Author: I-70 Scout

Fort Morgan, CO. 05/24/2023.

Morgan Community College (MCC) Fort Morgan campus and Centers will be closed Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day. All locations will reopen on Tuesday, May 30.

 

In addition, the Library, Testing Center, and Tutoring Center at the Fort Morgan campus will move to summer hours beginning Monday, May 30.

 

Library:          

 

Monday through Thursday: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Closed: weekends & holidays

 

Testing Center:

 

    Monday through Thursday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Closed: weekends & holidays

 

Tutoring Center:

 

    Monday through Thursday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Friday: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Closed: weekends & holidays

 

MCC staff and faculty honor those who are serving or have served in the United States Armed Forces, especially those who gave their lives in the line of duty.

 

ARAPAHOE COUNTY—May 24, 2023—Arapahoe County’s Administration Building at 5334 South Prince Street in Littleton will be closed Wednesday, May 24, due to a power outage. The building serves customers for the Assessor, Clerk and Recorder (Motor Vehicle, Marriage License, Passports and Public Records), Liquor Licensing and Treasurer. 

 

All other County buildings remain open and are providing services. Many services provided at the Administration office can be accessed on the County’s website at www.arapahoegov.com. 

DENVER, CO, MAY 15, 2023 – Clint Evans, NRCS State Conservationist in Colorado announced today, funding availability for Colorado ag producers transitioning to organic operations. As part of the multi-agency Organic Transition Initiative (OTI), USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will dedicate financial and technical assistance to a new organic management standard. NRCS is accepting applications until June 15, 2023. The NRCS will help producers adopt the new organic management standard, which allows flexibility for producers to get the assistance and education they need such as attending workshops or requesting help from experts or mentors. It supports conservation practices required for organic certification and may provide foregone income reimbursement for dips in production during the transition period. Higher payment rates and other options are available for underserved producers including socially disadvantaged, beginning, veteran, and limited resource farmers and ranchers. How to Apply To apply or for more information, interested producers should contact their local Colorado NRCS field office located in the USDA Service Center that services their County. Eligible producers include farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, and other producers beginning or in the process of transitioning to organic certification. Applications are accepted at local NRCS field offices and must be received by 4:00p.m., June 15, 2023. About the Organic Transition Initiative These NRCS investments are part of the OTI, a multi-agency $300 million effort to support organic and transitioning producers. OTI also includes farmer-to-farmer mentoring, direct support for crop insurance, and market development projects. In addition to NRCS, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) are the primary agencies supporting OTI and are closely collaborating on implementation. As part of OTI’s cross-agency coordination, NRCS organic specialists will be closely connected with the AMS Transition to Organic Partnership Program regional partners, to align and share resources and best practices. NRCS and AMS’s National Organic Program also plan to coordinate data collection activities, to prevent transitioning farmers from having to submit duplicative information as much as possible. AMS will also soon announce a funding program to support the creation of new and improved markets for domestically produced organic products and provide critical companion resources to existing and transitioning organic producers. RMA reminds producers interested in the Transitional and Organic Grower Assistance Program, also part of OTI, to visit with their crop insurance agent for more information. Premium benefits for eligible policies will be automatically applied to the producer’s billing statement later this year. Other USDA Organic Assistance OTI complements existing assistance for organic producers, including FSA’s Organic Certification Cost Share Program which helps producers obtain or renew their organic certification. RMA also administers federal crop insurance options, including Whole Farm Revenue Protection and Micro Farm, which may be good options for organic producers. The National Organic Program is a federal regulatory program, administered by AMS, that develops and enforces consistent national standards for organically produced agricultural products sold in the United States. More Information For more information, visit farmers.gov/organic.

Wildlife advocates applaud act to uphold the will of Colorado voters

DENVER – Today, Colorado Governor Jared Polis vetoed Senate Bill 23-256, a controversial piece of legislation which would have delayed gray wolf reintroduction in the state pending the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) finalizing a ‘10(j) rule’ to grant Colorado management authority over the federally endangered species. SB 256 failed to provide any certain date for completion of a 10(j) rule or wolf reintroduction, despite requests for such an amendment. If it became law, the legislation could have delayed wolf reintroduction past December 31, 2023, which is mandated by state law as the reintroduction deadline. 

“We are grateful to Governor Polis for vetoing SB-256, and ensuring that wolves will be reintroduced to Colorado by the end of the year,” said Lindsay Larris, wildlife program director for WildEarth Guardians. “For the past six weeks, the conservation community has been aggressively fighting this harmful legislation which would have thwarted the will of Colorado voters.”

The conservation community’s opposition to the bill, even in its final form, was due to the harmful potential unintended consequences of legislation introduced at such a late stage in the federal planning process. The state has been working with the FWS for the past year to write a 10(j) management rule for gray wolves in Colorado which would allow significant management of the federally listed species by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The rule is scheduled to be finalized prior to wolf releases at the end of the year. A change in state law–such as enactment of SB-256–would have thrown an unnecessary wrench into the federal environmental review process, causing delays and potentially requiring additional funding from the state of Colorado. 

“Coloradans who voted “Yes” on Proposition 114, believed that their vote to reintroduce wolves into the state by the end of 2023 would be respected by the state agencies and elected officials,” said Larris. “This legislation was a slap in the face to the voting public as well as those Coloradans who spent the past 2.5 years and hundreds of hours working on wolf planning and coordinating with federal officials. We are glad that the real work of planning for wolf reintroduction, conflict mitigation, and restoring this native species to its natural landscape can resume.”

Issued for northeastern Colorado

Issued at 6:00 AM MDT, Friday, May 19, 2023
Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Affected Area: > Larimer, Weld, Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Washington, Yuma, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Lincoln, Kit Carson, and Cheyenne Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to, Fort Collins, Greeley, Fort Morgan, Sterling, Julesburg, Holyoke, Boulder, Broomfield, Central City, Golden, Denver, Brighton, Littleton, Akron, Wray, Castle Rock, Colorado Springs, Kiowa, Hugo, Burlington, and Cheyenne Wells.

Advisory in Effect: 6:00 AM MDT, Friday, May 19, 2023 to 4:00 PM MDT, Friday, May 19, 2023.
Public Health Recommendations: If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.

Outlook: Several large wildfires are burning in Canada, resulting in heavy smoke across several states including northeastern Colorado. Moderate to heavy smoke will be possible through at least Friday afternoon, mainly at elevations below 8000 feet.

For the latest Smoke Outlook, visit:
http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/addendum.aspx#smoke

For more information about smoke and your health, visit:
http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/wildfire.aspx
For the latest Colorado statewide air quality conditions, forecasts, and advisories, visit:
http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx