The U.S. Forest Service supports a Colorado state Senate bill that would allow Colorado to buy its own firefighting air-tanker fleet, an agency spokeswoman said. State senators, worried about another bad wildfire season and a diminished federal air-tanker fleet, advanced a bill last week that would spend $25 million to create the Colorado Firefighting Air Corps.

Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on Monday asking the committee to add funding for livestock disaster assistance programs to the 2013 Farm Bill.

As Colorado farmers prepare for drought, researchers at CSU are working to find better ways for farmers to use their water. Project leader Neil Hansen, a professor in the department of soil and crop sciences at CSU, hopes the work will eventually allow farmers to see “more crop per drop” of water.

The Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation (CDC) is pleased to announce that Kathy Keyes and Sally High of the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership (GGP) will join our monthly public meeting, Monday, May 6 at 5:30pm at the Quality Resort to present a project overview, status and next steps. This is a continuation of a spring series on renewable energy — one of our future econo

Legislation was signed into law this month that will correct a glitch in Colorado water law that was threatening the value of senior water rights. Sponsored by Sen. Mary Hodge, D-Brighton, and Rep.

Area boaters have come to terms with the fact that another dry year has dashed any chance for rafting on the lower Dolores River this summer. But revised runoff forecasts and precipitation reports are predicting a situation for farmers and local fish populations that just keeps getting worse.

With irrigation season comes the cleaning and repairing of irrigation ditches. Colorado law saddles water-right owners with a number of legal responsibilities. It also, however, affords water-right owners significant rights.