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Boulder’s Chautauqua Park future discussed
Oct 5th
The City of Boulder and the Colorado Chautauqua Association (CCA) are working together to develop a “Chautauqua 2020 Stewardship Framework” to help guide their collaborative management of the Chautauqua area, and to inform any future decisions about its use and enhancement.
The consultant team of Anderson Hallas Architects, PC and Mundus Bishop Design, Inc. was recently retained to help develop the Framework. The city and the consultant team will host an open house for the public to learn more about the project and provide feedback. The meeting will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11, in the Municipal Building lobby, 1777 Broadway. A 5:15 p.m. presentation will highlight:
- The project scope and timeline
- Results of a Chautauqua area visitor survey
- Access and parking data
- Preliminary criteria for defining a decision-making framework
This collaborative effort is taking place in order to develop a Stewardship Framework for the Chautauqua area, located at 900 Baseline Road. The effort arose in response to CCA’s “Chautauqua 2020 Plan” that was brought to the city in February 2011. The 2020 Plan identifies the CCA’s priorities as it strives to continue its mission “to preserve, perpetuate and improve the site and spirit of the historic Chautauqua by enhancing its community and values through cultural, educational, social and recreational experiences.”
The overall purpose of the Stewardship Framework is to establish a shared understanding and approach to Chautauqua’s stewardship, including a process by which potential changes to facilities and the adjacent historic area could be considered. It also seeks to lay the foundation for continued success of the Colorado Chautauqua through coordination of uses and a shared management philosophy and practice between the city and the CCA.
To learn more about the stewardship framework, visit www.BoulderColorado.gov/Chautauqua, or contact Louise Grauer at 303-441-3134 or grauerl@bouldercolorado.gov.
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Boulder CU: Arctic sea ice all-time low
Sep 15th
THE SECOND LOWEST IN THE SATELLITE RECORD
The blanket of sea ice that floats on the Arctic Ocean appears to have reached its lowest extent for 2011, the second lowest recorded since satellites began measuring it in 1979,
The Arctic sea ice extent fell to 1.67 million square miles, or 4.33 million square kilometers on Sept. 9, 2011.
While this year’s September minimum extent was greater than the all-time low in 2007, it remains significantly below the long-term average and well outside the range of natural climate variability, according to scientists involved in the analysis. Most scientists believe the shrinking Arctic sea ice is tied to warming temperatures caused by an increase in human-produced greenhouse gases pumped into Earth’s atmosphere.
“Every summer that we see a very low ice extent in September sets us up for a similar situation the following year,” said NSIDC Director Mark Serreze, also a professor in CU-Boulder’s geography department. “The Arctic sea ice cover is so thin now compared to 30 years ago that it just can’t take a hit anymore. This overall pattern of thinning ice in the Arctic in recent decades is really starting to catch up with us.”
Serreze said that in 2007, the year of record low Arctic sea ice, there was a “nearly perfect” set-up of specific weather conditions. Winds pushed in more warm air over the Arctic than usual, helping to melt sea ice, and winds also pushed the floating ice chunks together into a smaller area. “It is interesting that this year, the second lowest sea ice extent ever recorded, that we didn’t see that kind of weather pattern at all,” he said.
The last five years have been the five lowest Arctic sea ice extents recorded since satellite measurements began in 1979, said CU-Boulder’s Walt Meier, an NSIDC scientist. “The primary driver of these low sea ice conditions is rising temperatures in the Arctic, and we definitely are heading in the direction of ice-free summers,” he said. “Our best estimates now indicate that may occur by about 2030 or 2040.”
There still is a chance the sea ice extent could fall slightly due to changing winds or late season melt, said Meier. During the first week of October, CU-Boulder’s NSIDC will issue a full analysis of the 2011 results and a comparison to previous years.
NSIDC is part of CU-Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences — a joint institute of CU-Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration headquartered on the CU campus — and is funded primarily by NASA.
NSIDC’s sea ice data come from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder sensor on the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F17 satellite using methods developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
Boulder County Fire Ban: see details
Sep 2nd
Sheriff Pelle orders outdoor fire ban
Thursday, September 01, 2011
This includes all unincorporated areas west of U.S. 36 (North Foothills Highway), and west of Highway 93 (South Foothills Highway) as well as Rabbit Mountain Open Space (see map).
During the fire ban, open burning is permitted only under the following circumstances:
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Fire contained within liquid or gas fuel stoves
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Camp fires in U.S. Forest Service improved/maintained campgrounds that are currently open to the public*(see separate news release from the U.S. Forest Service)
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Charcoal grill fires on private property
The ban will remain in effect until the hazardous fire conditions subside. Anyone found in violation of the ban may be convicted of a Class 2 petty offense and may be subject to a $500 fine. Higher fines may be imposed for subsequent offenses.
Fire ban rationale
The Boulder County foothills have continued to dry out after months of moderate moisture. Currently, Boulder County has a high fire danger rating, as determined by the National Weather Service National Fire Danger rating System. This is due to a combination of dry fuels, hot and dry weather and an increase in regional wildland fire activity.
It is anticipated that with the continued late summer and early fall drying season and the expected beginning of the Chinook winds, Boulder County will continue to have a high fire danger rating.
Detective Commander Rick Brough
Boulder County Sheriff’s Office
303-441-3631