ICYMI: Hickenlooper Hosts Town Hall in Walden, Highlights Northern Colorado Innovations in Drought Management, Climate Change Research, Affordable Housing

U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper recently made stops in Berthoud, Loveland, Fort Collins, Walden, Kremmling, and Winter Park to hear about local issues and discuss regional innovation in aerospace, climate change research, drought management, passenger rail, and workforce housing.

In Berthoud, Hickenlooper witnessed a rocket engine test at Ursa Major, a Colorado aerospace company at the forefront of innovation in rocket propulsion, including hypersonic flight. Hickenlooper also stopped in Loveland at the Northern Colorado Regional Airport to celebrate Bipartisan Infrastructure Lawfunding for a new airport terminal, and visit the new Aims Community College Flight Training Center.

He then stopped in Fort Collins at CSU's Department of Atmospheric Science to launch a weather balloon and hear about CSU's climate change research.

Hickenlooper traveled to Walden to host a town hall and hear directly from constituents on a range of issues including affordable housing, veterans' benefits, wolves, and road and highway safety.

The next day, Hickenlooper made stops at Reeder Creek Ranch outside of Kremmling, to discuss innovative efforts to conserve water along the Colorado River; in Granby, to discuss the importance of community paramedicine and federal legislation to strengthen it; and in Winter Park, to tour the Amtrak Platform at Winter Park Resort as well as Conifer Commons, one of the largest workforce housing projects in the state.

Check out the coverage below:

Loveland Reporter Herald: Hickenlooper tours Loveland aviation facilities

According to industry analysts, the shortage of trained aviation pilots is expected to worsen over the next decade, thanks to retirements, airline consolidation and many other factors.

On Tuesday, Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper, a member of the Senate's Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, paid a visit to Loveland Regional to learn more about how programs at Northern Colorado Regional Airport and Aims Community College can help fill the gap and leverage technology to make air travel safer and more efficient.

For the past few years, we've been hearing a lot about the shortage of pilots at the major airlines," Hickenlooper said of his visit. "… It's hard for them to keep enough pilots eligible, and they have a mandatory retirement at 65 that's still in place, so we've got to push to get more pilots trained and ready to make sure we don't have bottlenecks in our transportation system."

WATCH: CBS NEWS Denver:Northern Colorado community college buys $19.5 million hangar to expand aviation school

Aims Community College is expanding its aviation program in Northern Colorado, adding a $19.5 million hangar and an on-site aviation mechanic program to its school. The additions are being made at the Loveland Fort Collins airport campus.

On Tuesday, Sen. John Hickenlooper attended a tour of the facilities, known as the Aims Community College Flight Training Center. There he learned more about the projected need for pilots over the next several decades, and how the college is working to get northern Coloradans involved in the industry.

"We've got a push to get more pilots trained and ready to make sure we don't have bottlenecks," Hickenlooper said. "I think this is a way for local communities to make sure in their catchment area they've got enough pilots."

Fort Collins Coloradoan:Up to the stratosphere: Weather balloon launched at CSU demonstration

On a hot September day Tuesday, as temperatures soared to 92 degrees, Colorado State University students, researchers and others gathered at the parking lot outside the Department of Atmospheric Science building.

A white weather balloon was inflated and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper from Colorado let it go into the sky.

"That's the first time I've ever launched a balloon since I was 9," Hickenlooper told the Coloradoan.

Colorado State Climatologist Russ Schumacher, who's also a professor at CSU, said there are lots of weather station measurements on the ground but not as many up in the air.

…These balloons often get up to the stratosphere at 30,000 meters and eventually pop because of the pressure difference.

"Understanding the landscape of atmospheric chemistry and the nature of the weather - humidity, temperature - is wildly exciting and unbelievably important, especially in terms of climate change," Hickenlooper said.

Fort Collins Coloradoan: PHOTOS: Look how this weather balloon was launched on the Colorado State University campus

Steamboat Radio: US Senator Hickenlooper talks water conservation on the Western Slope

United States Senator John Hickenlooper has been visiting Northwest Colorado with a Town Hall in Walden Tuesday, and then a gathering to discuss water conservation projects in the Colorado River Basin at the Bruchez Ranch in Grand County Wednesday.

"So being up here on the Bruchez Ranch, you get a real taste of what high altitude ranching can be. It's been inspiring and exciting and we look forward to working with them on innovations that can be translated across the entire state."

The discussions were about keeping water on the Western Slope, and projects in the Colorado River Basin that affect other rivers like the Yampa River, White River, and Green River. Federal funding has contributed to the water conservation programs.

Other discussions were on alternative forage crops for animal feed, compared to what is traditionally grown for livestock.

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