WEEK OF JULY 3, 2025
VOLUME 54 | ISSUE 4
$2
New policy goals for public land discussed Extractive uses in, protection out for federal lands BY HANK LACEY NEWSLINE COLORADO
designated by size for specific missions and each has its’ own nickname: The largest, with capabilities to reach altitudes of up to 14,000 feet, is “Thunder Brick,” according to pilots. The medium-sized craft “Sparrow” can look above and beyond what human rescue resources can see, thanks to thermal imagery. That kind of perspective would take hours to locate on foot, rescuers said.
The Trump administration’s revised Department of the Interior strategic plan calls for expanded fossil fuel development across federal lands, while omitting any reference to public land sales first raised in an earlier draft. Required under a 1993 statute and in 2010 amendments to that law, the draft plan outlines high-level goals for the Interior’s management of 480 million acres of federal land, including approximately 24 million acres in Colorado. Language emphasizing a commitment to extraction is particularly stark. In a break from contemporary descriptions of the natural resources under federal management, the Trump administration declared in a proposed introduction to the plan that the department “is the U.S. balance sheet, and natural resources are the country’s assets.” “These lands — rich in energy, minerals, biodiversity, and recreational value — are worth trillions of dollars to current and future generations,” the draft introduction continues. Chris Winter, executive director of the University of Colorado Law School’s Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment, said the draft plan confirms what many in the environmental community have feared: a shift away from conservation in fa-
SEE DRONE, P6
SEE FEDERAL LANDS, P5
One of three drones operated by licensed pilots with the Clear Creek Sheriff ’s Department.
CHRIS KOEBERL
Eye in the sky proves critical for Sheriff safety Clear Creek Drone program offers big advantage BY CHRISTOPHER KOEBERL CHRIS@COTLN.ORG
State-of-the-art drone technology controlled by the eyes and touch of highly-trained operators within the Clear Creek County Sheriff ’s department has forever changed the field
of operation for rescue, law enforcement and critical safety missions in the mountains. It’s been about three years to the day when Deputy Sheriff Bradley Stepter took his oath and started his post with the sheriff ’s department. When he did, he brought an idea for the department moving forward. “When I got hired, I was like ‘Hey, I own a drone, I love drones. Is there a possibility to implement that here?’” Stepter said.
Initial skepticism about the program was eventually replaced with encouragement within the department, according to Stepter. That’s when the drone program literally took off, Stepter said. Now, the sheriff ’s department has two licensed drone pilots, Stepter and Sgt. Nick Aab, who can control any one of the three drones the sheriff ’s department owns and maintains. The three aircraft are each
VOICES: 8 | CURRENTS: 9 | SPORTS: 14 | PUZZLES: 16
Thank You!
for voting us Best Realtor/Real Estate Company! Josh Spinner - Broker, Owner Local Expert since 1999 25 years experience in Clear Creek County
CLEARCREEKCOURANT.COM • A PUBLICATION OF THE COLORADO TRUST FOR LOCAL NEWS CO
M
M
ER
3/4 Acre C-2 in I.S.
PE CI
ND
AL
PE IN
SO
LD
ND
IN
2757 Colorado
3 Bedroom SO
G
LD
SO
LD
Call for Listing Specials
303.567.1010 Cell: 303.825.2626 joshuaspinner@gmail.com
$350k Duplex
Mtn Retreat
$600k Silver Plume
G