Our outdoor heritage is what drew so many of us to Colorado, especially here in Durango. Our rivers and mountains continually draw tourists and locals alike onto our main streets and into our mountains, and we’re lucky to live in a place with such incredible access and a variety of terrain. That’s why the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent limit on carbon pollution is so important – we need to act on climate now to preserve our outdoor experiences in the future.

Colorado is already paying the price of warming temperatures and unchecked carbon emissions via increased wildfires and a shrinking snowpack. It’s having a negative impact on our businesses, communities and environment. But now, with the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, we have the chance to take positive steps toward addressing these issues locally and at the state level, as part of a national step forward.

It’s time for Colorado to craft its state implementation plan, and we’re already well-positioned to do so thanks to our support for clean energy and love for the outdoors. I would like to personally thank Gov. Hickenlooper for his readiness to move forward, and I encourage those of you who love our natural playground to do the same.

Josh Kling

Durango