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Articles by Greg Walcher
Chestnuts roasting over political fires
It is estimated that there are more trees in the eastern United States than when the first Europeans arrived in the 15th century. It is an encouraging story about mankind’s ability to restore what was harvested with reckless abandon during centuries of economic growth. But today’s forests, from the Atlantic Coast to the Mississippi River Valley, are not the same forests those early settlers found.
Untangling the Washington Post’s Palisade peach yarn
GAWD, I hate the rich. The top hats. The monocles. The dinner jackets. The way they twirl their mustaches while evicting orphans. Before we drag them into the public square, though, we should probably define “rich.” Amendment 87, the temporary “graduated” income tax, defines rich as earning $500,000 a year. And yes, it is temporary. Unlike the federal income tax brackets, 87’s brackets aren’t indexed for inflation, meaning over time all of us will creep into the new top 8.4% tax rate. Clever scam.
Huffing and puffing about wolves
In the children’s book, the big bad wolf threatens to “huff and puff and blow your house down.” Colorado’s wolves may still be huffing and puffing but the rest is uncertain. Of the 25 wolves the state introduced between 2023 and 2025, 11 are still valiantly clinging to life in the high country, dodging bullets, cars and electric fences. It’s a gallant effort to keep moving, keep eating and run an obstacle course among 6 million people.
Neighbors, not governments, work together
Last week, the Washington Post ran a lengthy article about the Palisade peach business, especially how this year’s Colorado River water problems may affect one of the West’s most unique industries. Several friends in D.C. called me about it, surprised that the Post would notice Palisade peaches, much less analyze the future of Colorado’s orchards. The article left much unsaid, as reporters from mainstream East Coast newsrooms have their own predictable narratives.
What Exactly Is a Rooftop State?
Colorado has often been called the “rooftop state” because the water that falls on Colorado flows to other states, with virtually none flowing in. Geologists call it a “headwaters state” because so much of the nation’s water supply originates in Colorado. Both distinctions have nuances, though. Colorado is not entirely a headwaters state, because in fact small amounts of water do flow into Colorado from other states.
In defense of orange cones
Glenwood Canyon’s Hanging Lake Tunnels are modern engineering marvels, completed in 1991 at a cost of $75 million. They are three-quarters of a mile long and house a parking area for maintenance vehicles and a space-age command center that monitors cameras, operates variable message signs and alters traffic patterns with the flip of a switch. They are among the state’s prize possessions, with one other absolutely crucial function. Cone storage.
On Second Thought, See You in Court
Hagrid is one of the most beloved characters in the Harry Potter series. The half giant befriends Harry and his cohorts Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, with whom he develops the habit of letting slip bits of information that were supposed to be confidential. He often follows quickly with, “Oops, I shouldn’t’ve said that.” At least one Nevada water leader must be thinking that now.
Amendment 83: The conservationist case for hunting and fishing
The Common Sense Institute (CSI) just published an analysis of the economic impact of hunting and fishing in Colorado, to help inform debate on a November ballot measure called Amendment 83. It would enshrine in the state constitution the right of the people to hunt and fish.
What exactly is a rooftop state?
Colorado has often been called the “rooftop state” because the water that falls on Colorado flows to other states, with virtually none flowing in. Geologists call it a “headwaters state” because so much of the nation’s water supply originates in Colorado. Both distinctions have nuances, though. Colorado is not entirely a headwaters state, because in fact small amounts of water do flow into Colorado from other states.
Hunting down problems, fishing for answers
The Common Sense Institute (CSI) just published an analysis of the economic impact of hunting and fishing in Colorado, to help inform debate on a November ballot measure called Amendment 83. It would enshrine in the state constitution the right of the people to hunt and fish.
Trillion Tree Initiative Is so 2020
In l989, the U.S. Forest Service published a 13-page booklet (Program Aid No. 1442) titled, “Trees are the answer… to America’s growing environmental concerns.” The Society of American Foresters turned it into a bumper sticker and by the end of the 1990s, cars across the country proclaimed, “Trees are the answer.” During that same period the global warming movement escalated, heightening worldwide concern about CO2, so the link between the two was inevitable.
Trillion tree initiative is so 2020
In 1989, the U.S. Forest Service published a 13-page booklet (Program Aid No. 1442) titled “Trees are the answer… to America’s growing environmental concerns.” The Society of American Foresters turned it into a bumper sticker, and by the end of the 1990s, cars across the country proclaimed, “Trees are the answer.” During that same period, the global warming movement escalated, heightening worldwide concern about CO2, so the link between the two was inevitable.
On second thought, see you in court!
Hagrid is one of the most beloved characters in the Harry Potter series. The half-giant befriends Harry and his cohorts Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, with whom he develops the habit of letting slip bits of information that were supposed to be confidential. He often follows quickly with, “Oops, I shouldn’t’ve said that.” At least one Nevada water leader must be thinking that now.
Tree-planting initiative is so 2020
In 1989, the U.S. Forest Service published a 13-page booklet (Program Aid No. 1442) titled, “Trees are the answer... to America’s growing environmental concerns.” The Society of American Foresters turned it into a bumper sticker and by the end of the 1990s cars across the country proclaimed, “Trees are the answer.” During that same period, the global warming movement escalated, heightening worldwide concern about CO2, so the link between the two was inevitable.
Seeking more durable Colorado River solutions
By GREG WALCHER John Wesley Powell, the 19th century Colorado River explorer and long-time head of the U.S. Geological Survey, published one of the earliest analyses of the American Southwest in 1879, called “Report on the Lands of the Arid Region of the United States.” He may have been the first to figure out that the limiting factor for settlement and growth in the West would never be land, but always water. It would be just as prescient if written last week.
‘Final’ federal decision on Colorado River hardly the last word
I heard about two lawyers that argued for over an hour. Finally, one said, “That’s my final word on the subject.” To which the other replied, “Oh, good. Now we can begin.” In politics, contentious agreements are a bit like that, too. There is really no such thing as a “final” agreement, only the agreement that’s in effect until the next meeting.
I Appoint Myself Spokesman for the Mountain
What if you face difficult legal battles, and I announce that I’ve appointed myself as your lawyer? We have never met, and I don’t know anything about your needs. You know nothing of my credentials. You never agreed to hire me or signed any contract. No matter, I’m representing you anyway. What an absurd scenario – no thinking person hires a stranger to represent them without at least a conversation, a document, or a handshake. But what about a mountain, tree, or river?
Love your neighbors without speaking to them
At this month’s Western Conservative Summit in Denver, I watched an extraordinarily moving interview Wil Armstrong filmed with former Sen. Ben Sasse, while the latter is undergoing treatments for advanced stage four pancreatic cancer.
I appoint myself spokesman for the mountain
What if you face difficult legal battles, and I announce that I’ve appointed myself as your lawyer? We have never met, and I don’t know anything about your needs. You know nothing of my credentials. You never agreed to hire me or signed any contract. No matter, I’m representing you anyway. What an absurd scenario — no thinking person hires a stranger to represent them without at least a conversation, a document, or a handshake. But what about a mountain, a tree, or a river?
Is the Colorado River final Environmental Impact Statement really final?
I heard about two lawyers that argued for over an hour. Finally, one said, “That’s my final word on the subject.” To which the other replied, “Oh, good. Now we can begin.” In politics, contentious agreements are a bit like that, too. There is really no such thing as a “final” agreement, only the agreement that’s in effect until the next meeting.
For A.I., off-grid may be the elegant solution
By GREG WALCHER More than 100 cities and counties have imposed moratoriums on AI data centers, and the state of New York has banned new ones altogether. Fourteen other states considered bans this year and while 13 of those failed, they will be back — because Gallup polls show 71% of Americans now oppose data centers in their neighborhoods. There are already 1,915 data centers in 29 states (including 31 in Colorado) and another 654 under construction.
Why pastures trump fairways in Colorado’s water priorities
It was no surprise that the Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s executive order denying citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents who were here illegally or were birthright tourists visiting the country on a temporary visa. The latter group is made up of foreigners who game the system by coming here for the sole purpose of birthing a child (or twins) to get the kid(s) U.S. citizenship, then returning home with their anchor baby for future use.
If any agency ever needed reorganized
Earlier this year U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Tom Schultz announced a major reorganization of the agency, prompting the usual opposition from employees predictably opposing any change in the status quo. A few environmental industry groups expressed skepticism, but the story was mostly ignored elsewhere. That might be because many people assume it will face the same future as the first Trump Administration’s attempt to move the Bureau of Land Management from Washington to Grand Junction.
Op-ed: Decline of the aspen – a prophetic report
German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer wrote that “Truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Colorado’s declining aspens add to West’s water woes
If you’ve been reading my columns, you’ve noticed I’m basically illiterate. I blame my dyslexia and public education, but my Olympic-level laziness could be the driving factor. Anyway, I basically can’t read (and, still, I graduated from CU Boulder, so another endorsement of public higher education). So, for me to recommend a book is like a nun recommending sexy lingerie. How can you take it seriously? But how can it not get you thinking?
Choosing green fairways or green pastures
I met a guy at a golf course recently who expressed grave concern about the health of the grass this summer because of Colorado’s ongoing drought. We hadn’t met before and knew nothing of each other’s backgrounds. But he entertained me with a tirade about Colorado’s waste of water, especially for agriculture. He asserted that 85% of Colorado’s precious water is used to raise livestock and feed for livestock, an outrage when there is so little for watering the greens and fairways.
Different spins on the same permitting issue
Rodney Page’s first novel, a political thriller called “Powers Not Delegated,” follows a congressman learning how Washington works. He clings to his parents’ advice that “If you never tell a lie, you won’t have to remember what you said.” But eventually he develops “a perverse respect for politicians who had mastered the art of spin...
Decline of the aspen — a prophetic report
German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer wrote that “Truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Why we build fences — and dams
A Montana friend reminded me of an old cowboy adage: “Before you take down a fence, you ought to pause long enough to ask why it was put there.” It’s a principle called “Chesterton’s Fence,” coined by writer G.K. Chesterton who cautioned against acting rashly. He wrote, “a “modern reformer” says of the fence, “I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.” But someone more intelligent refuses until learning why it’s there.
Op-ed: Is Southwest water problem serious enough yet?
One month after proposing to put a man on the moon, JFK said getting drinking water from the ocean would be “one of the great breakthroughs of history” that would “dwarf any other scientific accomplishments.” Californians have worried about water for decades. The Colorado River, upon which the entire Southwest depends, is dying.
Climate future not what it used to be
In 1937 the French poet and philosopher Paul Valéry published “Reflections on the World Today,” in which he originated one of literature’s great lines: “The problem with our times is that the future is no longer what it was.” The line was perfected later by Yogi Berra, who said simply, “The future ain’t what is used to be.” Neither Valéry nor Berra were thinking about climate change, but it is a pithy way of recognizing that what was once widely — almost universally — expected to happen is no...
op-ed: Jade Dragon meets Green Energy
Green is an important color in Chinese culture. Jade symbolizes harmony with nature; the dragon represents transformation. Green tea symbolizes health; green bamboo implies resilience. And now, China wants to be known for its leadership of the global transition to green energy. But the transition does not include China – that image is fake, no more real than a dragon carved from jade.
Op-ed: Jade Dragon meets Green Energy
Green is an important color in Chinese culture. Jade symbolizes harmony with nature; the dragon represents transformation. Green tea symbolizes health; green bamboo implies resilience. And now, China wants to be known for its leadership of the global transition to green energy. But the transition does not include China – that image is fake, no more real than a dragon carved from jade.
Jade Dragon meets Green Energy
Green is an important color in Chinese culture. Jade symbolizes harmony with nature; the dragon represents transformation. Green tea symbolizes health; green bamboo implies resilience. And now, China wants to be known for its leadership of the global transition to green energy. But the transition does not include China – that image is fake, no more real than a dragon carved from jade.
Turn down the volume on the BLM
This week the Senate finally confirmed the new director of the Bureau of Land Management, former New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce. The firestorm surrounding his nomination a few weeks earlier has not yet cooled and probably won’t. The volume is louder than the situation justifies, though, and the vast western sky above BLM land is not falling.
Is the Southwest's water problem serious enough, yet?
One month after proposing to put a man on the moon, JFK said getting drinking water from the ocean would be “one of the great breakthroughs of history” that would “dwarf any other scientific accomplishments.” Californians have worried about water for decades. The Colorado River, upon which the entire Southwest depends, is dying.
California may finally get serious about water
The Wall Street Journal headline said “San Diego Now Has So Much Water That It’s Selling It.” The article said San Diego generates enough water to rescue Arizona, though that’s jumping the gun just a bit. No such deal has actually been finalized yet, but the fact that the conversation is underway marks a new era in Colorado River negotiations. And not a minute too soon. The latest optimism is not based on any change in the historically low flow of the Colorado River.
Legislative mischief afoot around ‘right to float’ in Colorado
The great 20th-century historian Lord Acton said it best: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Acton was building on the teachings of his mentor, Homer Simpson, who put it more plainly: “The more power you have, the more you can mess things up.
Is every government employee a cop now?
I don’t know anyone else who tracks the number of federal cops, but the watchdog group Open the Books occasionally reports on the burgeoning number of federal agencies with law enforcement divisions. The latest report, “The Militarization of Federal Bureaucracy,” detailed the astonishing scope of federal police power — more than 200,000 federal officers with guns, badges, and arresting authority, in a whopping 103 different federal agencies.
Pass the bill to find out what's in it
The Colorado Legislature can only meet for 120 days a year, every legislator can only introduce five bills, bills must be passed by the 90th day, new programs must have a sunset clause, all meetings must be public and documents available for everyone to read. Except for the exceptions. Forty states have similar constraints, because they understand that limiting the legislature’s size, scope, and time is one way to guard against legislative misbehavior.
Jade Dragon meets green energy
Green is an important color in Chinese culture. Jade symbolizes harmony with nature; the dragon represents transformation. Green tea symbolizes health; green bamboo implies resilience. And now, China wants to be known for its leadership of the global transition to green energy. But the transition does not include China — that image is fake, no more real than a dragon carved from jade.
Where money meets environmental power
I follow ups and downs of the environmental industry almost like a part-time hobby, for several reasons. For one, many environmental groups pretend to be local, grassroots activists, when in fact many are nationally organized and funded as part of a larger network. But also, their growth, influence, finances, and occasional declines offer fascinating insights into Americans’ interest in the environment, and their perceptions of groups who presume to speak for them.
Giving states a seat at the table
I attended a meeting last week about federal ownership of Western lands and various proposals to transfer some of it to states. To settle a bet, I asked a popular AI tool how that might work, just to test its objectivity.
Op-ed: Cracking on about wind and solar
John Palsgrave, a linguist and tutor in Henry VIII’s court, illustrated a point by writing, “He cracked afore we came hyther that he wolde do marvaylles, but nowe he is shronke asyde no man can tell whyther.” The word “cracked” was often used in the Middle Ages to mean “boast,” as in “he cracked on about his battlefield achievements.” That archaic meaning gave us the modern expression “not all it’s cracked up to be,” used when something or someone fails to meet high expectations.
NEPA was never meant to be a weapon
In 1970 when President Nixon presented to Congress “Reorganization Plan No. 3,” no one foresaw the eventual result — some of history’s greatest environmental successes, and a virtual stranglehold on economic progress. America’s air and water are far cleaner today, automobiles emit virtually nothing, and many formerly polluted lands have been cleaned up.
Look what they've done to her song
The New Seekers are best remembered for wanting to buy the world a Coke in their classic hit, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” But a year earlier, they first hit the charts with another standard, “Look What They’ve Done to My Song,” featuring the sad lyric, “It’s the only thing that I can do half right, and it’s turning out all wrong.” That must be the lamentation of Tracy Stone-Manning, who ran the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under President Biden.
Greenpeace judge might just beat the Dutch
My granddad had a great expression when something was remarkable or astonishing: “Well, that just beats the Dutch!” It was a linguistic heirloom of the 17th century when England and the Netherlands were commercial and naval rivals. Something had to be extreme to surpass even the Dutch, so that eventually became a common saying even on the American frontier.
Initiative 175: Ensuring highway dollars actually go to roads
It’s worrisome enough that we have to live with the ever-present threat of nuclear war hanging over our head, the fiery extermination of humanity from global warming, a worldwide depression triggered by the U.S. defaulting on its $39 trillion national debt on its way to $50 trillion, to say nothing of an uptick in falls from Denver rent-a-scooters.
The Noble Bill was a noble cause - still is
This fall, Colorado voters may see a ballot measure to change the way highway funding is spent; always a source of controversy and heated debate. But for voters on the Western Slope, the issue is a no-brainer if ever there was such a thing. Building, fixing, and maintaining the roads was the founding issue of Club 20, 76 years ago. It remains a major reason the organization still holds together the diverse communities west of the Continental Divide.
Does anyone care about the wolves?
If you were a grey wolf, it would be hard to imagine a more hostile environment than this state, into which 25 wolves have been involuntarily and violently extradited from their natural homes. It is reminiscent of illegal immigrants from south of the border being deported to prisons in unfamiliar countries like South Sudan and Uzbekistan. Those people have at least been accused of committing some crime. But what exactly have these wolves done to deserve such a fate?
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