Highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to affect poultry in the U.S., farmers, agriculture groups, and climate advocates ask Congress to do more to address climate change in the next farm bill, Brazil is set to export more corn than the United States in 2023, and ag products with labels stating “Product of the USA", are often misleading.

This summer, Mesa Verde National Park will embark on a mission to bolster the health and resilience of the Mancos River. The park will start implementing restoration efforts in the stretch of the river south of the Mancos Valley. And a bill that would expand child labor protections cleared its vote in the state House of Representatives Friday.

A new bill would let victims of child labor violations sue for remedies not included in standard workers compensation.

One bill would create a new scholarship program focused on training for industries with worker shortages. Another would cover tuition, fees and materials for certain associate degrees and industry certificate programs.

On Thursday morning, a sinkhole opened up on County Road P north of Cortez. Rob Englehart, superintendent of the county’s road and bridge department, says that the sinkhole was created from days of rain and the melting of snowmelt. And a bill to help farmers and ranchers repair their own equipment got final approval by the state Senate Thursday. The bill would require agriculture equipment manufacturers hand over parts, software, instructions, and other tools necessary for owners to make repairs.

The Cortez City Council has unanimously approved a plan to rewrite the city’s land use code. In order to improve affordable housing options available for those looking to move or build homes in Cortez, the city applied for a grant from the Colorado State Department of Local Affairs to fund a land use code project. And state lawmakers want oil and gas companies to conserve more water. A new bill would require companies to report their water use for increased transparency.

After the Durango community lost one teenager to an opioid overdose, many high school students wondered what could be done to prevent another. As a harm-reduction movement emerged, students began pushing for permission to carry Narcan in school. After months of back and forth with school district administrators, teens decided to take their fight for drug policy change public.

A single overdose event in 2021 was the spark that ignited a teen harm reduction movement in Durango. This is an account of two teens who were close to the individuals involved in that event.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a Brazilian cow leads to concerns about a global outbreak and possible impacts on human health, Argentina's agriculture exports hit hard by the worst drought of the last four decades, and queen bees for colonies used to pollinate crops in the U.S. are in high demand.

Democratic United States Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado reintroduced legislation to protect the Dolores River earlier this month. Colorado’s other senator, Michael Bennet, joined Hickenlooper in sponsoring the Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act. And Governor Jared Polis signed four bills into law on Friday. That included one that will make it easier for out-of-state teachers to work in Colorado.