OAK CREEK, Colo. – With up to $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes on the line, ice anglers can make big money at Stagecoach State Park‘s 9th Annual Steamboat Great Outdoors Ice Fishing Tournament, Jan. 4 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Adults and youth 16 years and older can register the morning of the event for $40, cash only, or pre-register in person at the following locations up to Jan.3:
PRE-REGISTRATION LOCATIONS:
STAGECOACH STATE PARK OFFICE
25500 RCR 14, Oak Creek, CO 80467 / (970) 736-2436
YAMPA RIVER STATE PARK HEADQUARTERS
6185 W Hwy 40, Hayden, CO 81639 / (970) 276-2061
CPW STEAMBOAT SPRINGS OFFICE
925 Weiss Dr. Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 / (970) 870-2197
Youths under 15 can register free of charge and receive non-cash prizes. Optionally, youth may enter the paid tournament for $40.00 and be eligible for cash prizes. All youth entries under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult contestant.
New for 2020, due to a mandatory harvest at Stagecoach, anglers catching the most northern pike will be awarded a non-cash prize valued at approximately $400.00. There is no entry fee for this category but all pike must be presented at the measuring table for eligibility.
For an additional $20 buy-in, anglers can participate in the optional pike category. This pot will be awarded to the angler(s) that turns in the biggest individual pike by length.
For the rainbow trout category, cash prizes are awarded for first through tenth place based on the total combined measurement of two trout.
Happy participants during a previous ice fishing contest at Stagecoach State Park (PHOTO/CPW)
Anglers are reminded that all current fishing regulations will apply and will be enforced. A current fishing brochure is available at cpw.state.co.us, or at the park’s Visitor Center or at any CPW office or CPW license vendor.
Registered snowmobiles and OHVs are permitted on the reservoir below the high-water mark only for the purpose of commuting to ice-fishing destinations. Contestants can use motorized vehicles to bring fish up to the Marina measuring table to enter fish as soon as they are caught. This will help avoid congestion at the end of the day.
Pets are welcome but must be kept on a six-foot leash at all times.
For questions and additional information, contact Steamboat Fishing Adventures at 970-819-3561, or by email at , or Stagecoach State Park at 970-736-2436 or by email at .
MONTROSE, Colo. – Work to restore wild rainbow trout in the Gunnison Gorge is starting to pay off as the population of the species is slowly increasing, according to surveys conducted recently by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. CPW biologists are hopeful that the success on the Gunnison will eventually help bring wild rainbows back to all Colorado’s rivers and streams.
Rainbow trout once dominated the renowned Gunnison River; but in 1994 CPW biologists found fish there infected with whirling disease and their population drifted toward zero. Brown trout, which are much more resistant to whirling disease, quickly took over and now are the dominant fish in the gorge and many other Colorado streams. Whirling disease infected streams and rivers throughout the state and imperiled rainbow trout populations.
The most significant observation from the Gunnison survey completed in October showed an abundance of “young of the year” fish that hatched in mid-summer and that showed no symptoms of whirling disease.
A tiny rainbow trout fry is giving CPW biologists hope that wild fish are reproducing naturally in the Gunnison River Gorge and that will eventually help to restore wild rainbows to rivers throughout the state.
“We found the highest number of rainbow fry we’ve ever seen since the 1990s and they were spread over multiple sites in the canyon,” said Eric Gardunio, aquatic biologist for CPW in Montrose. “We’re seeing natural reproduction throughout the canyon and survival of wild fish in the life stage where they can be affected by whirling disease. It’s very encouraging.”
For adult fish, the survey found 630 rainbow trout per mile in the survey sections. That’s significantly fewer than the 1,500-2,000 rainbows found per mile in the days before whirling disease; but improvement from the last few years is evident. In 2014, surveys found just 173 fish per mile; 489 fish per mile in 2016; and 522 fish per mile in 2017.
By comparison, brown trout now number about 5,000 fish per mile.
“It’s a very healthy river, but for rainbows we have a long way to go before we’ll be comfortable saying they are fully recovered,” Gardunio said.
CPW continues to stock whirling-disease resistant rainbows in that section of the Gunnison and at other rivers throughout the state.
The recovery plan for the fish started tentatively in 2003 when CPW obtained a whirling-disease resistant strain of rainbows from a hatchery in Germany. The fish, however, had been hatchery-raised for decades and were “domesticated”, meaning they had no experience in the wild. CPW researchers crossed the spawn of these fish, known as Hofers, with several other strains of rainbow trout. The crosses showed significant resistance to whirling disease and exhibited a “flight response” when placed in reservoirs.
In the spring of 2007, biologists started stocking the Hofer-cross fry in rivers and reservoirs statewide. Results were mixed throughout the state, but biologists found that the new strains did best in the East Portal section of the Gunnison River where CPW had, for many years, spawned wild trout to supply state hatcheries. That spot continues to be a productive area and rainbows are spawned there every year. They’ve even been given their own name – Gunnison River Rainbows.
Finding the young wild fish downstream in the Gunnison Gorge provides another encouraging sign that the 20-year journey to recover rainbow trout has been worth the effort. The abundance of brown trout, predators that feast on small fish, are perhaps the biggest challenge in the Gunnison and other rivers.
“The wild fry are the best thing for us to see down there,” Gardunio said. “As those fish grow into adults we’ll have more and more fish and hopefully, a self-sustaining population. We hope to see a continuing gradual increase.”
And if they thrive in the Gunnison, biologists are confident they’ll eventually take hold in big rivers throughout the state.
DENVER – A Colorado Parks and Wildlife investigation into illegal hunting reports over the course of several years led to a plea deal with a Texas man who paid fines in excess of $53,000 thanks to the persistence of wildlife officers.
Raymond P. Muse, 50, of Chireno, Texas, pleaded guilty to willful destruction of wildlife and received a deferred judgement and sentence on that felony charge. Additionally, Muse pleaded guilty to 11 misdemeanor charges, including illegal possession of wildlife and hunting without a license, on Dec. 5, 2019 in Jefferson County District Court.
A Jefferson County judge sentenced Muse to two years of supervised probation and a court-ordered suspension of all hunting, fishing and trapping related activities. Pursuant to his deferred judgement and sentence on his felony conviction, Muse is restricted from possessing a firearm or other weapon, even for hunting purposes, during his two-year probation. Also with his conviction, he is required to undergo a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission administrative hearing process to determine the length of time that his hunting and fishing privileges will be suspended. Any suspension of hunting and fishing privileges in Colorado will be honored by all 48 member states through the Wildlife Violator Compact.
As part of the adjudication of the criminal case in this investigation, Muse was ordered to 96 hours of useful public service, pay $500 restitution to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, pay $500 donation to Colorado Operation Game Thief, pay over $53,000 in fines (not including court costs), and complete a hunter education program.
“We investigate crimes like this both to protect the wildlife of the state, but also to protect the interests of legal and ethical hunters here in Colorado,” said CPW Wildlife Officer Scott Murdoch, who worked the case. “That is really important. We have a strong heritage in Colorado of hunting, fishing and trapping, that is what pays for wildlife conservation, but only when it is done right.
“Illegal and unethical actions like what Mr. Muse participated in put a black eye on hunters. Mr. Muse’s actions are those of a poacher, not a hunter, and it is good to bring somebody like Mr. Muse to justice.”
CPW wildlife officers have investigated reports of illegal hunting in the Conifer and Evergreen area for years. Officers often get reports of illegal activity and cannot connect the dots until they get a break in the case, sometimes years later. That was certainly the case in this instance.
This case broke in September 2018 when an Evergreen resident noticed an individual on his property with what appeared to be a dead, headless elk. The witness did an excellent job of being an observer rather than confronting the individual later identified as Muse. The witness called the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to report the odd situation. Three deputies arrived on scene to check out the suspicious situation. The deputies attempted to contact Muse, who was dressed in camouflage. Muse immediately disobeyed the deputy’s commands and fled the area. Deputy D. Patterson called Wildlife Officer Scott Murdoch directly and asked for assistance. Communication directly between CPW and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office highlights their solid working relationship. Wildlife officers arrived on scene and worked with the Jefferson County deputies to secure the area and search for the suspect at large. Muse was not located.
At the incident location, there was in fact a headless bull elk. Additionally, there was hunting equipment found in the bushes near the elk. Wildlife officers obtained a search warrant for the backpacks and discovered identifying information inside. Additionally, wildlife officers obtained a search warrant for the cell phone that was also found at the scene. The cell phone later proved to be invaluable in providing a history of Muse’s illegal poaching habits.
Later, wildlife officers searched nearby areas where they suspected a poacher may try to kill game and located a bicycle, compound bow, backpack, clothing and the head from the 6X6 bull elk. This was a huge find as it showed officers how Muse was sneaking onto private properties to poach trophy wildlife.
Based on evidence discovered, officers believe Muse would drive around subdivisions in Conifer and Evergreen until he located an animal he wanted to kill. He would then find a place to stash hunting equipment out of sight. To keep people from getting suspicious he wouldn’t park the vehicle close by, instead he would park in a public area and ride his bike to the location where his gear was stashed. Muse would then change into his camo and begin to hunt. Many of the hunting locations that were identified were right under the noses or in the backyards of Conifer and Evergreen residents.
Officers patiently investigated him and learned about his poaching activities. While searching his cell phone, officers learned that there were other elk and deer that he had killed in Colorado. Officers also knew that Muse had only purchased one elk license in Colorado; the license was not valid in the Evergreen and Conifer area where he hunted.
In December 2018, wildlife officers continued their investigation by executing a search warrant at the Conifer home of his sister. They seized illegally possessed wildlife and other important evidence. Simultaneously, wildlife officers conducted interviews with associates and family members in Nacogdoches County, Texas. Wildlife Officers from Colorado traveled to Texas and met up with Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens, Randy Stovall, Heath Bragg, and Sean Reneau. The Texas Game Wardens were instrumental in obtaining testimony from those with knowledge of Muse’s actions.
“The Texas Game Wardens I worked with were among the most professional and competent I have ever worked with,” said Murdoch.
All said and done, the event that took place in September of 2018 was just the tip of the iceberg as far as Muse’s Colorado poaching goes. Officers learned of a total of five elk and one deer that Muse killed illegally, all without valid licenses. Three of the five elk were considered ‘trophies’ under Colorado law.
The Colorado State legislature created the Samson’s Law, which was approved on April 22, 1998. The law deals with an increase in the penalties for poaching big game animals and is named after an iconic elk ‘Samson’ was poached in Estes Park. The law enforces mandatory penalties for big game animals that meet a ‘trophy’ definition. Muse was certainly seeking out the largest animals to kill.
Wildlife officers presented the case to the Jefferson County District Attorney where it was later filed.
“At the end of the day, without the cooperation and support of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson County District Attorney, the hard work that wildlife officers do to bring poachers to justice would go unanswered,” Murdoch said. “I’d really like to thank the Jefferson County Sheriff Officers for their help and support, they were critical in getting the break wildlife officers needed.”
Wildlife officers also charged two other associates involved with the illegal possession of wildlife. Each defendant pleaded guilty to the possession of one bull elk and were fined $1372.50.
“Deputy District Attorney Alex Boguniewicz worked tirelessly to prosecute this case, and I want to commend his efforts,” Murdoch said. “This sends a clear message that wildlife crimes are not going to be tolerated in Jefferson County and that the district attorney’s office is working with CPW to protect wildlife and to protect the interests of legal sportspersons of Colorado.”
You can help stop poaching. If you see a poaching incident, report it. Look at it this way: if you saw someone breaking into your neighbor’s house, would you just stand by and watch? Of course not; you would report it. Poaching is a crime against you, your neighbor and everyone else in the state of Colorado. Call 1-877-COLO-OGT toll-free or Verizon cell phone users can simply dial #OGT. If you’d prefer, you can e-mail us at .
The Irrigation Innovation Consortium, a university and industry collaboration that accelerates the development and adoption of water- and energy-efficient irrigation technology, has announced funding for seven research projects in the upcoming year, including one led by Jay Ham in the Colorado State University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. The consortium is headquartered at CSU, and its project director is Reagan Waskom, a professor at CSU and director of the Colorado Water Center.
Launched in 2018 with a $5 million contribution from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, the consortium, also supported by matching funds from participants, promotes and enhances water and energy efficiency in irrigation. Its ultimate goal is creating greater resiliency in food and agriculture. Through the consortium, industry and the public sector co-develop, test, prototype and improve equipment, technology, and decision and information systems. Their work is equipping farms of the future with cutting-edge technologies for irrigation efficiency.
The funding announcement came during the Irrigation Show and Education Week in Las Vegas, Nevada. Awardees were selected through a competitive review process that weighed and prioritized projects according to scientific merit, novelty, level of industry involvement, and inter-institution collaboration.
“The proposal review process has resulted in a robust portfolio of funded proposals that fit our mission goals of advancing knowledge, tools, and available technologies and practices that can transform and improve irrigation efficiency,” said LaKisha Odom, chair of the consortium’s Research Steering Committee and a scientific program director for FFAR.
Ph.D. student Maria Christina-Capurro and Professor Jay Ham install DIY, open-source sap flow gauges on corn stalks at the Limited Irrigation Research Farm in northeastern Colorado.
Selected projects
Advancing Development of the Parallel 41 Flux Network for Real-Time Evapotranspiration Monitoring (Principal Investigator: Christopher Neale, University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
Deployment and Maintenance of Flux Towers in Kansas to be Integrated to the Parallel 21 Flux Networks to Support Multi-State Real-Time Evapotranspiration Estimates (Principal Investigator: Eduardo Santos, Kansas State University)
Optimizing Irrigation of Turfgrass Using Sensors, IOT, Lora Technology and Artificial Intelligence (Principal Investigator: Jay Ham, Colorado State University)
Toward pivot automation with proximal sensing for Maize and Soybean in the Great Plains (Principal Investigator: Derek Heeren, University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
A Remote Sensing Approach to Identify Critical Areas in California Orchards for Improving Irrigation Water Management through Precision Agriculture Technology (Principal Investigator Dilruba Yeasmin, University of California-Fresno)
The consortium also selected two “industry pitch” projects, a new option this year to encourage projects initiated by industry members:
An Economic Impact Study of the Irrigation Industry (Principal Investigator: John Farner, Irrigation Association)
Connecting field scale performance to watershed health: the added power of sharing data/Calculating producer water use in real time (Principal Investigator: John Heaston, Aquamart)
“The industry-driven project pitches increase industry participation and drive university researchers to increased collaboration and meaningful impacts,” according to Waskom, the Irrigation Innovation Consortium’s project director.
Members of the consortium’s research network also provided updates at the Irrigation Association show in Las Vegas on current research and innovation projects underway at the participating universities.
The Irrigation Innovation Consortium is composed of the following members: Aqua Engineering Inc.; California State University-Fresno; Climate Corporation; Colorado State University; Colorado Corn; Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska; the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research; Hunter; Irrigation Association; Jain Irrigation; Kansas State Research and Extension; Kansas State University; Li-Cor; Lindsay Corporation; Northern Water; Rubicon Water; Senninger Irrigation Inc.; Toro; Texas A&M AgriLife Research; Valmont; Vertical Irrigation; Watertronics; and Western Sugar.
DENVER, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife is celebrating 30 years of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act this month. NAWCA, signed in December 1989, provides financial support for waterfowl habitat that also supports a multitude of other wetland-related wildlife species. NAWCA provides matching grants to wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Over the past three decades, the acquisition and restoration of wetland habitat have provided healthy wetlands where:
waterfowl populations have grown,
waterways and water sources are cleaner,
and recreation opportunities (birding, hunting, hiking and boating) have all increased.
NAWCA grants increase bird populations and wetland habitat, while supporting local economies and American traditions such as hunting, fishing, bird watching, family farming, and cattle ranching. Wetlands protected by NAWCA provide valuable benefits such as flood control, reducing coastal erosion, improving water and air quality, and recharging groundwater.
In the past two decades alone, NAWCA has funded over 2,950 projects totaling $1.73 billion in grants. More than 6,200 partners have contributed another $3.57 billion in matching funds to affect 30 million acres of habitat.
Since it began 30 years ago, NAWCA funds have contributed $25 million to Colorado’s wetlands.
“Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Colorado Wetlands for Wildlife Program has been able to leverage annual grant funding from Great Outdoors Colorado to expand the scope of projects in Colorado that are eligible for matching grant funding under NAWCA,” said CPW Wetlands Program Coordinator Brian Sullivan. “These funds are critical to our ability to conserve wetlands in Colorado.”
“Funding from the North American Wetland Conservation Act was critical to the success of our Rio Grande Initiative to protect 25,000 acres of private ranchland along the Rio Grande and its tributaries,” said Allen Law, Executive Director of the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust. “Conservation easements on these ranches helped our agricultural community while permanently protecting thousands of acres of Colorado’s most resilient and important wetlands.”
Below are some examples of NAWCA-funded projects in Colorado
Elliott State Wildlife Area Shallow Water Wetlands – Completed September 2018
Elliott State Wildlife Area (SWA), adjacent to the South Platte River near Brush, Colorado is a complex of numerous shallow wetlands that are flooded in the spring and fall utilizing Union Ditch water rights for migratory bird habitat and fall public recreation. Unfortunately, many of the basins contained deep, scoured areas that tended to pool deep water, which then limited the capacity of the entire flow-thru complex and greatly hampered bird and hunter use.
Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DU) utilized their professional expertise to engineer and regrade 15 of the existing basins, amounting to roughly 200 acres of wetlands. For this project, DU developed a professional engineering plan set that established ideal grading across 15 of the basins, amounting to roughly 200 acres of wetlands. DU then bid, contracted, and managed heavy equipment operators to fill and redistribute soil in the basins in order to disperse water better and provide additional flooded habitat.
CPW staff also worked to refurbish the water delivery ditch and diversion structures, and improve the water management structures between basins. NAWCA funds of more than $150,000 secured by DU were matched by CPW and Great Outdoors Colorado contributions of nearly $75,000 to enable this project.
The benefits of this partnership project are widespread, including increased habitat acres, higher quality recreation opportunities, more efficient water use and improved management capacity.
Photo of wetlands at Eliott State Wildlife Area courtesy of Ducks Unlimited.
Cross Arrow Ranch Conservation Easement – Completed September 2009
Lying at the confluence of the Rio Grande and Conejos River, the Cross Arrow Ranch conservation easement held by the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust (RiGHT) protected 3,238 acres of productive ranchlands along with senior water rights. Over 2,000 acres of this property are wetlands, which provide habitat for a wide variety of migratory birds like waterfowl, sandhill cranes, and the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher.
Conservation easements are important to wetland conservation in the San Luis Valley because over 90% of wetlands regionally are on private lands. Similarly, the most resilient wetlands are on private lands because senior water rights and flood irrigation boost wetland function, especially during drought years. Conservation easements protect these critical habitats from fragmentation, water export, and residential development.
To preserve the wetlands on this spectacular ranch forever, NAWCA funding secured by RiGHT was matched by generous contributions from the landowners, Great Outdoors Colorado, and the Nature Conservancy.
Learn more about the 30th anniversary of the North America Wetlands Conservation Act by visiting nawmp.org/nawca30.
By Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and staff writer
As the year nears its close, many people are already looking ahead to 2020, but stargazers remain focused on 2019 as one of the year’s top meteor showers is about to put on a dazzling display in the night sky.
“Arguably the best meteor shower of the entire year peaks on Friday night into the early hours of Saturday morning,” AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel said. “The Geminids shower is just as or slightly more active than the Perseids meteor shower of August.”
This meteor shower in particular is a good one for younger children that cannot stay up late into the night.
“The Geminids are unique in the fact it produces a large amount of meteors during the evening,” Samuhel said. Hourly rates will gradually increase as the night transpires, with the number of Geminid meteors streaking across the night sky expected to climax after midnight.
Nature’s ‘light show’ is how NASA describes the Geminid meteor shower – a meteor flash is seen here with an aurora borealis shimmer in Norway. (NASA)
An abundance of natural light pollution from the moon will wash out the dimmer meteors, reducing the number of meteors visible per hour from over 100 to a few dozen. However, even the anticipated diminished rate of visible meteors is higher than many meteor showers throughout the year.
Not only are the Geminids known for their impressive numbers, but also their bright, multi-colored meteors. Onlookers should be able to see these shooting stars in areas of the sky away from the full moon, as long as Mother Nature cooperates.
“A storm will bring widespread clouds to the eastern third of the country,” Samuhel said. The storm will also spread widespread, disruptive clouds over much of Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
Cloudy conditions could interfere with the celestial display across parts of the north-central and northwestern U.S., but a few breaks in the clouds may allow determined stargazers to glimpse a few shooting stars.
The best viewing conditions are expected from Southern California through the Four Corners region and into the southern Plains.
For those with clouds in the forecast on Friday night, Samuhel suggests heading out earlier in the week.
“In my experience, I have noticed the shower is quite active in the few days leading up to the peak, but much less active after the peak. So, look sooner rather than later this week,” Samuhel said.
“If you live on the East Coast, Thursday night is probably your best bet for clear skies this week.”
Folks that miss out on the Geminids this week will have one more opportunity to see a meteor shower before the end of the year.
The night of Saturday, Dec. 21 into Sunday, Dec. 22, is the longest of the year for the Northern Hemisphere and will feature the peak of the Ursids. This is a minor meteor shower, only bringing about 10 meteors per hour, but will not be contested by the moon, allowing for great viewing conditions.
Looking ahead to 2020, the Geminid meteor shower should be significantly better than this year’s showing, falling just one night before the new moon. This will allow for people in dark, cloud-free areas to experience the best that this meteor shower has to offer.
MONTROSE, Colo. – As part of its ongoing work to monitor the health of the state’s big-game herds, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has started its winter classification and capture flights in southwest Colorado.
CPW biologists use the flights to observe and record trends in deer and elk populations. Employing survey methods used for decades, biologists are flown by helicopter over areas where animals historically congregate during the winter months. Using a specialized “counting” technique, biologists record their observations of female, male and young animals. This allows biologists to understand the ratio of male-to-female animals following the hunting seasons, and ratios of young-to-female animals going into winter.
“We use our classification data, harvest data and collar data to plug into our computer models and determine trends in the health of herds and make population estimates,” said Brad Banulis, a terrestrial biologist for CPW in Montrose.
The classification data, population models and herd-management plans provide big-game managers with the information needed for setting license numbers for the next fall’s hunting seasons.
People on the ground who sometimes see the helicopters will notice a change in the type of aircraft being used this year. In past years, CPW contracted with a company that flew a yellow helicopter – small with a large glass bubble. This year a larger, white helicopter is being used.
Besides the classification flights, CPW also utilizes helicopters for long-term studies that are examining survival of deer and elk. For example, on the Uncompahgre Plateau west of Montrose, CPW has used helicopters to catch and place telemetry collars on deer since 1997. In the Gunnison area, similar captures have been used for deer and elk-survival studies occasionally over the years.
The biggest project for the agency involves capturing and monitoring elk in the southern tier of the state where calf-to-cow ratios have been declining for the last decade. The purpose of the project, which started last spring, is to determine why survival of young elk is declining in southern Colorado. For this study, elk are being captured in the area west of Trinidad, on the Uncompahgre Plateau and in the Glenwood Springs-Carbondale area. Captures near Craig are also being done to act as a “control” in the study; elk in northern Colorado are doing very well.
Captures for the long-term elk research started last spring when about 100 cow elk were captured. Pregnant cows were fitted with telemetry collars. In the spring, technicians on the ground captured and collared newly born elk. In the next few weeks more young elk, about six months old, will be captured and collared.
The telemetry collars are GPS equipped, so biologists can watch their computers to see how elk are moving and if any animals die. In case of a mortality, biologists go to the site, examine the animals, and attempt to determine cause of death. The study is scheduled to continue for six years.
“This is a very big and important study. We expect that it will provide valuable data, but it will be at least a year before we’ll have relevant information,” Banulis said.
Following Bennet Letter to Federal Financial Regulators, New Guidance Will Help Hemp Industry Access Banking System
Washington, D.C. – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet welcomed new guidance from federal financial regulators that would help hemp producers and processors gain access to the banking system. Despite the removal of hemp as a Schedule 1 drug last December following passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (“2018 Farm Bill”), many growers and processors are still unable to access financial services due to a lack of clarity from regulators. In June, Bennet sent a letter pressing regulators to provide the clarity necessary for the hemp industry to access the financial services afforded to comparable crops and agricultural products.
“The hemp industry is booming in Colorado and across the country, yet hemp-related businesses continue to face significant hurdles due to the lack of access to the banking system,” said Bennet. “While more needs to be done to unleash hemp’s economic potential, these new guidelines are a significant step forward in providing banks and credit unions with the assurance and clarity needed to remove this barrier and open their doors to the growing hemp industry.”
Bennet, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, worked to include a pilot program for hemp growers in the 2014 Farm Bill, which paved the way to secure legalization of the crop in the 2018 Farm Bill. Last Congress he led the Hemp Water Rights Act and called on the Department of Justice not to interfere with hemp cultivation or act against financial institutions that handle related funds. Bennet and U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) wrote to the Bureau of Reclamation in January 2019 urging the agency to update its policies in accordance with the 2018 Farm Bill to ensure hemp growers can access water and irrigate their crops. In their response to the Bennet-Tester letter, the Bureau of Reclamation said: “Because hemp was removed from the Controlled Substances Act list of controlled substances, it is no longer subject to the policy and therefore Reclamation is able to provide water for hemp cultivation in accordance with current law.”
The fourth annual Ag Innovation Summit returns to Colorado State University Dec. 5 and 6 at the Lory Student Center. Since its inaugural debut in 2015, the summit has brought together a diverse range of perspectives from higher education, industry and government to catalyze momentum and spark conversations about the future of agriculture. This year, the summit will focus on the theme, “Building the Innovation Mindset.”
“This year, we wanted to broaden the conversation around innovation beyond strictly technology to include the science of organizations—how we can be innovative in building processes, teams and cultures for transformative results,” said Paula Mills, who organizes the annual summit. “One way innovation shows up this year is in diversity and inclusion, one of the core values of the college’s strategic plan. Incorporating a variety of perspectives in our decision-making is not only the right thing to do, but it makes good business sense.”
This year, the event features two keynote speakers: Saswati Bora, head of food systems innovation for the World Economic Forum, and Robb Fraley, former executive vice president and chief technology officer for Monsanto Company.
As the head of food systems innovation at the World Economic Forum, Bora leads a global initiative to leverage technology and innovations to address food systems challenges. In that capacity, she is also responsible for content development, partnership facilitation and program development on food systems transformation. Speaking at the summit on Thursday, Bora will address global forces—including macroeconomic, environmental, political, social, technological and financial—that are demanding a relentless focus on innovation in agriculture.
Fraley, who speaks on Friday, led a team of agricultural scientists at Monsanto that were dedicated to developing seeds and solutions that help farmers around the world yield a more abundant, affordable, and sustainable food supply. His keynote will focus on the importance of disruptive thinking and technologies as it relates to a successful future for global agriculture.
Additionally, a wealth of panels featuring a diverse range of people, perspectives and experiences fill out this year’s summit. Highlights include:
Polly Ruhland of the United Soybean Board, a CSU alumna, who will discuss the opportunity of using agriculture as a teaching tool to expose more kids to STEM;
Quentin Tyler, the associate dean and director for diversity, equity and inclusion at Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will join a panel on leveraging diversity as a catalyst for innovation;
Florian Schattenmann, vice president for research and development at Cargill, will join a leadership roundtable on the defining principles of perennial innovators;
Candace Laing, vice president of sustainability and stakeholder relations at Nutrien, will be featured on the final industry panel and will explore innovation for resilient food systems.
Select female leaders from the summit program will reprise their roles as panelists at a networking event on Friday evening, where they’ll share wisdom from their leadership journey with students.
Sesquicentennial Colloquium Series
As Colorado State University celebrates its 150th anniversary, the 2019 Ag Innovation Summit is officially part of the university’s Sesquicentennial Colloquium Series. This will be the fourth installment in the series.
Colorado State University Extension is hosting Private Pesticide Recertification sessions at various locations in Northeast Colorado. Anyone who purchases restricted-use pesticides must have a Private Pesticide Applicator license which is issued by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Private Applicator license study guides and exams can be obtained either from the Colorado Department of Agriculture or some Extension offices. This test is also available on-line. Once a license is received, it is active for 3 years before renewal is needed. Renewal can be achieved by either retaking the exam or attending a recertification meeting. These recertification meetings offer credits which can be substituted for retaking the exam. Licenses that expire prior to obtaining recertification credits will require re-taking the private pesticide exam.
Registration is required and the cost is $50/person. Registration on-line can be accomplished at https://goldenplains.extension.colostate.edu/ or by contacting the Colorado State University Extension office in Burlington at 719-346-5571. To ensure adequate space for everyone, pre-registration at these locations is required.
