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Colorado - Thu. 03/19/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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GOV. POLIS ACTIVATES STATE DROUGHT TASK FORCE
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Following record low snowfall this winter and temperatures rising to record highs, Gov. Jared Polis Tuesday activated the state’s Drought Task Force and Phase 2 of Colorado’s Drought Response Plan. Acting on recommendations from the state’s Water Conditions Monitoring Committee and partner agencies, the Task Force will help the state better understand and elevate the local, regional and sector-specific impacts of worsening drought conditions. The Drought Task Force, last activated in 2020, brings together senior leadership from key state agencies, including the Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources, Colorado Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Local Affairs, and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The group assesses drought conditions, elevates local impacts to state leadership, and can convene regional or sector-specific workgroups to gather information and share resources.
“Drought does not impact every community in the same way,” said Lauren Ris, Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) Director. “The Drought Task Force helps the state understand where impacts are being felt the most and elevates those local challenges so we can better coordinate response and support communities across Colorado.” The CWCB’s Water Conditions Monitoring Committee will continue tracking drought indicators including snowpack, precipitation, temperature, streamflow, soil moisture and reservoir storage. If conditions continue to worsen, the Governor may move the state into Phase 3 of the Drought Response Plan, which includes an official drought declaration.
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FEDERAL RESERVE HOLDS INTEREST RATE STEADY, CITES UNCERTAINTY FROM THE WAR
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The Federal Reserve Wednesday voted to hold its key interest rate steady as policymakers navigate their way through higher-than-expected inflation readings, mixed signs on the labor market, and the war in the Middle East. As was expected, the Federal Open Market Committee voted 11-1 to keep the benchmark federal funds rate anchored in a range between 3.5 percent to 3.75 percent. The rate sets overnight funding costs for banks but influences a broad range of consumer and business borrowing.
In the short term, the war and its impact on rising oil prices as well as the higher-than-expected inflation rates detailed in the producer price index report Wednesday, caused central bank officials to indicate that there likely would not be more than one rate cut this year. Compounding all decisions is the looming leadership transition. The term for Jerome Powell as chairman expires May 15, meaning Wednesday's meeting would be the second to last for Powell as chair, if Kevin Warsh, the nominee to replace Powell, is confirmed ahead of June's meeting.
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FOREST SERVICE COMPLETES PURCHASE OF ALMOST 500 ACRES ON MT. BROSS
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The U.S. Forest Service Wednesday announced it purchased 480 acres of land on the 14,178-foot Mount Bross near Fairplay, including a portion of the popular DeCaLiBron Loop trail, and all the land is now permanently in the public domain. The DeCaLiBron Loop trail derives its name from the fact it traverses numerous peaks reaching more than 14,000 feet in elevation. Those include Mounts Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln and Bross. Notably, the purchase does not include the Mount Bross summit, which will remain privately owned and inaccessible to hikers. The Forest Service has been steadily acquiring private parcels on the Mosquito Range near Fairplay and Alma. In 2023, the agency picked up 289 acres on Mount Democrat and the Kite Lake Trailhead from The Conservation Fund, which had previously purchased it from a private landowner. The owner, John Reiber, had previously closed the area to hikers due to liability issues.
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EAGLE COUNTY: $725,000 ALLOCATED THIS SUMMER TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION
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On Nov. 4, 2025, Eagle County voters approved a lodging tax increase of 2 percent on top of the county’s existing 2 percent lodging tax by a very slim 55-vote margin. County officials estimate the 2 percent increase would add $4.5 million to the county’s budget in 2026. This summer, Eagle County will use $750,000 from that lodging tax increase on wildfire mitigation efforts. The lodging tax’s public safety funds will be used to expand Eagle Valley Wildland’s chipping program into the Roaring Fork Valley, provide additional funding to Eagle County families for mitigation efforts through Eagle County Wildfire Assistance and hire an additional eight wildland firefighters this summer to work with the existing crew in Vail.
The additional fire mitigation funds support ongoing collaborative wildfire prevention efforts across Eagle County’s fire districts, which included the creation of the wildfire-specific team Eagle Valley Wildland in 2019. Since then, Eagle Valley Wildland has constructed fuel breaks throughout the county, coordinated hundreds of fire responses, and pioneered a chipper program to allow residents to dispose of fire fuels in their backyards.
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FRUITA LOOKING FOR ARTIST(S) TO PRODUCE NEW LOOK FOR CO-OP TOWER
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Those driving west on Interstate 70 between Grand Junction and the Utah state line or coming from the west on I-70 headed to Grand Junction, notice the tallest, most prominent structure around, the Fruita CO-OP tower, just off Exit 19 of I-70. The decommissioned silo has had banners on the east and west sides from an agreement between the city and property owner, but the banners now are about a decade old and need replacements. Last Friday, the city of Fruita issued a request for an artist or artists to present designs for the CO-OP tower. It is the first time the city has requested applications rather than just commissioning an artist.
The city will pay an $8,000 honorarium to the selected artist. The proposal calls for two printed banners that will hang on the Fruita CO-OP Tower’s East and West facing facades located at 248 Hwy. 6 and 50 in Fruita. Both banners must incorporate the words "Fruita" or "Fruita Colorado." The design must incorporate the Fruita "gear" from Fruita’s logo design. Complete information is available at fruita.org/796/Fruita-COOP-Tower-Call-for-Artists.
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WEST SLOPE HIGH SCHOOL CHOIRS IN NEW YORK TO PERFORM AT CARNEGIE HALL
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On Wednesday, 31 students from Grand Junction High School and 20 students from Palisade High School traveled to New York City. They are members of the choirs at each school and on Saturday night they, along with two high school choirs from Minnesota and the New England Symphony Ensemble, will perform on the Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. They will perform Elaine Hagenberg’s “Illuminare,” a five-movement piece. The performance will be conducted by Nathan Payant, a music professor at Colorado State University who played a direct role in the two Western Slope choirs being offered the opportunity. The concert, which takes place at 6:30 p.m. MST, is being organized by MidAmerica Productions. After traveling together to New York, the choirs will practice throughout the week. On Saturday, they will hold a dress rehearsal in the afternoon before the evening performance.
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LOOKING TO GO TO EUROPE, BE PREPARED TO GET IN LINE
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For those traveling to Europe, plan on a new and more involved entry system. If you are leaving in the near future, you face long lines at your U.S. departure airport as there are fewer TSA agents at work and lines are long. When you arrive in Europe you will face long queues as well, as the 29 countries of the Schengen Area have been installing the new Entry/Exit System (EES) with full implementation by April 10. Because the system requires non-EU visitors to register their fingerprints and take a photo, and because this registration must currently be done in person at the border, the extra registration time is already causing massive backups for non-European passengers at airports across the region.
EU passport holders have their own, typically faster-moving lines that remain unaffected by EES. According to Airports Council International (ACI), which represents more than 600 airports and facilitates more than 95 percent of commercial air traffic in Europe, border processing times where EES checks are active have increased by up to 70 percent, with peak-period waits stretching to three hours in places like Geneva earlier this year. Experts warn that the impact is only expected to get worse as the April 10 rollout gets closer and summer travel ramps up.
The best advice:
- Choose long layovers to avoid missing connections
- Stay updated with your airline and airport for real-time information on wait times
- If you have an EU passport, use it to avoid EES entirely
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LOOKING TO TRAVEL ABROAD & DON’T HAVE A PASSPORT?
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Many Americans have resisted getting a passport, citing the cost, time and effort it takes. U.S. sovereignty, meaning travel from the mainland, is considered domestic. To board a flight, travelers must generally present a Real ID or a valid state-issued photo identification. Moreover, they cover areas in the Pacific and Caribbean:
- Guam: you can travel to Guam with just a Real ID, provided you fly from Hawaii. Trips from other origin points are international and will require a passport
- Northern Marianas: even more exotic, you can visit the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth made up of 14 islands, including Saipan, Tinian and Rota with just a Real ID
- Puerto Rico: a U.S. territory and a popular Caribbean destination
- U.S. Virgin Islands: another Caribbean destination, allows travelers from the U.S. mainland and other territories to enter without a passport, however, the Dept. of Tourism advises travelers should be prepared to show evidence of citizenship when departing the islands, i.e., birth certificate or government-issued ID
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INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL PATTERNS TO-AND-FROM THE U.S. CONTINUE INTO 2026
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Data recently released by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) for February 2026 show the pattern of fewer international arrivals and more international departures. The international arrival figures continued to show the decline in arrivals from Canada:
- Non-U.S. citizen air arrivals to the U.S. from foreign countries totaled 4 million in February 2026, down 3 percent from February 2025
- However, overseas arrivals totaled 2.2 million in February 2026, which was actually 0.8 percent higher than February 2025
- Total overseas arrivals for year-to-date (Jan., Feb. 2026) were down 1.9 percent compared to the corresponding period a year ago
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MARKET UPDATE - 03/18/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 03/12/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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