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Tuesday, January 17, 2006
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Rotational Crop Management Bill
Here's a story from the Denver Post about farmers selling water rights to cities [January 17, 2006, "Bill makes water a cash crop"]. From the article, "Legislation introduced Monday would make it easier for farmers to sell a portion of their water to cities, while keeping enough to continue farming.
"Proponents say the bill would help preserve Colorado's agriculture industry by making water a renewable crop, instead of a one-time sale that puts farmers out of business and drains the rural economy...
"The Rotational Crop Management Bill would knock down legal barriers that demand all or nothing for farmers willing to sell water - and by extension, their trade - to cities."
"When cities buy water rights, they usually get the land in the deal, even though the real estate has little or no value for agriculture or development. The crop- management bill, introduced by state Rep. Mary Hodge, D-Brighton, would allow farmers to keep their land but sell the water that would have been used to irrigate it.
"Farmers then could let parts of their land lie fallow or grow crops that don't need irrigation, such as winter wheat or certain varieties of corn and alfalfa, as they sell water to cities. Farmers also could rotate the portion of their land designated to yield water, the same way they rotate crops.
"Colorado's current water- brokering system makes such arrangements complicated and too cumbersome for most farmers to even attempt, Hodge said."
Category: Colorado Water
7:32:59 AM 
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Iraqi election results
Juan Cole: "The Independent Iraqi Electoral Commission announced Monday that only 1 percent of ballot boxes 'did not meet international standards.' Of 31,000, only a couple hundred are being discarded, the majority of them in Baghdad province. The commission said that tossing out those ballot boxes would not affect the over-all distribution of seats in parliament."
TalkLeft: "The ACLU and the Center for Constitutional Rights will be filing federal lawsuits today over Bush's warrantless NSA electronic surveillance program. The ACLU will file its suit in Detroit and CCR will file in New York."
SFGate.com: "Sen. Hillary Clinton on Monday blasted the Bush administration as 'one of the worst' in U.S. history and compared the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to a plantation where dissenting voices are squelched." Thanks to TalkLeft for the link.
Stygius: "I hope folks are paying attention to the latest attacks on Shell's facilities in Nigeria's Niger Delta, considering that area's oil is supposedly an 'alternative' to Mideast dependence, and is often powering American vehicles and utilities. This isn't some rabble trying to steal a few gallons of sweet, sweet crude; by all indications their attacks have been planned, coordinated, and sustained. As far as West Africa goes, that's about all it takes to be a viable political alternative to the current regime. The responsible group calls itself Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND)."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
6:19:36 AM
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Oil and gas effects on Palisade watershed
The City of Palisade is worried about the sale of oil and gas leases on the Grand Mesa and the potential negative impacts on their watershed, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 17, 2006, "Water fears spur Palisade to protest BLM lease sale"]. From the article, "The BLM's Feb. 9 sale offering covers 13,000 acres, of which about 11,000 acres lie within the watershed for Palisade's municipal water supply...Leases offered for sale may not receive bids, she said, but those that are leased are examined again and additional stipulations are added when necessary. Another level of regulation comes from the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, where director Brian Macke said permitting is required for all wells, and the commission examines whether they would harm groundwater. In addition, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission oversees storm-water regulations for oil and gas activities, a function upheld by the water commission last week in Denver. Edwards noted that Palisade is arranging financing to build a $6 million water treatment plant and doesn't want its water supply threatened."
Category: Colorado Water
5:52:38 AM
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Domestic partnerships for same-sex couples?
This November voters may get to decide whether or not to legalize domestic partnerships, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 17, 2006, "Dems want Nov. vote on same-sex partnerships"]. From the article, "Rep. Tom Plant, D-Nederland, and Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Coal Creek Canyon, will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. today at the Capitol to discuss their proposal, which would change Colorado's laws but not its constitution...The proposal will be introduced as a referendum, which means if the Democratic-controlled legislature approves, the measure will be on the November ballot. Republican Gov. Bill Owens has no veto power over referred measures."
Bob Beauprez has a weblog, Bob Beauprez for Governor Blog. Here's a link to a post from January 15th. Here's the RSS Feed. Way to go Bob. Thanks to the Colorado Lib for the link.
Scott McIinnis has not entirely ruled out a run for governor but he says a run is unlikely according to the Glenwood Springs Post Independent. From the article, "Former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis has all but ruled out a run for governor, fearing his advocacy on behalf of Western Slope water interests could douse his chances of winning the Republican primary...McInnis represented the 3rd Congressional District, which includes western Colorado. Before going to Congress he represented the Glenwood Springs area in the Colorado House of Representatives for a decade. In both capacities he worked hard to look out for the Western Slope on water issues. Most of Colorado's precipitation falls on the Western Slope, and the region is ever-wary of Front Range attempts to divert water through tunnels under the Continental Divide. As he looked at a run for governor, McInnis said, he learned that his history on water issues might hurt him in the Colorado Springs area. 'I received several reminders of my clashes on water over there,' McInnis said. That's a problem because the Colorado Springs area is heavily Republican and will be well-represented in the state Republican convention and primary, McInnis said."
Colorado Pols has two posts on fundraising for the gubernatorial race, Marc Holtzman and Bob Beauprez.
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
5:43:49 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 7:57:41 PM.
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