Gunnison Basin: A Hub for Rural Climate Action

In February 2023, the Colorado Farm & Food Alliance released the report  Gunnison Basin: Ground Zero in the Climate Emergency shedding light on the impacts of climate change in the Gunnison River region of western Colorado. 

Since then, we continue to track how this crisis is unfolding here and across the region. We expect to publish an update to this report that includes data from 2023 and 2024 next year. But for now we are back with a quick update. We wanted to share what we are learning about climate change indicators documented throughout 2023, along with some new information on policy and local projects that highlight climate solutions. 

The 2023 Ground Zero report not only documented the stark indicators of climate disruption but also spotlighted local solutions and policy shifts. The key indicators of climate change from that report, and which this blog revisits, include greenhouse gas emissions, temperatures, and drought conditions that were recorded throughout the year 2023. 

Atmospheric CO2 levels persist and are still increasing, exacerbating the impacts of climate change. Secondly, globally temperatures are rising and that rise is predicted to continue. The recently released 2024 Colorado Climate Assessment Report states that within 26 years, our “normal weather” years will be as hot as the hottest years leading up to 2022. This is exemplified by 2023 being recorded as the hottest year globally. Finally, while the 2023 water year saw improvements for the Gunnison Basin, drought across the Colorado River Basin persists and its threat has not been diminished. 

When it comes to policy, government initiatives at federal, state, and local levels are pivotal in catalyzing climate action. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) have made investments in climate action already showing up in western Colorado. This signals progress, yet challenges remain. 

At the local level, communities are taking proactive steps to mitigate climate impacts. Crested Butte's efforts to update its Climate Action Plan and initiatives like the Upper Gunnison Basin Wet Meadows Restoration Project demonstrate grassroots commitment to resilience and adaptation. Other regional efforts, some funded by these federal climate funds in the IRA and BIL, are aimed at enhancing irrigation infrastructure and improving ecological habitats. All these  showcase the power of local action in fostering sustainability.

Local projects also include several that the Colorado Farm & Food Alliance has been a leader on, such as the recently announced SOLVEIT Prize, or helping to highlight the work of others, like a local watershed restoration project being led by our friends at the Western Slope Conservation Center. In this work we hope to not only model community-based solutions that might fit well in other places too, but to also learn about and feature examples of rural climate action from across the region. 

Colorado's state policies still face criticism for falling short of their stated targets. The most meaningful policies would ramp down fossil fuel production and provide a strategic path and investments to ease the transition for communities and workers dependent on those industries. Calls for early retirement of coal-fired power plants and stricter regulations on fracking underscore the need for bold action even as communities struggle with finding new ways forward to support a resilient economy and environment. We won’t neglect to make this call as we prepare our next report. 

Meanwhile we continue to compile data and information from this year, which will certainly be another record-breaker in the unfolding climate crisis. We think we can also show it was a year of real progress in taking action to address it. But even with progress, historic investments and a lot of hard work, with the stakes this high we can and must still do more. And here in the Gunnison River Basin and western Colorado we are well situated to step up to that urgent call. 

The Gunnison Basin can stand as a beacon of bold and collective action in the face of climate adversity. But adversity is also an opportunity to showcase the effort and innovation essential to tackling the climate crisis. When stakeholders unite with a shared commitment to sustainability, the work toward a more climate-resilient future gains momentum. The transformative potential of collective action can help our region prepare for the heating that is to come, and can model  community climate resilience and rural leadership that can benefit other places and people too.