Denver – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet visited Colorado Springs and met with the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance (PPORA) to discuss the importance of healthy forests to the outdoor recreation industry and with Colorado businesses at the Catalyst Campus to discuss Colorado’s leadership in national security innovation.
“During my visit to Colorado Springs, I heard from leaders in outdoor recreation and national security innovation –– two industries critical to our state’s diverse economy,” said Bennet. “When I head back to Washington next week, I look forward to lifting up the great work of the Coloradans I met with to ensure that we invest in our forests and watersheds and continue to support Colorado as a leader in national security innovation.”
Bennet’s bipartisan, bicameral Outdoor Restoration Partnership Act would support the outdoor recreation economy in Colorado by investing $60 billion in forest and watershed restoration and creating or sustaining over two million jobs. This legislation will provide direct support to local, collaborative efforts to mitigate wildfire, restore habitat, and expand outdoor access. President Joe Biden included a commitment to invest in restoration and resilience in his American Jobs Plan, highlighting Bennet’s legislation as a model. U.S. Representatives Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
(Bennet and Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance co-founders, Becky Leinweber and David Leinweber)
Bennet discussed how his bill would support PPORA’s work. PPORA was formed to strengthen the outdoor recreation industry for the Pikes Peak region. The Alliance’s support of the Outdoor Restoration Partnerships Act demonstrates that investing in America’s forests and watersheds is not a partisan issue in Colorado.
“It makes a lot of sense to invest in preventing wildfires and floods rather than trying to recover after they happen. We saw what happened last year with the wildfires in Northern Colorado, and we know these disasters have ramifications many years beyond to the local communities, the economy, the forests and watersheds, and outdoor recreation in the area. Senator Bennet’s Outdoor Restoration Partnership Act will help us come alongside our land managers to do the work on the front end to mitigate the risk of wildfires and flooding, maintain trails and parks, improve outdoor access, and protect wildlife,” said Becky Leinweber, Executive Director, Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance.
(Bennet and Members of the Pikes Peak Outdoor Restoration Alliance)
Bennet also visited the Catalyst Campus in Colorado Springs to learn more about partnerships between Colorado businesses and the nation’s national security installations. The facility is a collaborative work environment geared toward bolstering local technology, aerospace, and manufacturing industries. Bennet met with CEOs of Bluestaq, Spectrabotics, and Caliola Engineering, who all used the Catalyst Campus to partner with the Air Force. All of the partnerships resulted in new business opportunities for the companies and cost savings for the government. Bennet previously visited the campus in 2016 when it was under construction.
“We were honored to host Senator Bennet at the Catalyst Campus for Technology & Innovation. Several small businesses that have experienced success in collaboration with the Catalyst Campus were able to share their experience of delivering solutions to the Department of Defense. Additionally, he learned how modern software methodologies and commercialization are being utilized to rapidly acquire and deliver capability,” said Patrick Barrett, Chief Executive Officer of the Catalyst Campus for Technology & Innovation.
(Bennet Meets with Colorado businesses at Catalyst Campus)