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Colorado - Thu. 10/01/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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COLORADO’S ONLY GOLD MINE HAS $800 MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT
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Gold and silver are what attracted the first residents to Colorado, but now there is only one active gold mine left in the state, the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine. The mine is located about 45 miles west of Colorado Springs and last year it produced about 153,000 ounces of gold, which translates to nearly 5 tons, at a value of $3,634 per ounce, according to Denver-based SSR Mining, the mine’s current owner. The mine has produced a report of the mine’s economic impact which documented that the mine generated more than $830 million economic activity across the state. The mine supported 942 jobs and produced $38 million in state and local tax revenue last year. The report indicated the mine could generate an additional $262 million in annual economic activity through 2050, under a proposed state permit amendment that would extend the life of the mine.
The greatest economic impact was in the region, with more than half the mine’s 438 employees residing in Teller County, 110 live in Fremont County and 80 live in El Paso County. The average mine employee earns about $94,000 a year, which is more than 35 percent above the average annual wage in El Paso County and 75 percent above the average wage in Teller County. SSR Mining, which purchased the mining operation in 2025, provides $100,000 annually to each of two community-based committees in Victor and Cripple Creek, which can distribute the money for local projects, said Annie Durham, mayor of Cripple Creek.
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BLM CONCLUDES THE WILD HORSE ROUNDUP IN SAND WASH BASIN
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The Bureau of Land Management announced that the helicopter-based drive-and-trap roundup of wild horses in the Sand Wash Basin has been completed. The roundup in northwest Colorado ended Friday, Sept. 25, having gathered 301 horses across six days of operations. The 301 horses gathered included 133 stallions, 130 mares and 38 foals. Fifty-five horses will be returned to the range, 22 of which are noted to receive fertility control treatment to “help slow future population growth.” The gather, initially projected to last 11 days, completed operations in nearly half the time slated. The 245 horses removed from the range have been transported to the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility in Rock Springs, Wyoming, where they will receive veterinary care, vaccinations, identification and evaluation.
The Sand Wash Basin Wild Horse Advocate Team, in a Monday social media post, announced all of the horses removed in the September gathering, listed alphabetically by name, and explained how the 55 released horses were chosen. The agency required that the 55 returned horses be 60 percent stallions and 40 percent mares, wrote advocate team representatives, who noted that their choices were built around four goals: maintaining rare bloodlines, a variety of colors and markings, a variety of sizes and builds, and a range of ages.
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IN SUPREME COURT FILING, COLORADO ARGUES NEBRASKA VIOLATED RIVER COMPACT
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In June, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a lawsuit filed by the state of Nebraska which alleged that Colorado failed to comply with the South Platte River Compact, which dates back to 1923 and allows Nebraska to build the Perkins Canal, which would run through land owned by six Colorado landowners in Sedgwick County before crossing into Perkins County in Nebraska. The 1923 compact allows Nebraska to build the canal, use eminent domain, and seek it in federal court if necessary. Nebraska argues in its filings that Colorado’s water administration system fails to comply with the compact and that Colorado is violating the agreement in ways that harm Nebraska. The motion filed in October 2024 claims Colorado has allowed uses of South Platte River water not authorized under the compact, with those uses junior to Nebraska’s 1897 irrigation rights. Nebraska argued that overuse resulted in Nebraska losing 1.3 million acre-feet of water.
Colorado's filing said not so: “Nebraska’s South Platte River Compact lawsuit is wrong on the law and not based in reality. Colorado is meeting its obligations under the compact. We will defend the rights of Colorado water users, which is why we are asserting our own claims against Nebraska for using water that belongs to Colorado under the compact,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said. Colorado has not interfered in Nebraska’s early efforts to pursue a canal, the brief states. After more than a century, Nebraska still has not built the Perkins County Canal for good reasons. The project poses significant technical and financial risks and may, in the end, yield too little water to be worthwhile.
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COACHES: AVS BEDNAR GETS EXTENSION; NEUHEISEL TO HEAD NEW COLORADO TEAM
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The Colorado Avalanche opened the National Hockey League season Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena, and the Avalanche announced Wednesday morning that Jared Bednar and the Avs agreed to a four-year contract extension through the 2030-31 season. Bednar is the winningest coach in franchise history and was in the last year of his current contract. Bednar, 54, has coached Colorado for the most regular season wins (445) and games (782) in franchise history, along with the most postseason wins (60) and games (101) as well. He is about to begin his 11th season in charge, which is six more than anyone since the club moved to Denver.
In other coaching news, the United Football League (UFL) announced Wednesday that Rick Neuheisel is returning to Colorado to head the new USL franchise in Colorado Springs. Neuheisel started his career as a coach at the University of Colorado, where he compiled a 33-14 record from 1995-98. Neuheisel also served as head coach at Washington and UCLA, compiling an 87-59 record at the collegiate level. He has worked as a college football analyst for CBS Sports since 2015. Neuheisel was coach of the USL Dallas Renegades in the 2026 season. The league says the roster will move with Neuheisel to Colorado Springs for the 2027 season. On Sunday, Oct. 25, the Colorado team’s name, colors, logo and brand identity will be unveiled at Weidner Field.
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ASPEN AIRPORT RECEIVES $37 MILLION IN FAA FOR RUNWAYS
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The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport announced it has received a $37 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration for use in the construction associated with the airport’s runway reconstruction and relocation project. It is the largest single FAA grant received by the airport to date. With this grant, the airport received a total of nearly $50 million in federal funding in 2026. Previous federal grants have included approximately $9.6 million in an Airport Infrastructure Grant for design and approximately $2.1 million in Airport Improvement Program funding for design. Nearly $82 million in federal reimbursements is also anticipated in both 2027 and 2028. The release adds that the overall runway and airfield program currently has a budget of approximately $269 million.
The airport expects to receive more than $213 million in federal funding toward eligible airfield program costs over the life of the project. FAA reimburses eligible project expenses as work progresses, such as qualifying construction, design, consultant and other project costs. For eligible 2026 grant-funded expenses, the federal share is 95 percent, with Aspen/Pitkin County Airport responsible for the remaining 5 percent. CDOT will provide limited additional state funding.
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COWBOY POETRY GATHERING TIME IN DURANGO
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This is the week that Durango goes back to its cowboy heritage, as on Wednesday the Durango Cowboy Gathering, a multiday annual fall festival, kicked off. The largest event is the Cowboy Parade on Saturday, Oct. 3, featuring historic wagons and carriages, period costumes, dancers, horseback riders and other Western-themed participants. The parade brings a taste of the Old West to downtown Durango. Thousands are expected to line the streets for the parade. Founded by Kevin O’Farrell in 1988, the event started as an informal gathering at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, where locals came together to share songs and poetry. Since then, it has grown into a four-day festival featuring more than 20 performers from across the country. For a full schedule and tickets, visit durangocowboygathering.org.
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FOR RESIDENTS OF TAIWAN, A HUANDAO IS AN IMPORTANT RITUAL
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Each year, thousands of Taiwanese take to the roads to circumvent the island of Taiwan on a nearly 1,000km (621-mile) route clockwise from Taipei. Literally meaning "around the island", the Huandao is a beloved journey. The Huandao can be done by car or motorcycle, but many Taiwanese consider it a rite of passage to ride their bicycle on the trek while in school or before starting university. The Taiwan Ministry of Transportation and Communications created the Taiwan Cycle Route 1 officially in 2015, with the 0-kilometer mark starting at Songshan Station in Taipei. The route is remarkably diverse and is reflective of the dramatic division of the east coast from the west coast. Most visitors spend the majority of the time sightseeing in modern cities of the north and along the west coast, where there are the most cities and villages, as well as transportation. The island is divided by a mountain ridge and there is virtually no east-west crossing.
Most of the 20th-Century Chinese settlers and developers remained in the western flatlands, which left the eastern side, with its steep mountains and little beach areas, isolated. That helped preserve the island's Indigenous culture relatively intact. The east has more open space, bigger mountains, taller trees, and because it faces the vast Pacific rather than the narrow Taiwan Strait, the water is deeper and darker blue. Carved wooden totem poles, geometric mosaics and Indigenous food traditions all testify to the fact that long before Han Chinese and Japanese settlers arrived, Taiwan was home to Amis, Truku and Puyuma Indigenous people. The best time to cycle is from March to April or October to November, avoiding extreme temperatures as well as the summer monsoons. One of the world's biggest bike brands, Giant, is headquartered in Taiwan; travelers can rent bicycles and drop them off at Giant locations across the island.
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WORLD’S TOP CITIES IN 2026 – THE GLOBAL CITIES INDEX
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Oxford Economics released its 2026 Global Cities Index, which ranks 1,000 cities across five measures: governance, economics, human capital, environment and quality of life.
These were the top 10:
- New York, US
- London, UK
- Paris, France
- Seattle, US
- San Francisco, US
- Dublin, Ireland
- Boston, US
- San Jose, US
- Tokyo, Japan
- Zurich, Switzerland
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THE WORLD’S 5-STAR AIRPORTS-SKYTRAX
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These 12 international airports achieved 5-Star ratings in the latest ratings of Skytrax:
- Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar (DOH)
- Haikou Meilan International Airport, Hainan, China (HAK)
- Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong (HKG)
- Istanbul Airport, Turkey (IST)
- Munich Airport, Germany (MUC)
- Rome Fiumicino Airport, Italy (FCO)
- Seoul Incheon International Airport, South Korea (ICN)
- Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, China (PVG)
- Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, China (SZX)
- Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore (SIN)
- Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Japan (HND)
- Tokyo Narita International Airport, Japan (NRT)
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MARKET UPDATE - 09/30/2026 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 09/24/2026)
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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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