thought sung at a particular instant in a unique voice.” She has also written, “It’s necessary to maintain a state of disobedience against everything.” She describes her work as “an immense act of rebellion against dominant social forces.” I invite you to enjoy your own version of a Notley-like phase, Scorpio. APRIL FOOL! I encourage you to enjoy a Notley-like
phase beginning May 1. But for now, I invite you to be extra attentive in cultivating all the ways you can benefit from honoring your similarities and connections with others.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The SAT is a test that many American high school students take to prove their worth to colleges. The highest score is achieved by fewer than 1% of test-takers. We might imagine that earning such a premium grade must guarantee admission to any school, but it doesn’t. During one fiveyear period, for example, Stanford University rejected 69% of applicants with the highest possible score. I’m sorry to predict that a comparable experience might be ahead for you, Sagittarius. Even if you are your best and brightest self, you may be denied your rightful reward. APRIL FOOL! Here’s my true prediction: In the coming weeks, I believe you will be your best and brightest self and will win your rightful reward.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The visible part of an iceberg is typically just 10% of its total size. Most is hidden beneath the sea’s surface. References to “the tip of the iceberg” have become a staple metaphor, signifying situations that are not what they seem. Of all the zodiac tribes, Scorpios are renowned for their expertise in discerning concealed agendas and missing information. The rest of us tend to be far less skillful. APRIL FOOL! These days, you Capricorns are even more talented than Scorpios at looking beyond the obvious and becoming aware of concealed roots and full context.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the coming weeks, I advise you to be like poet Emily Dickinson. She lived in quiet seclusion, corresponding through letters instead of socializing. She seemed content to write her poems alone in her home and be unconcerned about trying to get them published. APRIL FOOL! Now is a highly favorable time for you to shmooze at a wide range of social occasions, both to get all the educational prods you need and to advance your ambitions.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Some systems and situations improve and thrive in response to stress and errors. Some things need strain to be fully healthy. For example, human bodies require a certain amount of stress to develop a resistance to infection. In reading the astrological omens, I conclude you need stimulation like that. APRIL FOOL! August 2025 will be a great time for you to harvest the benefits of benevolent stress. But for now, your forte will be the capacity to avoid and resist stress, confusion and errors.
Deadline for Telegraph classified ads is Tuesday at noon.
Ads are a bargain at 10 cents a character with a $5 minimum.
Even better, ads can now be placed online: durangotelegraph.com Prepayment is required via cash, credit card or check. (Sorry, no refunds or substitutions.)
Ads can be submitted via: n durangotelegraph.com n classifieds@durango telegraph.com n 970-259-0133
Lost/found
My Cat Cid is Missing
Long hair, white with black spots, green eyes. Last seen near 18th St. and E. 2nd Ave., by St. Columba. Reward. Call 970-403-6192
Classes/Workshops
Are You Ready for Guitar Lessons in Durango? I teach all ages and experience levels. Please contact Seth at 602-908-4475
MovingSale
Moving Sale!
Saturday, March 29 start at 8am. 23 East Animas Village Lane, Durango.
Wanted
Cash for Vehicles, Copper, Alum Etc. at RJ Metal Recycle. Also free appliance and other metal drop off. 970259-3494.
Books Wanted at White Rabbit Donate/trade/sell (970) 259-2213
Services
Boiler Service - Water Heater
Serving Durango over 30 years. Brad, 970-759-2869. Master Plbg Lic #179917
Lowest Prices on Storage!
Inside/outside storage near Durango and Bayfield. 10-x-20, $130. Outside spots: $65, with discounts available. RJ Mini Storage. 970-259-3494.
Chapman Electric Mike 970-403-6670
New construction, remodel, service upgrades, EV chargers, split systems and more. Colorado state licensed electrical contractor.
Massage by Meg Bush LMT, 30, 60 & 90 min., 970-759-0199.
ForSale
Reruns Home Furnishings
Time to spruce up your outdoor space. Multiple patio sets, bistros and patio items. Also looking to consign smaller furniture pieces. 572 E. 6th Ave. Open Mon.-Sat. 385-7336.
CommunityService
Dog Fosters Needed
Parker’s Animas Rescue urgently needs foster families to provide temporary homes for rescued dogs. We supply all necessary items and cover vet visits. Join our mission: parkersanimalrescue.com.
Community Compassion Outreach at 21738 HWY 160 W is open Tues., Wed. and Fri. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. for case management, client services, light breakfast, snacks, beverages and lunch with peerbased support and services for those with substance-use disorders and co-occurring mental health issues. Saturdays, CCO
‘Swinging Safari’ A whale of a film exploding with ’70s reckless dysfunction
Coffee & Conversations takes place 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. On Thursdays, Harm Reduction from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Engaging Volunteer Opportunity
Alternative Horizons needs volunteers to staff our hotline. Training provided. For info., visit alternativehorizons.org
