Monday’s horrific events at Virginia Tech remind us that the passing of eight years has not dimmed the sadness, shock and horror surrounding the school shootings in our own state at Columbine High School; and even more recently at Platte Canyon High School. After the Columbine High School shootings, Colorado came together as a family. This enabled the students, the school and the community to heal. I know the Virginia Tech community will do the same, and I know that Coloradans will offer everything they can to help.

When I was Colorado’s Attorney General, I worked with local prosecutors, law enforcement, school agencies and the State Department of Public Safety to establish the statewide program called Safe2Tell that offers an anonymous hotline (1-877-542-SAFE) students can use for tips about threats and dangerous situations. Safe2Tell’s usage in many Colorado schools has prevented several incidents from occurring because it relies on students providing the information about happenings in their school. It is my hope to work with higher education institutions to implement a Safe2tell-style program at the university level.

In the Senate this week, I worked with Colorado’s entire congressional delegation to urge the United States Forest Service to restore $4.3 million they cut from their Region Two budget. Region Two includes all of Colorado and the result could reduce funding for on-the-ground management of bark beetles, hazardous fuels and forest health needs. Bark beetles and persistent drought are increasing the potential threat of catastrophic wildfires in our state; cutting corners on programs that work to mitigate these problems is not acceptable.

Living in Colorado, we all know how important water is. Each day, more than two million gallons of useable groundwater is wasted, and contaminated beyond use as it is brought to the surface during oil and gas drilling or coal bed methane extraction. That is why I spearheaded a bipartisan bill that could allow the recovery and use of many gallons of "produced" water every day. In the water-short West, every drop of “useable” water counts and is needed to irrigate crops, nourish livestock, maintain wildlife habitat, and provide recreational opportunities.

Finally, I introduced a bill this week with Senator John Thune (R-SD) to ensure the the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) maintains a focus on our Nation’s rural veterans. Across the country, nearly one in four veterans lives in a rural community. My “Rural Veterans Healthcare Improvement Act” would increase rural veterans’ access to health care at critical access hospitals and community health centers. It would also create the VetsRide program, which will provide grants to Veterans’ Service Organizations and State Veterans’ Service Officers to assist veterans with travel to VA medical centers.

My thoughts and prayers, and those of the entire Nation, are with the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings, their families, friends and the community.

Thank you,

Ken Salazar
United States Senator

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