CO Small Businesses Support "All of the Above" Energy Policy
From: Colorado News Connection
Length: 01:49
DENVER - A clean-energy economy is essential - but so are Colorado's natural attributes, according to a new survey of Colorado small-business owners.
The survey was conducted by the nonprofit Small Business Majority, whose founder and chief executive, John Arensmeyer, says more than half of all business owners said access to public lands is why they settled in Colorado.
"The statistics make it clear that Colorado's small businesses want to do business in the state - for a very significant part - because of the state's natural assets."
Two-thirds of respondents favor President Obama's "all of the above" approach to energy development - meaning solar, wind, natural fuels, oil and coal. More than half of respondents said the policy would be even more appealing if it protects public lands and creates new monuments and parks.
John Land Le Coq, founder of Fish Pond, an outdoor outfitter and supplier, says his company just consolidated all of its business in the Denver area because of Colorado's open space and land.
"The best place in the country was here in Colorado. There's a lot of outdoor recreational companies, product manufacturers. The employee base and people who have been drawn here because of the employment opportunities on a freelance basis. We can tap into that."
Terry Monley co-owns Denver's Gate City Moving, a family-owned business which was started after her husband, a long-distance trucker, saw people moving into the state - and staying because they enjoy the public lands.
"It is a huge draw to the state. Nobody else, I don't think, could manage it as well as our institutions do. So, we want to see that aspect of Colorado be handled properly."
She's not alone. Nearly all respondents said they felt public lands are important to maintaining Colorado's economy and keeping it strong. The results cut across party lines and business types; most respondents don't have businesses that directly benefit from public lands.
The survey results are online at smallbusinessmajority.org.
More from Colorado News Connection
State Fireworks Ban Doesn't Stop Fireworks Sales
(01:45)
From: Colorado News Connection
ARAPAHOE COUNTRY, Colo. - Tents and makeshift stores selling holidays goods have popped up throughout Colorado in the past few weeks leading up to the Fourth of July, but ...
FCC Calls for Cell Phone Safety Review
(01:45)
From: Colorado News Connection
DENVER - It's supposed to be the first review of cell-phone safety standards in 15 years by the FCC, but some people say the planned review does not go far enough. Camilla ...
CO Wildfires Explode in Record Heat
(01:56)
From: Colorado News Connection
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Triple-digit record temperatures, wind, and extreme low humidity combined to spark five new wildfires in Colorado this weekend. The Waldo Canyon Fire is ...
CO Consumers Get Insurance Rebates Thanks to Healthcare Reform
(01:40)
From: Colorado News Connection
DENVER - Good news for more than 121,000 Colorado families: Health insurance companies will be paying rebates of about $227 per family thanks to the Affordable Care Act's ...
Grassroots Efforts to Stop Fracking Around Front Range Communities
(01:29)
From: Colorado News Connection
LONGMONT, Colo. - Grassroots organizations in Colorado are fighting the use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in residential areas. They're hoping to pass regulations on ...
No SCOTUS ACA Ruling Monday
(01:46)
From: Colorado News Connection
WASHINGTON - Monday was the first day for the Supreme Court to release its rulings for this term, but there's no ruling yet on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care ...
Oil Shale Development: A Threat to CO Water?
(02:01)
From: Colorado News Connection
DENVER - A group of Front Range water providers is worried that the Bureau of Land Management's oversight of potential water use by oil shale companies doesn't go far enough. ...
Immigrant-Owned Small Businesses Add to CO Economy
(01:21)
From: Colorado News Connection
DENVER - Immigrant-owned small businesses are an important part of the Colorado and national economy, according to a new report from the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute.
High Park Fire: Sign of Things to Come this Summer?
(01:52)
From: Colorado News Connection
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The fast-moving High Park Fire sent a plume of choking smoke over the Front Range urban corridor on Tuesday morning - the most visible sign of what ...
Free Summer Meals for CO Kids
(01:14)
From: Colorado News Connection
DENVER - For the next few months, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will offer a summer meals program, providing free meals to children regardless of income.
Related Pieces
Piece Description
DENVER - A clean-energy economy is essential - but so are Colorado's natural attributes, according to a new survey of Colorado small-business owners.
The survey was conducted by the nonprofit Small Business Majority, whose founder and chief executive, John Arensmeyer, says more than half of all business owners said access to public lands is why they settled in Colorado.
"The statistics make it clear that Colorado's small businesses want to do business in the state - for a very significant part - because of the state's natural assets."
Two-thirds of respondents favor President Obama's "all of the above" approach to energy development - meaning solar, wind, natural fuels, oil and coal. More than half of respondents said the policy would be even more appealing if it protects public lands and creates new monuments and parks.
John Land Le Coq, founder of Fish Pond, an outdoor outfitter and supplier, says his company just consolidated all of its business in the Denver area because of Colorado's open space and land.
"The best place in the country was here in Colorado. There's a lot of outdoor recreational companies, product manufacturers. The employee base and people who have been drawn here because of the employment opportunities on a freelance basis. We can tap into that."
Terry Monley co-owns Denver's Gate City Moving, a family-owned business which was started after her husband, a long-distance trucker, saw people moving into the state - and staying because they enjoy the public lands.
"It is a huge draw to the state. Nobody else, I don't think, could manage it as well as our institutions do. So, we want to see that aspect of Colorado be handled properly."
She's not alone. Nearly all respondents said they felt public lands are important to maintaining Colorado's economy and keeping it strong. The results cut across party lines and business types; most respondents don't have businesses that directly benefit from public lands.
The survey results are online at smallbusinessmajority.org.
