MEEKER | Last week, the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts held their annual meeting and banquet, with all board members in attendance. The meeting began with board members providing updates on their natural resources projects and reports.
Tristan McGee, the districts’ project manager, discussed upcoming projects and ways for the community to get involved. She highlighted public meetings scheduled for February to inform residents about various programs. The first meeting will be held in Rangely on Wednesday, Feb. 19, followed by another in Meeker on Thursday, Feb. 20, both focusing on the 2025 Mormon cricket control program.
Vanessa Trout, the districts’ forestry coordinator, also outlined projects for 2025 and opportunities for public involvement. She explained her role, stating, “This is a grant-funded position, and I focus on forest and watershed health. When I took the position a year ago, they were already prioritizing areas within Meeker and the White River Valley.”
The projects were identified through the Colorado State Forest Atlas Plan and the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, highlighting seven priority areas at high risk for wildfires. “My role is to plan projects and secure funding to implement them. These projects offer multiple benefits, integrating forest and water management,” Trout said.
She cited a quote from Gifford Pinchot, a former Pennsylvania governor and friend of President Theodore Roosevelt: “The water and forest go together like father and son.”
Trout emphasized, “Just as a father nurtures his son, forests protect and sustain water resources. Our focus is on reducing sediment in the White River and improving both water quality and quantity.”
She acknowledged partner organizations, including the Colorado State Forest Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Rio Blanco County, and the Fire Protection District. The next challenge is securing funding for identified projects, with the districts currently preparing a grant proposal in the $6 million to $7 million range for the Community Wildfire Defense Grant. “This project would significantly reduce ignition risk, and we hope to secure funding soon,” Trout said.
In 2025, the districts will focus on wolves, bison, solar energy, and landowner priorities. They were also excited to announce a new position starting in the year 2025 which is the new Rio Blanco County director of natural resources, which was a position created in partnership with the conservation districts.
Following this, the boards announced their 2025 CACD Hall of Fame Award recipient, Commissioner Callie Scritchfield. “I deeply appreciate this recognition. Conservation districts have been close to my heart since I started my career in 2002, during one of the worst droughts,” Scritchfield said.
She added, “I have enjoyed being a voice for Rio Blanco County and rural Colorado. When my father sold our ranch in 1990, I committed to supporting ranchers and agriculture, and the conservation districts provided that opportunity. I look forward to continuing this work.”
The keynote speaker for the evening was Dr. Robert Srygley, a leading researcher on Mormon crickets. He highlighted two key topics: the benefits and costs of migratory bands and the impact of egg diapause on outbreaks.
Dr. Srygley explained migratory bands, describing how female Mormon crickets choose sites for egg-laying. “They lay eggs in summer, which overwinter and hatch in spring,” he said, noting that males mature at six to eight days old, while females take 10 to 12 days.
He described their omnivorous diet, explaining that when protein is scarce, Mormon crickets resort to cannibalism. His team is tracking them using radio devices, finding that 60% of tagged crickets were eaten within two days, likely by birds or mice. “Within a band, they are safer due to sheer numbers. Stragglers are more vulnerable to predators,” he explained.
After the presentation, a Q&A session followed, after which the meeting was adjourned. The White River Conservation District’s next public meeting is scheduled for March 13 at 5 p.m. in Meeker, while the Douglas Creek Conservation District’s next meeting will be on March 4, 2025, at 6 p.m.
