Agriculture and outdoor recreation are considered two of Colorado’s most important industries.

The outdoor recreation industry contributes over $65.8 billion and 511,000 jobs to Colorado’s economy, while the agriculture industry generates $47 billion and 195,000 jobs annually, according to the most recent data.

Yet as Colorado Politics’ recent Rural Reckoning series indicated, these two powerhouses don’t always get the attention that industries do in the halls of the Capitol.

A town hall on Tuesday, Sept. 9, sponsored by The Gazette and The Common Sense Institute, will dive more deeply into the importance of these industries to Colorado’s economic success, and the policies necessary to ensure they thrive.

The Common Sense Institute is a nonpartisan, public-policy think tank that seeks to protect and promote Colorado’s economy.

“Eggs and the Economy: Wolves, Water and Wildlife. Nature, Policy and the Bottom line” will feature Greg Walcher, Common Sense Institute outdoor recreation fellow; state Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling; and Caitlin McKennie, Common Sense Institute director of research.

The panel, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at The Dome at AMG, 6295 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. in Greenwood Village, will be moderated by Vince Bzdek, executive editor of The Gazette.

The discussion will be livestreamed at coloradopolitics.com and denvergazette.com at 

https://vimeo.com/event/5359230/90e5be669f

The panelists will break down the intersection of nature, law, and recreation and explain why it matters now more than ever.

They’ll take on difficult topics like the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado.

Some of the questions the panel will tackle:

What did the legislature do in terms of wolves in the special session that just convened? What more can the state do to help ranchers cope with livestock losses? What is the next step in terms of potential policy changes?  

What is the state of public river access in Colorado and how it does it differ from other states?

Given the large economic contribution that Colorado’s recreation industry provides, how should Colorado balance the economic value of the industry, while still being cognizant of private property owners/rights?

What are potential ballot measures surrounding outdoor recreation, agriculture or the wolf program in Colorado?

Pelton represents Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Yuma and parts of Weld counties.   

Walcher is one of the country’s most recognized and respected leaders in natural resources policy.  He is the author of “Smoking Them Out: the Theft of the Environment, and How to Take it Back.”

McKennie, a prominent economist and demographer, has worked for the state of Colorado for eight years in various roles.