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WEEK OF JUNE 19, 2025
VOLUME 122 | ISSUE 25
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MAKING IT EASIER TO PADDLE BARR LAKE New self-serve rental service debuts P4
Support for Medicaid cuts low in Colorado Just 21% favor decreased Medicaid spending BY DELILAH BRUMER NEWSLINE
nities and watersheds is essential to safeguarding Colorado’s billion dollar recreation and outdoor economy. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s 2025 Wildfire Preparedness Plan warned that Colorado may have “slightly above-average wildland fire activity” this year, as well as the potential for delayed response times and fewer firefighting resources because of concerns around federal funding. That can jeopardize communities, natural resources and infrastructure in Colorado. The wildfire season is longer and more intense in Colorado and the West due to the effects of climate change, as well as prolonged drought and
Just 21% of Colorado voters want Congress to decrease Medicaid spending, according to a poll released Tuesday. Concerns about gutted health care access come as U.S. Senate Republican leaders work to push through a tax and spending bill that would cut Medicaid by an estimated $625 billion over the next decade. The poll zeroed in on the 8th Congressional District, which includes the northern Denver metro area and parts of Weld County. In the district, where1 in 4 residents receive Medicaid benefits, 63% of voters said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who voted to cut Medicaid. The 8th District is represented by Republican Gabe Evans, who voted in favor of the plan that would reduce federal Medicaid spending when it was brought to the U.S. House of Representatives in May. A spokesperson for Evans defended the vote, saying a proposed provision to institute part-time work requirements for some people to retain Medicaid eligibility would make “the program more efficient by cutting out fraud, waste, and abuse.” “Congressman Gabe Evans has been steadfast in his support of protecting Medicaid for the vulnerable populations it was created to serve — pregnant women, kids, and disabled people,” said spokesperson Delanie Bomar in a statement Tuesday. Evans, who was elected to the House last year, represents one of the country’s few congressional swing districts. According to the poll, 42% of voters in the district want to see increased federal Medicaid spending, 20% want it to stay about the same and 28% want it to decrease.
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Colorado fire risk grows as federal funding wanes Uncertain federal support undercuts preparedness in Colorado communities BY LINDSEY TOOMER NEWSLINE
Wildfire experts say the best way for Colorado to reduce the destructive power of wildfires is to prepare a proactive response supported by the federal government. But it’s uncertain whether federal resources will continue to support fire mitigation and resilience projects, and organizations that work on those projects are no longer sure whom to talk to at federal agencies they’ve previously worked with. In a fire-prone state that’s entering the warm months, this has reduced mo-
mentum on fire prevention efforts some experts say are essential to protecting Colorado communities. The Trump administration has upended federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management with staff reductions and reorganizations. And the federal hiring freeze Trump implemented on inauguration day has meant many open positions are left unfilled. Rebecca Samulski, executive director of Fire Adapted Colorado, a nonprofit that supports wildfire resilience professionals around the state, said the energy around proactive
VOICES: 10 | CULTURE: 14 | CALENDAR: 17
mitigation has “kind of stalled right now,” as organizations determine how to stay afloat without the guarantee of federal support. With all of the moving pieces, prevention experts have again become reactive while trying to “stay sane.” “I just think it’s really important that the federal government continue to have a role in the proactive wildfire resilience work,” Samulski said. “We know that it’s a lot more cost effective to do the work up front with communities than to wait and to respond to disasters or recover from them.” Matt McCombs, Colorado State Forest Service director, said that in what is expected to be an average wildfire season — which “is a really bad year in Colorado” — work to improve resiliency and protect commu-
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