Effective immediately, the Arapahoe County Sheriff has issued a ban on all open fires and open burning within Unincorporated Arapahoe County, to include the Cherry Creek State Park, and the City of Centennial. The Open Burning Ban will remain in effect until such time as this order is formally rescinded or temporarily suspended by the Sheriff. Arapahoe County Sheriff, Grayson Robinson, has determined that the existing conditions in Arapahoe County present an extreme danger for the possibility of wildfire and large wildland fires. The authority to implement the OPEN BURNING BAN within Unincorporated Arapahoe County is provided through Arapahoe County Ordinance 2000-02 and Colorado Revised Statute 30-10-512. The authority to implement the OPEN BURNING BAN within the City of Centennial is provided through Colorado Revised Statutes 30-15-401(1)(n.5) and (8) as well as by the direction of Interim Centennial City Manager David Zelenok; on behalf of the Mayor and Centennial City Council.

On Thursday, during a hearing about the president's proposed budget in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Mark Udall questioned Energy Secretary Steven Chu about the importance of extending the expiring tax credits for wind energy production and other renewable energy sources.  Thousands of Coloradans work in the wind energy industry, but the industry could be seriously affected if the tax credits expire at the end of the year as scheduled.