Bennet urges new meat industry anti-trust regulations, while sustainability advocates look for deeper protections from food bill

Sen. Michael Bennet urged Pres. Barack Obama late last week to finalize and implement rules to even the playing field for small ranchers and chicken farmers in competition with corporate giants in the industry. Sustainable food advocates, who have been traveling the country asking legislators to sign on to similar letters, claimed the senator’s move as a minor victory in what they see as a battle between David and Goliath.

Yellowstone River rancher: ‘We can’t use majority of our farm … it’s really bad’

Luckily, Alexis Bonogofsky has a day job with the National Wildlife Federation, because her goat ranch and farm on the banks of the Yellowstone River south of Billings, Mont., has been completely shut down by last week’s ExxonMobil pipeline break and oil spill.

Suthers wants more teeth in Colorado anti-trust laws

Attorney General John Suthers would like to see Colorado’s antitrust law changed to allow his office to challenge mergers that may harm Colorado’s citizens and markets, a Suthers’ spokesman recently told the Colorado Independent.

Hickenlooper position on pit liner regs specific to one area of state

A spokesman for Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s gubernatorial campaign late Monday took exception with a Colorado Independent blog post earlier in the day questioning the mayor’s recent statements about pit liner regulations related to the oil and gas industry.…

Bill aims to improve wages, working conditions for immigrant shepherds

State Rep. Daniel Kagan, D-Denver, is proposing a bill to improve conditions for immigrant shepherds on Colorado’s Western Slope, according to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

His efforts are reportedly based on a two-year survey of 93 shepherds conducted…

Conservation group hammers Rep. Salazar for no vote on ‘cap and trade’

The League of Conservation Voters Thursday launched a television ad campaign in Grand Junction, Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Denver blasting U.S. Rep. John Salazar for voting against the Waxman-Markey climate change bill.

Only two of those cities – Grand…

Proposed uranium mill creates culture clash in Montrose County

The debate over a uranium mill proposed by a Canadian company in the western end of Montrose County has come down to a question of what people would rather have in their back yard: uranium processing, farms and ranches, or…

Oil shale looms large at key IBCC water meeting in Crested Butte

Oil shale development was the 800-pound camel in the room last week during a meeting in Crested Butte of the Interbasin Compact Committee, according to the Pueblo Chieftain.

The IBCC and nine river-basin roundtables were set up by the…

GOP state lawmaker: ‘Pitchforks about to come out’ over drilling regulations

State Rep. Laura Bradford says ranchers and landowners in and around Grand Junction and Mesa County are enraged by new, more environmentally stringent drilling regulations keeping them from fully developing their oil and gas mineral rights.