Upcoming presentations on Colorado Tax System and Budget
The League of Women Voters of the Uncompahgre Valley has announced that it will host two presentations on the Colorado Tax System and Budget. The presenter will be Chris Stiffler, an economics professor, author, comedian and senior economist at the Colorado Fiscal Institute. His work and commentary have appeared on NPR, Colorado Public Radio and in publications across Colorado.
Stiffler will begin with an easy-to-understand background about the Colorado budget, the major cuts lawmakers made this session, and how federal changes to Medicaid, SNAP and corporate taxes are affecting the state. The talk then explores Initiative 195, the proposed graduated income tax measure expected on Colorado’s November ballot, and what it could mean for school funding, health care, and the future of Colorado’s budget. The first presentation will be June 9th, at 6 pm in Montrose City Council Chambers. The second presentation will be June 10 at 12:00 pm KVNF Community Room, 233 Grand Avenue, Paonia, CO.
Data shows sharp downturn in visitation for 2025-26 ski season
The Colorado Sun reports that Colorado ski areas saw a 24% decline in visitation in 2025-2026 season, marking the sharpest downturn for the state’s signature resort industry in more than 40 years. After four years of record-setting traffic, visits to the state’s 26 ski hills fell to 10.5 million this past ski season, down from 13.9 million the previous winter. That’s the lowest showing for Colorado ski areas since the 1991-92 winter. This decline is even sharper than the one seen in the 2019-2020 winter, when COVID caused resorts to close early. Visitation fell only 19% that year, as opposed to 24% this year. Some of the impact from low visitation is offset by the number of season passes sold before skiers have a sense of the ski conditions to come. However, the decline in visitors did result in lower spending in mountain towns.
Montrose County hosts educational Fire Summit
As we enter wildfire season, Montrose County is inviting the public to attend an educational Fire Summit on June 30. The summit will bring together local, state, and federal partners to discuss current wildfire conditions and what residents can do to prepare for the upcoming fire season. Presentations will cover drought conditions, weather forecasts, fuel loads, wildfire prevention, vegetation management, acreage thinning efforts, available funding opportunities, emergency alerts, Red Flag Warnings, fire restrictions, and steps homeowners can take to harden their properties and improve wildfire resilience. The event is free and open to the public, however registration is required. Community members are encouraged to attend, ask questions, and learn how they can play a role in reducing wildfire risk across Montrose County. The summit will be held June 30th from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Montrose County Event Center.
Polis signs one immigration bill, vetoes a second
Governor Polis has weighed in on a pair of bills that are Colorado Democrats’ response to immigration agents’ aggressive tactics under the Trump administration. For the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, Lucas Brady Woods reports he signed one into law, but vetoed the other.
Audio Postcard: Summer Songbirds
The arrival of summer brings the sounds of songbirds to the Rocky Mountain West.
Recently, some naturalists and birdwatchers set out in Boulder County to listen for some of these seasonal singers.
For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KGNU's Shelley Schlender brings us this audio postcard.
