BRECKENRIDGE — By 2025, Colorado is projected to have a population of 5.2 million, according to Gary Severson, executive director of the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments and panelist at Thursday’s Summit County Chamber 3rd annual Economic Summit. Severson also said Summit County’s population is projected to rise from its current 28,000 mark to 48,000 full-time residents in that same time period. Panel members framed their comments around Parisse’s energetic, future-thinking speech. Imbued with the idea that “our job is to be pulled by the future, not held by the past,” close-to-home economic sustainability issues such as Interstate 70 traffic congestion and forest health issues were discussed, as well as expanding Summit County’s reach to global markets.
I-70 Challenges
Before a long-term plan for international consumers can be counted on for Summit County, many panelists stressed infrastructure needs, such as I-70 congestion alleviation. Severson said that in the past, the county exported its major products – gold and ranching products – but now, 66 percent of the dollars in Summit County are coming from summer and winter recreation and second homes. This means today’s dollars are imported, and as the major tourism facilitators, traffic infrastructure and forest health need to remain intact.
A few different I-70 solutions were brought up, with funding cited as the biggest implementation challenge for all ideas. Panelist David Hiller, representative for U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D, said there was not a lot of federal money to fund major changes right now. In keeping with Parisse’s positive approach to change, Hiller said the flip-side of the lack of federal funds was “not getting locked into more of the same.” Because of the lack of money, more concrete and more lanes won’t happen, putting all options on the table, Hiller said.
Panelist Andrew Merritt, representative for U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R, went a step further, saying that alternative funding sources are needed. If gas usage goes down, so do taxes from the purchase of gas. Other transportation funding sources are needed to make improvements in the transportation arena.
Severson said a consensus approach was required for the I-70 challenge. He cited other transportation options, such as alternate routes and transit, along with non-motorized transportation and aviation.
Hiller agreed, but said one thing is for sure: “America’s love affair with individual and family transportation will not evaporate. We must keep building and maintaining our roads.”
Forest Health Management
Panelists also expected the public to continue to latch on to one of Summit County’s greatest resources – the forest. And, as with the I-70 issue, they said the biggest hurdle to maintaining a sustainable forest is funding. In keeping with the Economic Summit’s theme of collaboration, Severson suggested reintroducing the private sector into forest management through sustainable companies that can help with funding. He used Coors in Golden as an example, who, instead of using natural gas (as they are now) to dry beer ingredients, could switch to wood pellets. That money could in turn be put back into forest management.
