Governor’s visit

Governor John Hickenlooper paid a visit to the annual Colorado Outfitters Association (COA) convention Jan. 14 in Grand Junction. Hickenlooper recounted his master’s degree work as a young geologist doing field work just north of Yellowstone National Park and his personal experience with an outfitter who provided packing services and support for him in the back country at that time. He talked about the great knowledge this outfitter had about the country and the wildlife and its history. Gov. Hickenlooper also talked about the contributions outfitters have made in Colorado and the important role outfitters have served in our state’s history, their role in conservation and their tremendous knowledge of the outdoors. The Colorado Outfitters Association has a very important place in our state’s future and as more of us live in urban environments, distant from the wildlife and world around us, outfitters will serve as facilitators for the public to experience the outdoors. Gov. Hickenlooper is pictured with COA president Dick Ray. Brian Welder, in the foreground, helped with the event.