Coffee cooled on tables and booted legs crossed beneath chairs as ranchers settled in for morning updates on wildlife, drought and fires.
The familiar setting marked the annual meeting of the Southwestern Colorado Livestock Association held Saturday at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.
The morning session featured reports from Montezuma County Commissioner Jim Candelaria, Dolores County Commissioner Eric Stiasny and Sheriff Steve Nowlin, along with a water update from Ken Curtis, general manager of the Dolores Water Conservancy District.
State Sen. Cleave Simpson, R‑District 6, and Rep. Larry Don Suckla, R‑District 58, also spoke, mainly to address the start of the new legislative year.
“They are destroying your lives. They are destroying your local government. They are destroying your health departments. They are destroying your water,” Suckla said, broadly criticizing the direction of the state government and arguing against any increase in property tax bills and assessments.
Multiple speakers echoed similar criticisms of state laws that they say place requirements on counties without funding to implement them. County commissioners and Nowlin described having to comply with state mandates that strain rural departments and governments, especially with the sheriff’s office already facing retention and hiring challenges.
Across speakers, recurring themes included weather and water supply uncertainties, preparation for wildfire season and ongoing animal–human conflicts on roads or private property.
There was wide‑reaching participation from agency officials: the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, as well as the sheriff’s office, all attending in person and taking questions.
Producers asked about sometimes contentious issues including livestock on roadways, wolf reintroduction and elk-agriculture conflicts.
Ken Curtis told attendees the district is closely watching this year’s weak snowpack and unseasonably warm weather.
“Water is going to be a tough one this year,” Curtis said. “I expect we are going to see a weird fire season.”
He said the timing of runoff and spring showers will matter. The office will have thorough updates April 1.
Curtis said high‑elevation snowpack was roughly half of what it should be and described Colorado River Basin negotiations in Washington, D.C., as unsettled.
He said Colorado and Arizona remain divided over how much the Upper Basin should reduce its water use, with Arizona pointing to past Supreme Court wins as justification for deeper cuts.
Nowlin delivered his annual snapshot of the sheriff’s office, reporting 14,951 calls for service last year. He said livestock issues made up a larger workload, including dozens of calls tied to dogs running loose on highways and county roads. Livestock calls totaled 245, with busy periods in June and again in January and February. He predicted another active fire season as drought conditions worsen.
During a question‑and‑answer period, Nowlin said he remains concerned about staffing and retention. His office continues to grapple with a steady stream of new state laws.
“I can tell you we are having to deal with a lot of state laws that are coming down. A lot of these laws are directed to the sheriff,” he said.
Nowlin said he opposed a new state bill proposing firearm restrictions, criticizing its compliance requirements and certain firearm bans, which he said could create administrative burdens for the sheriff and raise privacy concerns. He emphasized that he views his role as protecting civil liberties while navigating legal consequences.
“I'm talking about 98% of our citizens in this county who are gun owners are lawful gun owners and responsible gun owners. But here's the real problem: It is a money maker for the state,” he said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff provided updates on its wolf reintroduction plan, deer herd health and animal–human conflict‑response tools. Officials said wolf management plans are tied to federal processes and timelines, noting this year’s temporary pause on new releases and its potential impact on the Western Slope.
“So, the decision is no wolves coming to Colorado this capture‑release season. The agency still focuses efforts on increasing mitigation and minimization tools. Moving forward, we're going to reassess and there's potential for them coming into Colorado as soon as next December,” said regional wildlife manager Adrian Archuleta.
Archuleta said the agency is working to verify the population of new pups in at least four packs. He also mentioned a recent wolf death during a routine capture procedure, noting similar risks exist for deer and elk.
He said the current wolf mortality rate, around 50–60%, is what the agency expected.
During a question‑and‑answer discussion about private‑land and elk conflicts involving disturbances to seed, CPW officials told a landowner the agency can evaluate short‑term options, but Archuleta emphasized that larger herd‑management changes must follow public processes.
Candelaria discussed several county updates, including the long‑running Ironwood Mill case, where the county sued the mill property after towering wood‑chip piles created a fire hazard. Fines continue to accrue at $10,000 a day, though financial recovery is unlikely. He noted that on‑site conditions have improved somewhat as material has been reorganized into smaller piles.
He said the county expects to discuss a blight ordinance at an upcoming commissioners workshop, noting the issue was historically avoided in the 1990s because it was too controversial.
On staffing, Candelaria said the county withdrew a road superintendent job listing and is instead training and promoting internally.
Suckla delivered a wide‑ranging message critical of state policy and encouraged residents to stay engaged.
“Well, if you're not fired up when I get done, you're going to be,” he said.
He expressed concern about rising property tax bills and called for audits of state spending. He also warned about the growing energy demands of data centers and questioned whether Colorado can meet future electricity needs.
“The data centers are coming to Colorado, they are coming big time. The second thing, they use water. They require that to cool these data centers like a car engine,” he said.
Audience questions followed before the program moved to later agenda items, including fairgrounds planning updates for the summer and introductions of candidates in several upcoming elections.
The association’s meeting continued with a luncheon provided by the Southwestern Cowbelles and Cattlewomen and the 1 p.m. business meeting. The evening included a full lineup of events, including a dinner and dance, live auction and the naming of Cowbelle and Stockman of the Year honorees.
awatson@the-journal.com
