Governor John Hickenlooper Declares Drought Emergency For Hard-Hit Southeast Colorado

Federal officials declared a drought disaster in southeast Colorado on Monday, giving farmers and ranchers hard-hit by the drought conditions eligibility for emergency loans.

Governor Hickenlooper sent a letter to US. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting drought assistance for: Bent, Chaffee, Custer Fremont, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Prowers and Pueblo counties. The letter also requests disaster assistance for Fremont County apple producers which lost 60 percent of their crop due to freezes that occurred between April 28 through May 1, 2011.

Secretary Vilsack and the USDA has already approved Gov. Hickenlooper’s earlier June 16 drought disaster declaration for: Baca, Crowley and Otero counties. As such, farmers in these counties are now considered for the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program and Service Agency loans. Ranchers and farmers have eight months to apply for assistance

In a press statement, U.S. Senator for Colorado Mark Udall said:

I want to thank Agriculture Secretary Vilsack for responding quickly to the needs of Colorado’s farmers and ranchers. Farmers in southeastern Colorado are facing heavy losses as a result of the drought, and this will provide some relief to help get them through the year.

Comments

[Tyyne Andrews]

10:45 PM on 06/29/2011

We have overused the earth's resources... prepare for a changing world...
http://greatwavesnews.wordpress.com/

[Mary Ann Beavers]

04:59 PM on 06/28/2011

Water rights in the West can be summed up in one word: Share.

[krazzicraig]

04:32 PM on 06/28/2011

What is being over-looked or just not mentioned is what drilling companies have done to water water supply in Col..Many of the wells that frams used have been polluted . When you can ligth the water coming out of a tap on fire ,there is a problem.Drilling have been using what is known as fractured rock extinction. This brakes the rock bed . The problem is the gas then is mixed with the water. This then pollutes the water . That makes the water useless. If the farmers can not pump water from their wells ,what then ?

[Sigel]

05:38 PM on 06/28/2011

To krazzicraig: Did you mean "fractured rock extraction" and "breaks"?
I question your sources of information and/or your understanding of that information.
I have been a consulting ground-water hydrogeologist for 33 years.
I have never been an employee of an oil or gas company.

If only natural gas (methane) has gotten into the aquifers penetrated by the farm wells, the wells and water are still useable.
There are numerous areas in the US where this situation exists.
I have performed water-supply investigations in at least 4 of them.
Those included municipal water supplies, farms and ranches, and household water systems.
Two of the conditions were naturally occurring, and not caused by any human activity.
The other two were the result of poor gas well construction and operation, or a blowout of a well while it was being drilled.

The water is pumped from the wells and into the tops of vented tanks (metal, plastic, fiberglass, or concrete).
The methane, which has a low water solubility, dissipates readily from the water.
No electrical equipment should be mounted on the tops of the tanks or near the tank vents.

Booster pumps are then used to pump the water from the vented tanks and into the water systems.
If a farmer/rancher is pumping the water from the well and directly into ponds or water troughs, the vented tank and booster pump are not required.

[suzc]

12:49 PM on 06/29/2011

Thank you for this information. Fracking is certainly a concern. Are there any reports the common person could understand? (What does cause the water to be set on fire at the tap? Surely that can't be good.) And do you feel natural gas is a reasonable alternative to clearly dangerous oil drilling or nuclear? (Have you seen the documentary on fracking? Opinion?)

[mgjj]

04:26 PM on 06/28/2011

Two words GOP: CLIMATE CHANGE

[5ilver]

04:41 PM on 06/28/2011

Wrong. This area has gone through cyclical droughts like this dating back to before the turn of the century. It's documented, but simply ask any of the old timers who are still farming the same land their familys homesteaded on. They'll tell you that this is just like it was back in yy year, or the other time in yy year. This is not climate change, this is normal for this area. If you lived there, or even did an ounce of research on the area before you commented, you would know that.

[Thane36425]

03:10 PM on 06/28/2011

Between this drought, drought in the Southeast and floods elsewhere, expect food prices to go up. New regulations are likely to come along, too, that will make things much harder for farmers outside of big agra.

[wowee345]

03:34 PM on 06/28/2011

You bet it is. It's going to be a food distribution problem.

[Thane36425]

04:15 PM on 06/28/2011

Distribution will be part of it, but actual scarcity could be an issue. Grain country is being hit which will tighten the supply for both human consumption and animal feed which will also cause all animal products to increase in price and supply to shrink as farmers cull their herds to keep at least some alive. Vegetable country in California is also being hit hard. I really think we are going to regret paving over so many farms for housing that is now empty and strip malls that are following close behind.

[rini1946]

02:55 PM on 06/28/2011

sorry forgot about the drought .they have had them before the problem now is they have too many people in colorado. and if they did the water dervirsion thing so other states can have thier water shame on them. I hope the weather changes for them and they get the rain they need.

[rini1946]

02:50 PM on 06/28/2011

I am not rich by no means. But to be honest I do not see taxing the rich doing us any good. I see some family farms and business going under because of the inheitance tax. What I think need to be done is stop all the give away programs. I you want welfare get you butt up everyday and go to work if you can not find work than the goverment will give you job of cutting grass sweeping streets etc. The way I see it if you make a million dollars a year and pay 20% you are paying 200,000 in taxes if you are making a 100,000 you are paying 20,000 and if you make less well. The problem I see with taxing the rich they will say hell I am going to move to some other country that does not tax the crap out of me. There goes the 200,000 plus all the sales tax all the state and city taxes. That one of the reason we lost so many jobs.

[pwood35009]

03:56 PM on 06/28/2011

So you are proposing more government jobs to hire the unemployed with no new revenue to pay these new employees?

[rini1946]

11:08 PM on 06/28/2011

did i say pay them i said it they want thier freebee check they have to work. this way when that have to work they might get a job and get off welfare.

[mgjj]

04:31 PM on 06/28/2011

I don't think family farms and small business's generate millions of dollars for the owners. The rich that the GOP don't want to tax are millionaires and billionaires. The people in oil, and banking, etc. The people who donate to the Gop campaigns, so the Gop can keep screwing the poor and helping the rich!!!

[rini1946]

11:31 PM on 06/28/2011

Sorry you are a liberal feel sorry for you. What you are saying is that when the dem o rats had control of the law making section of government they could not get rid of tax breaks. Now that the repulse a cans came into stop it they are yelling and screaming hey lets stop tax breaks I know that farms make money ask pelosi she has a grape farm so yes she is going to cut tax breaks to them her and her husband had a 5million dollar lost I'm sure that was all cash loss not book loss. I you read you will find out that the dem o rats have on average more money than the repulse a cans.

[the902inc]

02:47 PM on 06/28/2011

Colorado isn't the only state in this country with drought problems--so get over yerselves.......

[suzc]

12:54 PM on 06/29/2011

If you don't care about CO, don't read the CO news pages. Stupid.

[the902inc]

04:42 PM on 07/02/2011

Well Stupid I Read About All The States!

[whybrewr]

02:23 PM on 06/28/2011

The rich do not pay 90% of the taxes, quit getting you news from Glenn Beck and the 700 club.

[tjdwill01]

02:41 PM on 06/28/2011

The top 1% pay about 60% of all Federal tax receipts, when counting capital gains. The top 5% pay 95% of all Federal taxes. To be in the top 5% one needs to earn in the neighborhood of 120K........and I got that from the IRS.

[wowee345]

03:32 PM on 06/28/2011

Yes they do. Federal income tax that is.

[altheschrod]

02:15 PM on 06/28/2011

Yet another state that could use some of the excessice run-off water fom the upper Missori-Mississippi watershed. If ever the next corps of engineers project needed identifying, it's here! Some method of moving water fom where it's unwanted to areas where it's needed must be devised, as silly and simplistic as that sounds! With the recent disasters piled on floods and droughts from history, it becomes obvious that a project like this is in a the same class with TVA, Hoover dam etc. as far as importance to America's future. Colorado connected to the closest midwest flood areas don't seem as rediculous as Arizona, New Mexico or Texas as far as distance, and a serious of huge culverts might be feasible--I am no engineer to call the idea ridiculous or possible! Why not? Our countries infrastructure is surely worth the huge expenditure--and a WPA-type project like this would put many an unemployed worker to good use. Just imagine the weather calamities it would help alleviate--especially over time.

[boncarbo7]

01:36 PM on 06/28/2011

Colorado has no one to blame for this but themselves, they gave Kansas our water rights. We in Colorado can't even collect rain water runoff. The Arkansas river, the Colorado river and the lakes have plenty but most of it goes to Kansas and California. Since moving to Colorado I have asked why our state government did this and nobody seems to have the answer or won't give it up, Colorado needs to get our water rights back.

[ladyrainfb]

02:51 PM on 06/28/2011

The water rights were given away well over a century ago. I have lived here, in Colorado most of my life -

this year we had almost record snowfall in the mountains buth east and south got very little.

I agree we need to get our water rights back, or sell those folks who want our water, snow shovels, and they can come and get it themselves

(oh and don't forget the water we sent do california)

[Thane36425]

03:19 PM on 06/28/2011

Water rights are becoming an issue in other parts of the country. A couple of years ago, Atlanta, Georgia, came close to sparking violence over the water in the Chattahoochee and other rivers. Atlanta had developed basically under the plan of sprawling out as fast as it could with no real regard for the future, just build fast and pocket the money. Even Atlanta's own environmental and resource managers were telling them to slow down.

When the big drought hit, Atlanta tried to turn off the flow of the river to keep the water for itself. This harmed communities downstream in Alabama, parts of Georgia and Florida. The water flow was cut so sharply that not only were water supplies short but salt water from the Gulf of Mexico came upstream and damaged fisheries.

The matter went to court and there were existing water treaties that Atlanta was violating. As I recall, the federal courts, located in Atlanta, sided with Atlanta. Fortunately enough rain later came to temporarily ease the drought before anything untoward happened to the locks and dams.

[suzc]

12:56 PM on 06/29/2011

KS, AZ, CA and I think NE and maybe another state sued and sued and sued CO for many years over taking our water and CO lost.

[hau56ch]

12:48 PM on 06/28/2011

Why don't the liberals crank up the printing press and give the farmers the money they need? They have no problem spending it on people that do nothing all day but whine and demand more.
5% of the population (aka the rich) pay 90% of the taxes collected.

[flksbutton]

12:52 PM on 06/28/2011

THEY SHOULD up it to 92%......The rest of us have no jobs so can't pay taxes!!! Don't blame the liberals. Get Michele Bachman in there and our country will collapse. Give Obama his 8 years and you rich people may see your taxes stay the same.

[boncarbo7]

01:40 PM on 06/28/2011

Give Obama 1 day more and he will bankrupt the whole country. This man has committed Treason at every step he has taken. At least Michele Bachmann has run a business, Obama has been a community organizer, whoopee do) she has been in Congress much longer than Obama.

[auditor0007]

01:44 PM on 06/28/2011

Let us assume that you are correct, which you are not, but let's just say you are correct. Now, we know that last year the very wealthy, let's say the top 5%, only paid a net tax rate of 17%, which most in the middle class paid closer to 25%. If the vast majority of the middle class is paying rates close to 25% while the super wealthy are only paying 17%, and the super wealthy are paying 90% of the taxes, then what does that tell you about the percentage of assests and earnings of that top 5%? It should tell you that the amount of wealth they have accumulated is basically warped in relation to the rest of America. This has nothing to do with trying to steal from the wealthy. The fact is they have stolen the vast amount of wealth while the rest of America has lost most of its wealth. We have created an oligarchy of a very few wealthy, and people who think like you want to further that cause. Eventually the middle class is going to wake up.

[blkbrdsr71]

01:57 PM on 06/28/2011

Where do you get your information? The rich do not pay anywhere near 90% of taxes, they have more loopholes to not pay taxes than the middleclass of america. The money was given to the companies that started this crisis and they in turn handed out million dollar bonuses to those rich people.

[rini1946]

03:04 PM on 06/28/2011

You have the alterntive min tax. which you have to pay at least 20% tax rate. Plus you have city income taxes you have state income tax ,you have sales taxes(where the state,and county get thier cut) and do not forget real estate tax. For 2010 I paid over 80% in taxes (i did buy two cars and the tax on them was about 2,500) I had to pay the alt min tax. adn the olny dedutions i had was taxes and charities. What you people have to do is quit following the repluse a cans and the dem o rats and look what they are spending your money on . they are rich do really think they are going to get off thier gravy train of a job and tax them selfs. If you do i have a nice piece of property I would like to sell to you

[drpmindmender]

12:25 PM on 06/28/2011

How is it that the Republicans have missed the opportunity to pay for tax breaks for the rich by slashing relief programs for drought-stricken farmers?

[Dr Kris]

01:00 PM on 06/28/2011

Maybe they just haven't noticed the opportunity yet, they're so busy collecting their "Farm Bill" checks. Give them time....

[suzc]

01:00 PM on 06/29/2011

Not to worry. They have been trying.