State of the Rockies Project
MISSION
Colorado College's State of the Rockies Project encourages students to explore critical environmental and social challenges of the Rocky Mountain West. Students embark on an inter-disciplinary investigation of the region's physical characteristics as they explore the possibilities for balancing human activity without spoiling the natural environment.
Rockies Orange Skies Project
Colorado College State of the Rockies Project launches Orange Skies, a student-curated exhibit of amassed wildfire photos taken across the west. The aim: to capture social and ecological effects of the recent record-breaking 2020 fire season.
Submit your photos of 2020 Rocky Mountain wildfires to be a part of this regional community project.
DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 5, 2021 MIDNIGHT
Apply for a 2021 Rockies Fellowship
Interested in being a 2021 Summer Rockies Fellow?
CLICK HERE to learn more about the State of the Rockies 2021 faculty-student research project and opportunity to be a fellow.
Rockies 2020-2021 Project
Understanding Policy Debates on the Future of Hydraulic Fracturing and Abandoned Wells in the Rocky Mountain West
Countires around the world including the U.S. are facing a paradox of how to provide affordable reliable sources of e
sing evidence that climate change is occurring and has negative impacts on society, and one of its main human causes is the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) for energy. At the same time, burning fossil fuels has been an engine for economic development around the world. Thus, how energy is produced and consumed has complex repercussions for society.nergy, while minimizing negative impacts on the local and global environments. There is increa
Recently, the production of oil and natural gas in the U.S. reached record levels. The U.S. is now the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the world. The key to this increase in production has been a combination of technological developments around fossil fuel extraction most prominently hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking). While hydraulic fracturing was first developed in the 1950’s its proliferation began in the 2000’s when it was connected with directional drilling, other technological developments, as well as increases in the price of oil and natural gas that helped make recovering the fossil fuels more profitable.
Today, hydraulic fracturing is used to drill for oil and gas in dozens of states in the U.S. The Rocky Mountain region has some of the most prolific drilling in the country as it includes multiple shale plays most prom
inently the Niobrara (Colorado and Wyoming) and Bakken (North Dakota and Montana) and other various basins or shale plays in Utah and New Mexico. It is widely credited with boom periods of production and economic growth in these states. While there are economic and even environmental benefits associated with hydraulic fracturing, there are also substantial environmental losses as well as public health risks. One of the growing problems caused by fracking is that in the wake of falling oil and gas prices in 2020, energy companies are going bankrupt and abandoning their wells. The clean-up and plugging of these wells become the responsibility of local and state governments. This has sparked policy debates and political battles in these states about how to best regulate or even allow hydraulic fracturing.
The purpose of this research is to better understand these policy debates about the future of hydraulic fracturing and abandoned wells in the Rocky Mountain West. In this first year, our goals are to: explore consequences of hydraulic fracturing and abandoned wells on people and their environments; explore how grassroots social and cultural ideas shape social movements and public policies related to hydraulic fracturing and abandoned wells; investigate social justice and environmental justice issues pertinent to hydraulic fracturing and abandoned wells; research the positive and negative economic impacts on communities relevant to this industry; and explore how the business strategies of oil and gas corporations change in response to social movements and public policies.
We are excited and pleased to collaborate with Jonathan Pierce on this project. Jonathan J. Pierce,Ph.D. is the Vice-President of Safeguard Marine, LLC. He is the lead scientist and project manager on research projects seeking to mitigate risks posed by shipping on the marine environment. Dr. Pierce received a Ph.D. in Public Affairs from the School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado, Denver (CU Denver) in 2012. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in public policy and administration at CU Denver, the University of Denver, and Seattle University. His research interests examine the motivations and advocacy efforts of actors in the policy process applied to natural resource development.
— Kat Miller-Stevens
Our Latest Investigations
This Bulletin contains summaries of the six 2019-2020 Research Fellows' projects. Please contact us if you'd like more details on each study. The Bulletin also reflects work accomplished this year in partnership with Colorado College's Journalism Institute, geology and GIS departments, and State of the Rockies supported faculty research grants.
Meet the 2020 Fellows
Rockies 2020 Fellows research adapts to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions
In response to the pandemic and the necessity of research being remote, we developed a project that all Fellows could work on together from wherever they were based for the summer. We decided to do an assessment of the climate policies being done by the states and major cities of the region. The goals were to 1) assess what is being done in the region to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 2) set a baseline to be able to see if the Coronavirus recession impacts climate policies, and 3) evaluate if climate equity was incorporated into these policies. Rather than the individual, interview and field-based research that Fellows usually do, this project entailed the Fellows working together to conduct extensive content analysis of existing policies and government documents from the safety of their homes.
Leah Barazani is 
a senior from Maplewood, New Jersey. She is an environmental studies major interested in urban studies, environmental justice, and farming! In her free time she likes to bake bread and listen to music. She'll be conducting her research from her home in New Jersey for the summer and she is looking forward to spending time with the other Fellows (hopefully) in the fall!
Emma Locke is a senior from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is an environmental studies major interested in urban planning, green buildings, and environmental justice. In her free time, Emma enjoys trail running, cooking, and walking with her dogs. She is very excited for the opportunity to be a State of the Rockies fellow and looking forward to spending the summer in Colorado Springs.
Matthew Luzincourt is a senior from Wheatley Heights, New York. He is majoring in Organismal Biology and Ecology, minoring in Environmental Issues, and is the co-chair of the CC QuestBridge Scholars Network. In his spare time, he loves to hike, paint, and watch Animal Planet. Matt is excited to explore questions concerning urban energy systems and urban climate policy this summer!
Gracia Seeley is a junior from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is double majoring in Political Science and Environmental Studies, and is excited to study the intersection of the two as a State of the Rockies Fellow. On campus, Gracia works at the Innovation Center, plays intramural sports and is involved on various student action groups like JStreet and Planned Parenthood Generation Action. She likes spending her free time outside and with friends, whether skiing, painting, or just lounging in the sunshine.
Hi, and thank you for visiting the State of the Rockies website! My name is Maddy Unger and I am an Environmental Studies Major/ Urban Studies Minor from Baltimore, Maryland. During my three years here in Colorado, I have grown increasingly interested in the changing landscape of the rural West, and the impact that agritourism and ecotourism has on agriculture, ranching and mining based economies. I am looking forward to exploring questions related to economic transitions, place-based relationships and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the North Fork Valley this summer. In my free time you can find me gardening, hiking and having social-distancing bonfires with friends.
Rockies 2020 Fellows report on Subnational Climate Action at the 2020 Virtual CC SCORE conference
Rockies 2020 Photo Contest
WINNING PHOTOS: Judges name 1ST - 3RD places
Results in for Popular Vote WINNER
View the 2020 Conservation in the West student photo contest entries.
Photo by Andrew Hillenbrand
2019 State of the Rockies
Conservation in the West Student Photography Contest Winner
Conservation in the West poll
Winter Sunrise at Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Photo by Stephen Weaver
Conservation in the West poll shines light on western voters' conservation concerns: bipartisan public opinion survey tracks 10 years of survey results
by Josie McCauley, '21
This February 20, 2020 the State of the Rockies Project celebrated the release of the 2020 Conservation in the West Poll Results during the 2020 Future of the West Symposium, with students, faculty, community members, and stakeholders all present.
Montana Governor Steve Bullock delivered the opening keynote address, emphasizing the unique connection Westerners have with the land and the importance of conserving such areas.
Poll results were delivered by Lori Weigel of New Bridge Strategy and Dave Metz of FM3 Research. Through 3,200 telephone interviews in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, researchers determined climate change to be the first or second most important environmental problem for each state. Poll results demonstrate an escalating public concern for climate change and climate and conservation related issues across the West, with with two-thirds indicating it to be a serious problem. 71% of Western voters believe removing the Clean Water Act protections was a bad decision, including a majority of voters across the political spectrum and rural voters. To see more poll results and data visualizations, click here (https://www.cwpoll.org/vis/).
Montana Governor Steve Bullock addresses
Colorado College students, faculty, staff, and
guests. Photo by Jennifer Coombes
An expert panel on The Future of Public Lands, discussed issues concerning equity in conservation, cultural connection to the land, and access to the outdoors, especially in more urban areas. Panelists included Maite Arce, President of Hispanic Access Foundation, Collin O-Mara, President of the National Wildlife Federation, Corina McKendry, Faculty Director of State of the
Rockies Project, Len Necefer, Professor at University of Arizona and Founder of Natives Outdoors, and Jennifer Rokala, Executive at Center for Western Priorities.
Students and faculty members engaged with conservation professionals from Conservation Colorado, Center for Western Priorities, the Hispanic Access Foundation and other western and national organizations. New Mexico Senator Tom Udall concluded the symposium with another keynote address, emphasizing the importance of conserving our wild lands for future generations.
Lively lunch conversations filled the main space of
Cornerstone Arts Center, Colorado College campus.
Photo by Josie McCauley
Colorado College students mingle and network with
environmental professionals during the State of the Rockies
Future of the West Symposium on February 20, 2020.
Photo by Josie McCauley
ROCKIES in the NEWS
Project Partners
Rockies Rapid Response Research Projects
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Ecoacoustics across natural and built soundscapes at the edge of the Colorado Rockies
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Fountain Valley Water Project
Learn more and apply for a Rockies Rapid Response Research grant
CC students present Rockies Rapid Response research at 2019 SCORE conference
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Last updated: 01/24/2021