CC to host forum on Rockies
Speakers to discuss challenges facing West
THE GAZETTE
Several nationally known thinkers, writers and politicians will be in Colorado Springs next week to talk about the promises and challenges of the West raised by Colorado College’s second State of the Rockies Report Card. Among those expected to speak Tuesday through April 7 are Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute in Snowmass, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and Patricia Limerick, faculty director of the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Patrick Holmes, program director for the college’s State of the Rockies Project, said speakers will use the project’s report card on the West as a launching pad to discuss such topics as environmentalism, civic activism, economic development and energy. The conference kicks off Tuesday with the release of the 2005 report card. The report, the work of 10 contributors, attempts to rank 280 counties in the eight-state Rocky Mountain region on how much they embrace the concept of “social capital.” Holmes said the project’s staff attempted to determine how engaged residents and communities are in shaping their future and gave grades A through D for those efforts. The report also examines how well metro areas in the region are dealing with sprawl, how national parks are fairing in funding, and examples of success in Indian communities. Last year, the first State of the Rockies Report Card examined how well counties met 15 criteria. This year’s report, he said, essentially examines six areas of interest much more thoroughly. The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Seating in some venues on campus is limited, so participants are urged to arrive early. A list of speakers, their topics and where and when they will speak is available at www.coloradocollege.edu/stateoftherockies Advance tickets are gone for Terry Tempest Williams, who will speak April 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Armstrong Theater. Holmes said tickets will be available for Williams’ presentation on April 7 at the desk at the Worner Center. Call 389-6607 for further information.