Water and Forestry

In Colorado, we recognize the importance of our forest and water resources. Our forests are responsible for the air we breathe and the water we drink. However, Colorado and the broader American West is facing the worst drought conditions in 1,200 years. As the 24-year megadrought changes Western landscapes and economies, Michael is championing western water and forest health in Washington.

For years, Coloradans have told Michael about the need for Washington to partner with local communities to dramatically scale up our forest and watershed investments. Colorado’s forests and watersheds are as important to the state as the Brooklyn Bridge is to New York. However, decades of federal and state underfunding and record, climate-driven wildfires have put our forests and watersheds at risk. After a devastating fire season in 2020, Michael wrote the Protect the West Act to make a historic investment in forest restoration, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, and create up to two million jobs. This legislation helped pave the way for Michael to secure over $10 billion for forest health investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Michael believes this funding is an important downpayment for continued long-term investment in forest health to prevent catastrophic megafires, build climate-resilient forests, and continue to serve as critical clean drinking water infrastructure.

Colorado is a headwaters state, with four of the nation’s major rivers originating in the state: the Arkansas, Colorado, Platte, and the Rio Grande. Each of these watersheds are critical to Colorado’s economy and way of life, supplying clean drinking water and resources necessary for irrigated agriculture, clean power generation, boating and recreation, and more. From the far reaches of the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope, Michael has heard from Coloradans about the drought conditions in every corner of the state. Fighting for the future of Colorado and the American West, he has sounded the alarm on the western water crisis in Washington. Michael secured $8.5 billion for western water infrastructure in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and held the first hearing in the U.S. Senate on this crisis in June 2022 as chair of the Conservation, Climate, Forestry and Natural Resources Subcommittee. He also secured $4 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation in the IRA to address drought in the American West, specifically in the Colorado River Basin. In June 2024, Michael held a field hearing in Burlington, Colorado to elevate the voices of Western producers and agricultural leaders who are on the front lines of confronting extreme drought with innovative solutions. 

When it comes to conversations about compacted Rivers in Colorado, Michael believes the States must lead, with the federal government playing only a supportive role. This is particularly true when it comes to the Colorado River Basin – the lifeblood of the American Southwest that provides water for 40 million people across seven states and 30 tribes. Amid the ongoing Colorado River state negotiations, Michael has championed efforts to protect the river’s limited water resources and is fighting against the Uinta Basin Railway Project, which would enable the shipment of up to 4.6 billion gallons of waxy crude oil per year along its headwaters.