Meeker

Sen. Gardner hears ag concerns on trip to Meeker on Tuesday

Colorado U.S Sen. Cory Gardner attended a meeting in Meeker on Tuesday morning at Mountain Valley Bank as part of his Colorado Farm Bureau tour of Colorado. Rio Blanco County Farm Bureau President JD Amick and former county clerk and recorder Nancy Amick, with their backs to the camera, were local hosts for the tour. A wide variety of questions were asked of Gardner, who said he was aware of the concerns raised.
Colorado U.S Sen. Cory Gardner attended a meeting in Meeker on Tuesday morning at Mountain Valley Bank as part of his Colorado Farm Bureau tour of Colorado. Rio Blanco County Farm Bureau President JD Amick and former county clerk and recorder Nancy Amick, with their backs to the camera, were local hosts for the tour. A wide variety of questions were asked of Gardner, who said he was aware of the concerns raised.
MEEKER I Colorado’s junior U.S. senator, Cory Gardner (R-Yuma), visited Meeker on Tuesday to attend a breakfast session at Mountain Valley Bank hosted by the Rio Blanco County (RBC) Farm Bureau as the Colorado Farm Bureau is hosting the senator’s agricultural tour of the state.
RBC Farm Bureau members JD and Nancy Amick, Harold and Patty Anderson and Jim and Diana Watson were reported to have been the primary local hosts. Sheriff Anthony Mazzola represented county government.

Tawny Halandras, president of Meeker Mountain Valley Bank, participated as the building sponsor. JD Amick reported there were about 26 people there, 10, at least, of whom were state Farm Bureau, state- level ag personnel and Gardner staffers.
Sen. Gardner told the Herald Times by phone that he very much appreciated meeting with the Meeker group, which was largely made up of agricultural producer representatives. Rio Blanco County Stockgrowers were represented by Harold Anderson and President Rodney Dunham. Woolgrowers President Butch Theos, Conservation District officer Gary Moyer and staffers Callie Hendrickson and Chris Colflesh also participated.
Gardner said the issues discussed included farm labor under the H2A foreign labor rules, bighorn sheep management in the face of domestic sheep herds with public land grazing allotments, public land use decisions under BLM’s proposed Rule 2.0, new agricultural marketing opportunities and the wild horse problem.
Asked about the presidential election, Gardner said he has been telling folks that “anyone who tells you they know what’s going to happen, they’ve obviously had a little too much of Colorado’s latest homegrown product!”
Gardner has not yet endorsed fellow Republican Donald Trump for president. He says he still has a couple critical questions for Trump.
His tour, Gardner said, took him from Meeker to New Castle where he ran into more of the lamb producer and worker concerns and that he was going on to a fruit orchard operation in Palisade, Anasazi dry bean producers in Dove Creek and a beekeeper and honey producer in Durango.
JD Amick said he made a point of telling Gardner that the Upper Colorado Environmental Plant Center of Meeker has more than 500 different plant accessions helpful to sage grouse, but that no one, with the exception of the Bureau of Land Management in Wyoming, is coming up with any interest and money to use them in improving sage grouse habitat, which is supposed to be a priority now. He asked the senator for help and ideas in this arena.
Theos said the oppressive implementation of H2A labor rules over the last couple years has become almost unbearable. Waiting periods are interminable with the U.S. Department of Labor—it’s almost impossible to get workers here in a timely fashion, he said.
As of Nov. 15, the department is requiring what amounts to a 60 percent increase in herder wages without any consideration that producers are supplying room and board for the workers as well as paying all their health and travel costs from their home countries.
It is also a big issue, Theos said, that New Zealand and Australia are now importing 150 percent more lamb into the U.S. than U.S. woolgrowers are producing and flooding the market, and that producers in those countries don’t have the labor, environmental and predator control costs U.S. producers do.
Theos added, however, that Gardner seemed to be well aware of most of the issues raised and was receptive to helping.
The conservation district representatives reminded Gardner that with regard to wild horses, just the 40,000 wild horses now held in captivity by the BLM would cost the government more than $1 billion over their lifetimes.

One Comment

  1. The Big Lie of “overpopulation” is the pretext for BLM’s war against the wild horses. It’s BLM’s version of the “Shock Doctrine,” wherein BLM concocted a phony crisis to push through policies antithetical to the Wild Horse Act against the will of The People.

    The wild horses held in captivity are the “legacy” of former Secretary Salazar’s equid cleansing era, during which he had tens of thousands of wild horses removed from the range. However, the mortality rate of captive wild horses is about 8% a year. So, obviously, since they are not reproducing, their numbers will steadily drop, showing that BLM’s billion-dollar figure for their care is bogus — it’s just another Lie.

    The Wild Horse and Burro program, if administered per the minimum-feasible management-model specified by Law, would not cost much at all. BLM does not lack for resources. There are 22 million acres of legally-designated wild-horse herd areas — which BLM previously took away for political expediency — that can be reopened as habitat. The horses now held captive can be released to those areas, where the cost of their upkeep will be $0.

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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
1 day ago
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1/9
Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line.  The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale.
Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
1 day ago
View on Instagram |
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Read part three of the story of M.T. Streeter in this week’s edition of History Lessons! Find it in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
Read part three of the story of M.T. Streeter in this week’s edition of History Lessons! Find it in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
2 days ago
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Meeker FFA Chapter members competed at the District Leadership Development Event in Craig, Colorado, this month. Top row from left to right: Eva Scritchfield, Charlie Rogers, Alan Rivera, Trent Sanders, Koy Weber, Orion Musser, Said Rodriguez, Carlos Carrillo, Aidan Tapia, Hayden Garcia, Tristan Rollins, Mathew Willey, Quentin Simpson. Middle row: Sidney Keetch, Aurora Stallings, Sydnie Ross, Ava Nay, Lili Piper, Leah Wood. Bottom Row: Jaicee Simmons, Kailynn Watson, Cody Richardson, Kayla Castillo, Braydin Raley, Autumn Stallings, Aimee Shults, Emily Hamm. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
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Choose-your-own-adventure…. Hear from our Editor in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
Choose-your-own-adventure…. Hear from our Editor in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
5/9
A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
6/9
Black Sulphur Tavern held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new business at 364 Seventh St. The space has been renovated with several TVs and games and provides a fun, friendly atmosphere to watch your favorite sports team and enjoy a burger and wings. Owners Frank Maestas and Pat Maestas are pictured with their new staff and Chamber of Commerce representatives Stephanie Hanson, Trudy Burri and Margie Joy. Follow Black Sulphur Tavern on Facebook. Their hours are Wednesday and Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday 11-1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
Black Sulphur Tavern held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new business at 364 Seventh St. The space has been renovated with several TVs and games and provides a fun, friendly atmosphere to watch your favorite sports team and enjoy a burger and wings. Owners Frank Maestas and Pat Maestas are pictured with their new staff and Chamber of Commerce representatives Stephanie Hanson, Trudy Burri and Margie Joy. Follow Black Sulphur Tavern on Facebook. Their hours are Wednesday and Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday 11-1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
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The winning teams and individuals for the 18th annual White River Community Association Buy-Fly Fishing Tournament are as follows. Individual top weight catch was Dave Metrovich and longest fish was Kevin Massey. First place team won by Rio Blanco Abstract: Erik Eckman, Adam Parrett, Dave Metrovich and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Second place team was Drake Consulting: Travis Kaiser, John Douglas, Tony Bartolomucci and Bob Brandeberry. Third place team Mr. Rogers and the Hood (accepted by Doug Rogers) Gary Rogers, Mark Beauchamp, Kyle Schutte and Rick Gunter. The white fish have been frozen and will be served at the annual White River Community Association fish fry fundraiser in June.
The winning teams and individuals for the 18th annual White River Community Association Buy-Fly Fishing Tournament are as follows. Individual top weight catch was Dave Metrovich and longest fish was Kevin Massey. First place team won by Rio Blanco Abstract: Erik Eckman, Adam Parrett, Dave Metrovich and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Second place team was Drake Consulting: Travis Kaiser, John Douglas, Tony Bartolomucci and Bob Brandeberry. Third place team Mr. Rogers and the Hood (accepted by Doug Rogers) Gary Rogers, Mark Beauchamp, Kyle Schutte and Rick Gunter. The white fish have been frozen and will be served at the annual White River Community Association fish fry fundraiser in June.
5 days ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
Cowboy Carson Klinzmann on the mound for Meeker at Suplizio Field in Grand Junction last Saturday. Meeker took on the 4A Rifle Bears, losing 11-1, and the Basalt Longhorns, losing 7-3. Read the recap online at ht1885.com.
Cowboy Carson Klinzmann on the mound for Meeker at Suplizio Field in Grand Junction last Saturday. Meeker took on the 4A Rifle Bears, losing 11-1, and the Basalt Longhorns, losing 7-3. Read the recap online at ht1885.com.
5 days ago
View on Instagram |
9/9

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