Noticias

• Local Governments Plan for Disaster
• West End Roundup with the San Miguel Basin Forum
• Cat Movie Fisher with Risho Unda

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Local Governments Plan for Disaster

With a warm, dry winter, wildfire is on everyone’s mind.

For Shannon Armstrong, it is always on her mind. Armstrong is San Miguel County’s emergency manager. This week, she went before the Telluride Town Council to provide an overview of emergency evacuation planning and disaster management for the town and region.

“The County does have a recently updated emergency operations plan,” Armstrong said. “This was updated and adopted in December by the Board of County Commissioners.”

That plan, the EOC, is the framework and guiding document for how the county manages incidents.

“This plan comes into play when something pretty major happens that cannot be dealt with by just a single department, or really dealt with by the county,” Armstrong said. “It’s when we start pulling in additional stakeholders and start thinking, ‘OK, this is long term. We’re going to need support, etc.’”

Armstrong said the EOC lays out who is in charge of what, and when, to help respond to emergencies.

“It talks about the coordination we have between not only county departments, but also special districts and other jurisdictions such as the town,” Armstrong said. “It talks about how we implement the national incident management system and the incident command system.”

Within the framework, Armstrong said it identifies eight critical services, called lifelines, the community needs during an emergency.

“Safety and security, food, hydration and shelter, health and medical, energy, communications, transportation, hazardous materials response, and then water systems,” Armstrong said.

With the lifelines identified, emergency support functions are the stakeholders who ensure those lifelines are secured. That can include public works, road and bridge, fire and EMS, public health, human services and law enforcement.

“They’re responsible for actually responding, for stabilizing those lifelines, and getting things back to a state where the community can start to rebuild,” Armstrong said.

While Armstrong noted an emergency does not start or end at a town or county boundary, she added it is up to each municipality to take control.

“When something happens that does affect a municipality, the county will play a support role and can play that coordination role,” Armstrong said. “We will also assist with requesting state help.”

If an emergency arises, Armstrong urged local governments to declare an emergency.

“If something gets to the point where your resources are tapped and you need support, go ahead and declare,” Armstrong said. “Local governments should declare early and declare often. There’s no ramification for that.”

In acknowledgment of that control, both Telluride and Mountain Village have recently taken action related to drought conditions and wildfire risk. The actions were not emergency declarations or responses to an active emergency.

On Tuesday, the Town of Telluride discussed placing the authority to impose a fire ban in the hands of the town manager.

“Our fire ban approval process has typically been, when we feel like there’s a concern, at the next scheduled council meeting, council will pass an ordinance to then approve a fire ban,” Telluride Town Manager Zoe Dohnal said.

“We have noticed that this does not allow flexibility in us being reactive to our current situations,” Dohnal said. “Following the precedent of our other community members who are able to put these bans in place and then later ratify, or come to council for that ratification, it seems like we can improve that efficiency and effectiveness to align with our regional partners.”

With a new procedure, Telluride will fall in line with Mountain Village.

Mountain Village last week passed an emergency ordinance allowing the public works director to impose additional water restrictions within the town.

“Right now, we’re limiting irrigation to three days a week, and trying to get everyone to knock down their flows to 70-75%,” Mountain Village Public Works Director Scott Pittenger said.

Telluride currently has similar water restrictions in place.

Pittenger said those measures could become more restrictive if the San Miguel River goes on call, when water rights holders downstream require more water.

“When the river goes on call, there’s a likelihood we are going to curtail more irrigation, potentially cutting off all irrigation in Mountain Village,” Pittenger said. “We’re hoping to push that out as long as possible. We like to have flowers, we like green grass, we want the golf course to be successful, but we do need rains. We need snow. What we need is for the San Miguel River to stay strong.”

While the county and local governments are working on emergency and disaster management, Armstrong also emphasized the community needs to take personal responsibility and prepare for evacuation.

“Your personal plan for yourself needs to come first, needs to be your plan A,” Armstrong said. “Emergency response needs to be plan D, E or F.”

Armstrong urged residents to have a go-bag ready in case of evacuation, including clothing and shoes, food and water, and a list of valuable or sentimental items to grab quickly, such as photos, passports and birth certificates.

San Miguel County, the West Region Wildfire Council and the Telluride Fire Protection District will hold two wildfire preparedness presentations at the Wilkinson Public Library on May 13 and June 1.

San Miguel County Emergency Management will also hold an evacuation drill in Mountain Village on June 15.

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West End Roundup with the San Miguel Basin Forum

Story begins at 6:15.

Today on the West End Roundup with the San Miguel Basin forum KOTO’s news team chats with editor Regan Tuttle. In today’s headlines: Chief Bockrath Travels to D.C., Nucla Garden Club Prepares for Summer, and Nucla Baseball Needs a Win.

Norwood Fire Protection District Chief John Bockrath recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for rural EMS services. Tuttle shares more.

Tuttle: It was about a month ago, or actually less, that Norwood Fire Chief John Bockrath went to Washington, D.C. He traveled with about eight others who are part of the National Association of EMTs.

They were traveling for EMS Week on Capitol Hill and were hoping to speak with senators and representatives about why rural EMS is struggling so much. They explained travel times to hospitals, especially from places like Norwood, Nucla and Naturita, where transport can take an hour and a half to two hours. They also discussed long-term care issues, including trauma and cardiac cases.

They said many people were astounded to hear about the travel times and that communities such as Norwood, Naturita and Nucla even exist to this day, Bockrath said.

They did have some luck. Bockrath said U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd was very responsive. Hurd would like to meet more with him in May when he returns from Washington. He wants to talk about water and EMS.

The Forum asked Bockrath what he would like to see happen. He said the goal is to get EMS deemed an essential service at the state level.

Right now, fire and law enforcement are designated as essential services, but EMS is not, meaning funding is not available in the same way. As a result, many rural departments struggle.

He said he has no idea how Jeff and Tonya Stephens, the husband-and-wife team in Nucla, continue to make it work. Their territory is larger than Norwood’s. They are the only two paramedic EMTs in that department, and they remain on call and get the job done on a very limited budget.

Bockrath said this could be the year the designation passes in Colorado. He said it is needed, especially for medical equipment and upgrades. He said a new ambulance costs about $400,000, which is half of Norwood’s budget and about four times the cost for Nucla and Naturita.

He said he is optimistic change can happen in Colorado. He said officials need to get vocal and raise awareness. He also said it will be important to monitor how funding is distributed if it passes, expressing concern that money could become concentrated in Denver instead of reaching rural departments that need it to serve their communities.

Nucla’s Garden Club is busy preparing for the summer season. Tuttle has the latest.

Tuttle: It is almost 80 years old, the Spruce and Columbine Garden Club, as it is officially called.

The club is involved in a variety of community efforts, including beautification projects on Main Street in Nucla. Members are responsible for maintaining some of the pots, plants and other landscaping elements in the area.

They also maintain a strong presence at Volunteer Park, located near Town Hall in Nucla, helping keep the space maintained and visually appealing.

The group holds fundraisers, including chili dinners and appearances at community events, to support its ongoing work.

Yard of the Month is a summer tradition in Nucla. Members are currently considering whether to begin the program in May or June, depending on drought conditions and water availability. The Nucla raw water system continues to support local lawns and gardens and is seen as a major benefit to the community.

The club also participates in other improvement projects and has a strong interest in heritage gardens. Members have previously worked with the Apple Core Project, through which participants learn to graft and preserve heirloom apple trees.

The club is welcoming new members. Meetings are held year-round at the airport in Nucla. Members encourage residents to attend, share ideas and participate as the growing season approaches.

The Mustang baseball team is looking for a win after a shaky start to the season. Tuttle explains.

Tuttle: Nucla typically fields a strong baseball team and has reached the state tournament several times. The team is a combined roster of Norwood and Nucla players, with Telluride players sometimes joining as well.

But it has been a difficult year, head coach Randy Gabriel said. Gabriel has coached the team for years.

He said Monday has been especially challenging. Spring break created roster disruptions as players traveled, which he supported, but it meant the team did not have all its players when the season began. Many athletes were also coming directly from other sports without much time to practice.

The team also dealt with a couple of discipline issues, and some players were temporarily out before returning.

Gabriel said he was especially grateful for younger players who stepped up and filled in when needed.

The season was further complicated by a personal family tragedy for Gabriel. In response, the West End community rallied around him and the team. Assistant coach Mike Redd, along with Tony Bonacquista and Mike Rummel, have stepped in to support the players.

Gabriel said he believes the team is now unified and morale is high. He said the players are “in it to win it” after a challenging season.

He said the team is hoping to advance after this weekend. If successful, they would enter the postseason as the No. 5 seed.

The San Miguel Basin Forum is a locally owned and operated newspaper out of Nucla, Colorado. Visit SanMiguelBasinForum.com for weekly news, events, and local happenings in the West End.

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Cat Movie Fisher with Risho Unda

It’s time for another installment of Cat Movie Fisher, a segment in which Telluride High School’s Risho Unda chats with members of the community about their favorite movies. This week, he talks with social studies teacher Wayne Clark.

Story begins at 13:40.

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Documentary Explores Mental Health in Agriculture

Working in and having a love for agriculture can be joyful and rewarding. It can also be painful and stressful.

Those experiences are at the center of the documentary “Legacy,” which looks at mental health challenges within the agricultural community.

The film follows ranchers and farmers from across Colorado as they navigate the pride, joy and privilege of agriculture, as well as the struggles and hardships that can come with the work.

Next week, San Miguel County Public Health will host a screening and discussion of the film in collaboration with San Miguel Basin Extension, Colorado Farm Bureau and the Colorado Agricultural Addiction and Mental Health Program.

The goal is for the community to come together and support each other through hard times.

The screening of “Legacy” will take place Thursday, May 7, at the Livery in Norwood. Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m., with the film and discussion starting at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the community.

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Stay Bear Aware

Bears are back in town.

With spring in full swing, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is reminding residents and visitors that bears are emerging from their dens and looking for food.

The agency notes early-season food sources for bears include grasses, aspen buds and other sprouts — gentle foods that help a bear’s digestive system adjust after months without eating.

Officials urge people to secure all food and trash, emphasizing bears should never eat from trash bins, bird feeders or other human-provided food sources.

Although most human-bear interactions occur in late summer and fall, it is always important to remain bear-aware and secure windows and doors, vehicles, trash and bird feeders.

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Judge Allows Unaffiliated Voters in GOP Primary

A federal judge has rejected the Colorado Republican Party’s request to block unaffiliated voters from casting ballots in the party’s upcoming primary election on June 30.

The judge said excluding them just weeks before ballots are mailed would cause too much confusion. The ruling means unaffiliated voters will be able to participate in this year’s Republican primary.

Colorado’s unaffiliated voters have been allowed to vote in primaries since 2018. They make up more than half of the state’s active, registered electorate.

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Lawmakers Maintain Right-to-Repair

Colorado’s landmark right-to-repair laws will remain intact after lawmakers killed a bill that would have weakened them.

The Colorado Capitol News Alliance’s Rae Solomon reports in recent years, Colorado lawmakers have passed several laws giving consumers the ability to fix everything from farm equipment and electronics to wheelchairs without going through manufacturers. The measures have made Colorado a national leader in consumer protections.

Some opponents argued the laws create cybersecurity risks. They backed a bipartisan proposal to carve out an exception for IT equipment deemed critical to national security or public health and safety.

Democratic Rep. Brianna Titone, a longtime champion of right-to-repair laws, said the proposal was driven by profitable repair contracts and corporate greed.

“They don’t want to break that cycle of them making millions and millions of extra money off these products, and they don’t want small businesses to have any control over their devices,” Titone said.

The bill failed in a House committee on a 7-4 vote.

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Advocacy Group Reports Increased Immigration Enforcement in La Plata County

An immigrant advocacy group in Durango says it has received multiple reports of increased immigration enforcement across La Plata County in southwest Colorado.

For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KSUT’s Clark Adomaitis reports.

Story begins at 21:25.