Here, we provide timely and essential information to keep you informed about urgent matters that impact our local community. Stay up to date on upcoming events, safety notices, resource availability, and critical local developments.

Wildfire Resilience Workshop: Post – Attendee Resources

Workshop Resources:

• Horse Alert: A resource to protect your livestock in case of wildfires. Visit Horse Alert
• West Region Wildfire Site Visits: Free site visits for San Miguel County residents. Learn more at West Region Wildfire Site Visits
• Wildfire Preparedness Video: What to do when wildfire is near your home, available on YouTube: What to Do When Wildfire is Near Home
• Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Board: Check out the draft core and map, and provide comments: WRCB Draft Core and Map
• West Region Wildfire Council Newsletters: Stay informed by signing up here: West Region Wildfire Council Newsletters
• Donate to West Region Wildfire Council: Support the efforts of the West Region Wildfire Council here: Donate to West Region Wildfire Council
• Firehouse Consultations: Firehouses in the region offer free advice on wildfire mitigation—take advantage of this valuable resource!
• Visible Address Sign: Make sure your property has a visible address sign. Home Depot offers reflective fire retardant stickers for addresses.  We also found some online. 

Emergency Alerts & Preparedness:

• SMC Alerts: Opt-in for geo-targeted alerts for San Miguel County: SMC Alerts
• Reachwell App: Provides alerts in over 100 languages. Search for San Miguel County here: Reachwell App
• Go Bags List: Make sure you’re prepared with the essentials: people, pets/livestock, prescriptions, personal computers, photos and memorabilia, plastic and paperwork (birth certificates, passports, car titles, property deeds), and phone.
• Ready.gov: For disaster preparedness guidelines: Ready.gov
• CDC Pet Disaster Kit: Don’t forget your pets in your emergency plan. Find the checklist here: CDC Pet Disaster Kit
• Ready, Set, Go! Program: Find the Action Guide in both English and Spanish: Ready, Set, Go! Program
• San Miguel County Emergency Management: Contact OEM for emergency management in San Miguel and West Montrose Counties: oem@sanmiguelsheriff.org, 970-369-8628

Community Updates – March 7, 2025

HPAI Update – Dairy & Poultry

Dairy:

• Colorado: Currently, there are no reported cases of HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) in dairy herds.
• California: The last reported case was on March 3rd.
• Idaho, Arizona, and Nevada: These states have reported cases within the last 30 days.

Poultry:

• New Developments in Colorado: There are new cases of HPAI-positive backyard flocks in Weld County. Details are still being gathered, but we expect updates to be available on the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s (CDA) website soon.
• Control Areas: Current control area information can be found on the CDA page as well.
• Nationwide Update: The HPAI detection map shows a slight decrease in active cases across the country, but the disease remains widespread and ongoing.

Other News:

• Extension Foundation Webinars: The Extension Foundation has released a series of webinars focusing on Extension Skills. If you’re interested in learning more or registering, click here.
• CSU Nut Fry Event: The CSU Student American Association of Bovine Practitioners is hosting their annual Nut Fry on April 5th at Ellis Ranch in Loveland. This is a great opportunity to interact with veterinary students who are preparing to become food animal practitioners. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit this link. Whether you have extension students, 4-H members, or just want to support future veterinarians, this event is one you won’t want to miss!
• Castrating Tool for Calves and Lambs: We’ve found a handy tool for castrating calves and lambs—something we wish we had thought of sooner! It’s especially useful when banding calves in the pasture. A real game-changer! Check it out.

Calling All Farmers and Foresters!

Stay Connected

For further updates, be sure to check back frequently. We will post important news, safety tips, and other community-driven updates as they arise.

If you have any urgent concerns or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the San Miguel Basin Extension Office. Our team is here to help.

San Miguel Basin Extension Office Contact Information:

• Phone: (970) 327-4393
• Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM