{"id":23599,"date":"2025-02-10T14:31:37","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T21:31:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/what-did-officials-talk-about-at-the-annual-livestock-meeting\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T04:38:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T04:38:58","slug":"what-did-officials-talk-about-at-the-annual-livestock-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/what-did-officials-talk-about-at-the-annual-livestock-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"What did officials talk about at the annual livestock meeting?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"HD
HD 58 Representative Larry Don Suckla came to town the weekend of Feb. 8, and spoke to a room full of ranchers and producers at the Southwest Colorado Livestock Association\u2019s annual meeting. (Cameryn Cass\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

County, state and federal officials attended the annual Southwest Colorado Livestock Association meeting on Saturday, providing updates to farmers on politics and policy, conservation and crime, and weeds and water.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a synopsis of the meeting, which got underway at 9 a.m. at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.<\/p>\n

Montezuma County commissioners<\/div>\n

The Board of County Commissioners kicked off conversation, taking turns to speak in the crowded room. Gerald Koppenhafer went first, with an update about Colorado River negotiation from the Colorado Water Congress meeting in Denver.<\/p>\n

\"Montezuma
Montezuma County Commissioner Gerald Koppenhafer.<\/span>Kala Parkinson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s in the Bureau of Rec\u2019s hands now,\u201d Koppenhafer said. \u201cWe\u2019ll see how it all plays out \u2026 and hopefully it\u2019ll align with what the Upper Basin states are wanting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Potential scenarios aren\u2019t favorable to the Upper Basin states, though, and water storage rights \u2013 in McPhee Reservoir, for instance \u2013 are post-compact.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey could be called out down the river, if there ever was a call on the Colorado River,\u201d Koppenhafer said. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t effect just Western Colorado, it would affect the whole state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plus, the $25.6 million in grant money that the Southwestern Water Conservation District was awarded in January is now in limbo because of federal cutbacks.<\/p>\n

The district was hoping for more grant money down the road to support infrastructure projects, and \u201cthat part probably won\u2019t show up at all. It\u2019s just the way it works.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commissioner Kent Lindsay spoke next.<\/p>\n

\"Montezuma
Montezuma County Commissioner Kent Lindsay.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Lindsay said the county is \u201ctrimming\u201d costs and has \u201ccut expenses back to a nub.\u201d<\/p>\n

The county\u2019s landfill recently got a new cell, which \u201ccost two times what the last one did,\u201d Lindsay said. They\u2019re also making and selling compost at the landfill \u201clike crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

MoCo Transportation buses and cars got a new lavender wrap that \u201clooks really nice,\u201d and there are public health survey results live on the county website<\/a>, Lindsay said.<\/p>\n

And Travis Parker, a new veteran service officer, has \u201chit the ground running,\u201d and is \u201cdoing a good job,\u201d Lindsay said.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Jim Candelaria was the last of the commissioners to give an update.<\/p>\n

\"Montezuma
Montezuma County Commissioner Jim Candelaria<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

He talked about how the county had cut its once-expanding noxious weed program to what the state requires. There\u2019s no more phreatophyte removal. All that exists now is a cost-share program, which helps landowners curb the costs of spraying.<\/p>\n

As far as weeds along roadsides go, Candelaria said most of those are ob<\/em>noxious, and that the county will be mowing \u2013 not spraying \u2013 them.<\/p>\n

Candelaria said the intersection at Road 25 will be moved north to be a safer intersection. It\u2019ll be at a 90-degree angle with the Heritage Center. Impact fees are paying for the project, and they hope to have it fixed by the end of the year.<\/p>\n

Of the 517 miles of roads the county maintains, 18.1 miles are slated to be chip sealed this year. Candelaria said that on dirt roads, the county spends a little over a half a million dollars annually on magnesium chloride to stablizie them and control dust.<\/p>\n

Dolores County commissioners<\/div>\n

No incumbent commissioners attended from Dolores County, but former Commissioner Steve Garchar was there and briefly spoke<\/p>\n

In Dolores County, the noxious weed program is \u201calive and well.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to wolves, Dolores County supported Garfield County<\/a> in signing a letter to ask the state to stop any additional wolves from being introduced.<\/p>\n

Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/div>\n

Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin said that in 2024, the Sheriff\u2019s Office had 16,000 calls for service. Of that, 247 calls concerned livestock, down from 295 in 2023.<\/p>\n

Forty six of those calls concerned livestock on the road, down from 92 calls the year before.<\/p>\n

\"Montezuma
Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Ten vehicle crashes were attributed to livestock on highways in 2024.<\/p>\n

Water dispute-related calls were the only to rise in 2024: There were 62, compared with 51 in 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d imagine that number will rise this year,\u201d said Nowlin, acknowledging the dry winter.<\/p>\n

He also said to make sure there\u2019s a water source available if and when you burn, and to notify your local fire district and dispatch to make sure it\u2019s not a red flag day.<\/p>\n

Nowlin went on to acknowledge the livestock thefts in Montrose and Delta counties, and said there are a few suspects in those cases.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no reports of missing livestock in Montezuma County, but do let us know,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Before he passed off the microphone to the next speaker, Nowlin asked if there were any questions.<\/p>\n

Someone asked about the new law that requires handguns in unoccupied vehicles to be in locked, hard-sided containers and outside of plain view.<\/p>\n

Nowlin said a lot of cars have glove boxes and consoles that lock to stow it properly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t pursue that issue, I\u2019ll tell you that right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Still, he said, many shooting incidents \u2013 which happen on almost a weekly basis in the county \u2013 are with stolen guns.<\/p>\n

In the most recent drug bust, the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office and drug enforcement seized 25 pounds of narcotics, $16,000 in cash and numerous stolen firearms.<\/p>\n

On the topic of guns, Nowlin said there will soon be changes in concealed carry permits, and to renew permits ASAP.<\/p>\n

U.S. Forest Service<\/div>\n

Four representatives from the Forest Service attended, and San Juan National Forest Supervisor David Neeley spoke first.<\/p>\n

Neeley said that 2018 was a difficult fire year, and it\u2019s similar this year, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully the moisture regime turns,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As far as the Free Land Holder lawsuit goes, he said the Forest Service sued them under the Unlawful Inclosures Act of 1885. Neeley said the U.S. is \u201cconfident\u201d it has ownership of that land.<\/p>\n

He also said that the most recent meeting the Free Land Holders had in Denver was not a private one, unlike the group had said.<\/p>\n

The group didn\u2019t file a \u201clegally valid response\u201d to the lawsuit and have until Feb. 25 to do so, he said.<\/p>\n

The way the community came together in October to \u201ckeep public lands public,\u201d was \u201cdeeply impressive,\u201d Neeley said, and one of the most gratifying moments in his career of 29 years.<\/p>\n

Bureau of Land Management<\/div>\n

Joseph Manning, BLM\u2019s assistant field manager at the Tres Rios Field Office, shared next.<\/p>\n

Manning said the infrastructure money is also in limbo for the BLM; they\u2019ll \u201csee what that means for restoration projects.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colorado Parks and Wildlife<\/div>\n

This year, there will be mandatory testing for chronic wasting disease on deer since it was detected in local herds, said Adrienne Archuleta, CPW Area Wildlife Manager.<\/p>\n

He said the setup will be similar to what it was a few years ago in Dolores so \u201chunters don\u2019t have to travel far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the next three years, the Western Slope Mountain Lion Density Study<\/a> will be finishing up and \u201chopefully validating what we\u2019ve known about mountain lions: That there\u2019s a lot of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The state is in its second year of reintroducing wolves, and 15 were recently brought into Colorado from British Columbia. That makes 29 known wolves in the state, and there are no plans to release any in this area, Archuleta said.<\/p>\n

But they do roam, and \u201cI don\u2019t know when they\u2019ll show up on our landscape,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Southwest Regional Manager Cory Chick said that CPW intends to work with local producers, farmers and cattlemen to alert them if wolves come into the area.<\/p>\n

Dolores Water Conservancy District<\/div>\n

Eric Sprague, DWCD\u2019s water resources manager, said the Dolores Basin is at 50% of its seasonal median. At this rate, McPhee Reservoir won\u2019t get full.<\/p>\n

There is some weather coming up, Sprague said, but it would take \u201csomething miraculous\u201d to get a full supply of water this year.<\/p>\n

The preliminary forecast, if current conditions persist, we\u2019ll have 20% of our water supply.<\/p>\n

\u201cRealistically, we\u2019re looking at another shortage year,\u201d said Sprague.<\/p>\n

CSU Extension<\/div>\n

Emily Lockard, the Montezuma County director and agriculture specialist of the CSU Extension, gave an update on programs and what lies ahead.<\/p>\n

Last Thursday, the first Cattle, Crops and Coffee gathering was at Fahrenheit Coffee Roasters in Mancos. It\u2019s an opportunity for producers to visit, and have free coffee. The next one is at Bubba\u2019s on Feb. 20 at 11 a.m.<\/p>\n

On March 8 there\u2019s an agritourism expo at the Mancos Community Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on March 13 there\u2019s a fruit tree pruning workshop.<\/p>\n

The 2025 Livestock and Forage Grower webinar is on March 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd<\/div>\n

Hurd\u2019s Southwest Regional Director Naomi Dobbs gave an update next.<\/p>\n

Hurd asked that the livestock community reach a consensus on their position for two things wolf-related: A National Environmental Policy Act study \u2013 which the federal government never did \u2013 and a stance on delisting.<\/p>\n

\"Republican
Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd of the 3rd Congressional District.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

All the federal government did prior to releasing wolves in the state was something called a 10(j), and all that covered was management, Dobbs said.<\/p>\n

In other words, a study on the introduced wolves\u2019 impact to the gray wolf, for instance, or the socioeconomic impact \u2013 since hunting in Colorado is a $3.2 billion industry \u2013 was never done, said Dobbs.<\/p>\n

Hurd supports a bill by Republican Rep. Rep. Lauren Boebert of the 4th District, to remove wolves from America\u2019s endangered species list, which \u201cdelisting\u201d would do.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe congressman is asking for a unified voice,\u201d Dobbs said. \u201cAre you in support of a NEPA, and how do we feel about delisting?\u201d<\/p>\n

State Rep. Larry Don Suckla<\/div>\n

As the first representative in Cortez in 30 years, Suckla said he\u2019d like to talk about what\u2019s happening in Denver.<\/p>\n

He first talked about a proposed wildland urban interface at the state level.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it goes through the Senate, the fire department will have the authority to go to your home and tell you that you have to take out this brush or that brush, and if you don\u2019t do it, they\u2019re going to fine you $300,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

On the fifth time you don\u2019t clean out brush, they\u2019ll put a lean on your home and they can take your home away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fought and fought them,\u201d Suckla said. \u201cIn my opinion, that has to do with your county commissioners.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that even though he\u2019s a Republican, \u201cI get in fights with the Republican Party, and I get in fights with the Democratic Party.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also mentioned how last year, 500 bills passed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo wonder we can\u2019t figure out what\u2019s going on. We need a DOGE up there,\u201d Suckla said. \u201cYou cannot believe how much money they\u2019re spending and blowing.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, of the 65 representatives, there\u2019s only two that own any water, and he\u2019s one them. Yet, a representative with no water rights was chosen to speak to the Colorado Water Congress over breakfast.<\/p>\n

Speaking of water, Suckla introduced a bill <\/a>that would make it so people can collect more than 100 gallons of rainwater on their property.<\/p>\n

Suckla said he\u2019s standing up for the 88,500 people he represents down here in Southwest Colorado: \u201cI\u2019ll fight for you as hard as I can, for as long as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

And if they kick him out?<\/p>\n

\u201cI get to come back and I finally get to see my wife, and I get to live on my farm and ranch. That is my punishment,\u201d Suckla said. \u201cIs there any questions?\u201d<\/p>\n

Montezuma County Fairgrounds<\/div>\n

Fairgrounds Manager Justin McGuire started by talking about operating costs, which they\u2019re completely covering.<\/p>\n

Since the solar panels were put up on the roof of the indoor arena, there\u2019s been a 65% savings in electric costs, said McGuire.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a new sidewalk on the east side of the indoor arena, which is now more ADA compliant. In the future, they hope to make the ADA parking \u201cnicer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another focus has been in improving the outdoor arena. There\u2019s now 6- foot tall fences in the bullpens so they can\u2019t go over the top. They hope to add more seating outside, too.<\/p>\n

All future project ideas are just ideas; nothing has \u201ccaught ground\u201d yet, said McGuire.<\/p>\n

Last year, 75,000 people visited the fairgrounds, up from 65,000 in years past: There\u2019s been more participation, possibly because they\u2019re trying to make it more than a \u201crodeo-type setting.\u201d<\/p>\n

A baseball team practices there now. In March, they\u2019ll have an ag expo there, a home and garden show and a Friends of the NRA banquet.<\/p>\n

In a few months\u2019 time, there\u2019s a 12 Hours of Mesa Verde event, the Ute Mountain Rodeo and they\u2019re hoping to bring back the monster truck event that happened last year.<\/p>\n

In September, it\u2019ll bring a new event: Motocross.<\/p>\n

McGuire said a lot of people have been asking about the racetrack.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be functional this year,\u201d McGuire said. \u201cA new promoter signed in for three years.\u201d<\/p>\n

The updates took about three hours, then the Cowbelles served lunch.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Cowbelles serve lunch at the annual Southwest Colorado Livestock Association meeting. (Cameryn Cass\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Saturday morning, a dozen or so speakers updated attendees on everything from local to federal affairs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[28,29],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-23599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-headlines","tag-newsletter"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23599"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78191,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23599\/revisions\/78191"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23599"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=23599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}