Posts tagged members
Boulder OSMPs to host open house on open space recovery progress
Oct 16th
The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Millennium Harvest House ballroom, 1345 28th St. OSMP staff will kick off the meeting with a presentation of its response to the flood, along with its efforts to open area trails, trailheads and climbing locations. OSMP staff members will be available to address specific questions after the department’s presentation.
The topics covered during the open house will include:
· Trail and trailhead repair, and trail opening progress
· Flood impacts on natural resources and agricultural programs
· Volunteer projects and accomplishments
· Plans for the weeks and months ahead
Since the flooding, OSMP staff and hundreds of volunteers have reopened 47 percent of its trail system, along with 57 percent of its trailheads. The department has also held 15 volunteer projects and has begun working with the Flatirons Climbing Council and Rocky Mountain Rescue Group to assess climbing areas – work that will help the department develop a comprehensive plan for opening more climbing areas across the system.
Individuals interested in volunteering for OSMP’s recovery projects should visit boulderfloodinfo.net and click on “Volunteer Opportunities” for information about how to help.
For the most current listing of trails that OSMP has opened, go to http://bit.ly/15msF85
–CITY–
Role of natural gas in municipal power generation to be examined
Oct 10th
Boulder to convene community working group on the future role of natural gas in local energy supply
The City of Boulder announced today that it will create a community working group of industry specialists and local stakeholders to explore concerns and opportunities related to the use of natural gas to generate electricity for the City of Boulder, should it decide to form a local electric utility. Natural gas will likely play a significant role in Boulder’s energy portfolio, whether the community continues to be served by Xcel Energy or by a municipal utility. The focus of the group’s work will be to examine issues and concerns related to fracking and methane releases and to explore current and possible industry best practices.
On Nov. 5, Boulder voters will be asked to weigh in on a ballot measure that would institute a five-year moratorium on fracking in Boulder and on Boulder-owned open space property. However, given the tremendous growth in natural gas production in Colorado, the current and future use of natural gas as an energy source for Boulder customers has raised concerns over fracking — a process that uses a pressurized water mixture to release oil or natural gas from deep underground.
In addition to discussing concerns over fracking, the community group will also discuss the issue of methane leakage. While it is widely accepted that burning natural gas emits significantly less carbon dioxide than burning coal, recent studies have found that using natural gas may actually release more greenhouse gases over its lifecycle. That’s because quantities of raw methane, a major component of natural gas, can escape into the atmosphere during natural gas extraction, production and distribution.
“If Boulder chooses to municipalize, before we commit to a particular energy portfolio, we want to address concerns around the use of natural gas supplied from fracking and how we can minimize the negative impacts through best practices or other means,” said Heather Bailey, executive director of energy strategy and electric utility development. “Natural gas is likely to be a necessary transition energy source as Boulder makes what we hope will be a dramatic shift away from coal and other fossil fuels toward renewable sources. Recognizing this, we have been working on what we can do as a municipal utility to influence the development of responsibly sourced gas that limits or eliminates the harmful impacts of fracking and methane release.”
Executive Director Bailey also commented that the city has a “unique opportunity” to benefit from a discussion with local experts on the feasibility of a future municipal utility to push aggressively towards responsible development of natural gas. Expertise from the University of Colorado, federal labs, as well as the numerous local companies and entrepreneurs developing leading-edge energy technologies could help Boulder in its work to curb climate change and support a robust clean energy market.
The city’s Energy Future team anticipates holding the first meeting of the natural gas community working group shortly after the Nov. 5 election. Members of the community, stakeholders and industry personnel who are interested in participating are encouraged to contact Heather Bailey at 303-441-1923 or baileyh@bouldercolorado.gov.
More information about the Energy Future project and associated municipalization exploration study is available at www.BoulderEnergyFuture.com.
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CU-BOULDER TO HOST CAMPUS MASTER PLAN OPEN HOUSE ON MARCH 16
Mar 14th
The Campus Master Plan, a guiding document required by the Colorado Commission of Higher Education, outlines campus development over the next decade. The university began the planning process over a year ago with eight task force groups consisting of members from the campus and the community. Each task force provided input on larger focus areas and subjects. After receiving final reports from each task force, the university hired consultants for technical areas, compiled information, and wrote the draft plan.
“The Campus Master Plan represents a convergence of key communities on campus and within the city of Boulder,” said CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano. “We are putting forth a bold vision — one that makes maximum use of our existing resources, promotes sustainability and innovation, and that will accommodate new generations of students. Together, moving the plan forward, we are laying the groundwork for a bold new century for CU-Boulder.”
Following the 30-day comment period, planners will finalize the document and submit it for approval to campus planning and design boards, the Board of Regents and ultimately the CCHE. The approved Campus Master Plan will guide CU-Boulder campus development until 2020.
The Center for Community is located on the CU-Boulder campus on Regent Drive, just east of Broadway, and the Flatirons Room is located on the third floor. Pay visitor parking is located just west of the building. After 5 p.m. the parking lot across the street is free.
A draft of the master plan will be available for download on March 16 at http://www.colorado.edu/masterplan.