Today on Colorado Edition: we’ll learn about the local impacts from the Great American Outdoors Act. Plus, we’ll hear from a teacher about schools opening in the fall, talk with Aurora’s new police chief, and learn about the impact of the closure of the U.S.-Canada border on a small town in Montana.
The Great American Outdoors Act
On Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law. The act, which was co-sponsored by Colorado Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, secures funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and allocates billions of dollars to help maintain the national parks.
Courtney Schultz, director of the Public Lands Policy Group, and associate professor of Natural Resource Policy at Colorado State University, joined us to discuss the impact of the act.
Back To School
As the summer winds down, we heard form Jerry Roark, a teacher from Jefferson County Public Schools, about what schools opening for in-person instruction in the fall means for him and his students.
Aurora’s New Police Chief
On Monday, Aurora city leaders appointed Vanessa Wilson as the city’s new police chief. Wilson has been with the department since 1996, and has been working as interim chief for the past seven months. Wilson joined us to discuss her appointment, and her plans for leading the department.
The Closed Border
In mid-March, the Canadian and U.S. governments agreed to essentially shut down their shared land border in an effort to stop the spread of COVID–19. Commercial trucks can still pass through, but almost everyone else can’t. And as this shutdown drags on small towns on both sides of the border are suffering. For KUNC, Nate Hegyi takes us to one community that's struggling in Montana.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions:
- “Song One" by
- “Song Two” by
Colorado Edition is hosted by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1) and Henry Zimmerman (@HWZimmerman), and produced by Lily Tyson. The web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. Managing editor Brian Larson contributed to this episode. We get production help from Rae Solomon.
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a news magazine taking an in-depth look at the issues and culture of Northern Colorado. It's available on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can hear the show on KUNC's air, Monday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m., with a rebroadcast of the previous evening's show Tuesday through Friday at 8:30 a.m.