It is unthinkable to me that we still have leaders in office who actively deny climate change. Beyond the politics, the real-world impacts are horrifying. Here in Southwest Colorado, seven counties have been labeled Primary Natural Disaster Areas by the USDA, and another 10 have been deemed eligible for disaster relief. That includes La Plata County. In Southwest Colorado, snowpack is at just 3 percent of historical averages.

The economic impacts are far-reaching – crippling the agriculture economy, the outdoor recreation economy and everything in-between. We need to elect leaders who are willing to tackle climate change before it’s too late. Here in the 3rd Congressional District, our current representative, Scott Tipton, refuses to take any action on climate change and supported the Trump administration’s misguided EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, who was intent on rolling back the hard-fought victories achieved by the Obama administration.

We must have someone in Congress with a real plan.

Jer Agnew

Durango