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.
After the Disaster Guidebook
Disasters can happen to anyone at any time. Being prepared and knowing your resources are key to recovery. Here is the link to San Miguel County/ CSU Extension After the Disaster Guidebook.
Non-Lethal Conflict Reduction Program Presented on March 22nd, 2025
Did you miss our Predator Conflict Reduction Program on the 22nd of this month? Want to learn about what was discussed? The key takeaway is documentation is everything! Keeping documents on everything concerning your animals (bills of sale, veterinary care, expenses, pictures and other documentation) are going to be crucial for reimbursement of depredated livestock as a part of Predator Conflict management. We are planning on holding more events on this topic. But until then, please access this link: slide show presentation from Jesse Lasater from the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
Here are some other helpful Resources:
Wolf-Livestock Conflict Minimization Programs in Colorado
Best Practices for Carcass Management for Reducing Livestock Depredation
Best Practices for Range Riding: Mitigating Predator Conflicts with Livestock
Recording of Wildfire Workshop held in Norwood, March 8th
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i_0m1sAWatdM7PicES1AjBPc45a4R2Rp/view?usp=drive_link
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 18, 2025
HPAI Update – Dairy & Poultry
Dairy:
- Colorado: Currently, there are no reported cases of HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) in dairy herds. CO remains one of three “Unaffected” states.
- Other States: CA and ID have cases occurring most recently, with NV and AZ being affected within the last 30 days. Additionally, TX and MI are still on the “Affected” list for the National Milk Testing Strategy report.
Poultry:
- New Developments in Colorado: No new cases in CO as of March 15th. The previous case reported last Friday was in a backyard flock. There are no active control areas in CO, but it continues to be widespread in poultry across the country, with 80 domestic flocks affected in the last 30 days. There continues to be cases in wild birds, so as a reminder to stakeholders, use caution when handling dead birds, both wild or domestic. A good graphic for education made by the CDC can be found here. 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.
- Additional information regarding HPAI:
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