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    <title>DS - Opinion</title>
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    <description>Latest local news from The Durango Herald.</description>
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        <link>https://tj.durangoherald.com/too-many-cats-spay-and-neuter-them/</link>
        <title>Too many cats? Spay and neuter them</title>
        <description>I sympathize with Mr. Berger’s frustration with cats in his area; fortunately, I live in an area where most cats are spayed and neutered, and we seldom see roaming cats. These cats didn’t decide to become “wild” or feral or...</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2015 21:16:23 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[I sympathize with Mr. Berger's frustration with cats in his area; fortunately, I live in an area where most cats are spayed and neutered, and we seldom see roaming cats. These cats didn't decide to become "wild" or feral or even on the loose - someone either dumped them or didn't bother to get them "fixed" so they wouldn't reproduce, and now they and their offspring are looking for food, water and warmth - just like we would be doing if we didn't have those necessities. The solution to this county and country-wide problem is to spay and neuter your cats - and dogs. Yes, it costs money, but it is the most humane thing to do and will control numbers (cats can go into heat while still dealing with a current litter-many times a year) and become good neighbors as well. Perhaps the county should consider an ordinance requiring all cats and dogs to be spayed or neutered, which would drastically reduce unwanted litters, roaming cats and dogs, and horrible deaths they suffer due to neglect. Neighbors could talk to each other and help get "barn cats" fixed to prevent litters. If you simply kill all the cats in a colony living in an area, others will move into that area, and you've gained nothing. Studies show this to be the case. For Pets' Sake Humane Society, an all-volunteer local organization, has spayed and neutered 2,500 cats in 260 different colonies in the past 6 years, all for free. This has made a huge impact on local numbers as well as feral cats winding up in the city animal shelter. For Pets' Sake spent $41,654 in 2014 to spay and neuter over 560 cats and dogs thanks to local fundraising, grants from Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund, Foundation for Protection of Animals, DJandT Foundation and the Berniece Barbour Foundation. Friends of the Aspen (CO) Animal Shelter gave our area 1,000 free spay/neuter vouchers for local pets. If we would all be responsible cat and dog owners, there wouldn't be a problem with homeless pets. That will only happen if we spay and neuter all our cats and dogs. Be part of the solution and not part of the problem - spay and neuter. Bill Williams Dolores]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://tj.durangoherald.com/judy-marquez-thanks-for-the-support-2/</link>
        <title>Judy Marquez: Thanks for the support</title>
        <description>I would like to thank all of my friends and the new friends I made for all of their hard work and support during my campaign by way of donations, phone calls, helping with flyers, and going door to door....</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2014 17:50:56 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[I would like to thank all of my friends and the new friends I made for all of their hard work and support during my campaign by way of donations, phone calls, helping with flyers, and going door to door. I would like to thank the Democratic Women of Montezuma County for their support and guidance. A special thanks to Ida Cox and Ann Brown for their words of wisdom and support. I wish Kim Percel the best of luck in her new position. Judy Marquez I would like to thank all of my friends and the new friends I made for all of their hard work and support during my campaign by way of donations, phone calls, helping with flyers, and going door to door. I would like to thank the Democratic Women of Montezuma County for their support and […]]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://tj.durangoherald.com/public-comments-helped-lay-groundwork-for-rico-west-dolores-travel-planning/</link>
        <title>Public comments helped lay groundwork for Rico-West Dolores travel planning</title>
        <description>By Derek Padilla Dolores District Ranger, San Juan National Forest Thank you to everyone who participated in the stakeholder process over the summer to help lay the groundwork for our upcoming Rico-West Dolores travel planning effort to determine the best...</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2014 19:04:25 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[By Derek Padilla Dolores District Ranger, San Juan National Forest Thank you to everyone who participated in the stakeholder process over the summer to help lay the groundwork for our upcoming Rico-West Dolores travel planning effort to determine the best mix of recreational uses for roads and trails in that area. The stakeholder interviews, public workshops and county commissioner meetings have helped us go beyond standard public involvement to better involve the community and better inform the agency as we head into the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. I think everyone agrees that the Rico-West Dolores area of the San Juan National Forest is a very special place that deserves careful attention. It's a large landscape of spectacular scenery covering more than 240,000 acres of high country, stretching from Lone Cone to Bolam Pass and the La Plata Mountains. When folks in Cortez and Dolores want to "head for the mountains," this is often where they go. You can't beat the scenery along the West Dolores Road, Meadows Road, and Scotch and Barlow Creek roads. The headwaters of the Dolores River are here. And the backcountry is accessible by great backcountry trails, such as Calico, Priest Gulch, Fish Creek, and Bear Creek. People enjoy the area in many ways, including horseback riding, hiking, fishing and motorcycling. It's now time for the official NEPA analysis for the Rico-West Dolores landscape to begin, and the first step, as always, is to ask what you think. We have released a Proposed Action as a starting point for public review and comment. It proposes designated uses for specific roads and trails, and types of wheeled motor access and seasons of use. The Proposed Action was developed by an interdisciplinary team of Forest Service staff incorporating field work, previous public and stakeholder input, local government coordination, and expert knowledge. The comment period runs from Dec. 12, 2014, to Jan. 30, 2015. To answer questions about the Proposed Action and accept comments, we will hold a public open house from 4-7 p.m. at the Dolores Community Center on Thursday, January 15, 2015. The Dolores Ranger District will use public comments to refine the current proposal and create alternative courses of action to be considered. Your comments will be most helpful if they are specifically relevant to Rico/West Dolores Travel Management, include detailed concerns, and are received by January 30, 2015. You can send comments to: Derek Padilla, District Ranger, Dolores Ranger District, 29211 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323, or by email to NEPA Coordinator Debbie Kill at: dkill@fs.fed.us. You can also comment via an electronic comment form available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php?project=44918 In the meantime, please feel free to pick up copies of the Proposed Action here at the Dolores Public Lands Office, 29211 Highway 145, or to contact Debbie Kill by phone or email. The Proposed Action document and associated maps are posted at the web site address listed above. Public comments received during this initial NEPA scoping period will help develop alternatives to the Proposed Action. The next formal public period will occur when the alternatives (including a comparison of each) are described in a draft environmental analysis, which we expect to complete late next summer. In addition, between the current scoping period and the next formal comment period on the draft document, my staff and I will be available for meetings, field trips, or office visits. We appreciate your interest in providing valuable information to help us make decisions that will enhance public use and enjoyment of the Rico-West Dolores landscape, as well as sustain the natural resource values of the area that make it such a special place to visit. My staff and I are always available to answer questions by appointment at the Dolores Public Lands Office, or by phone or email. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about the process or the project. Thank you.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://tj.durangoherald.com/letters-dont-blame-county-for-tdrs/</link>
        <title>Letters Don’t blame county for TDRs</title>
        <description>Our commissioners have received considerable criticism for changing the TDR plan on the Dolores River. This criticism has been based on opinion, not facts. The continuation of TDRs was a guarantee that only millionaires would be able to develop or...</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2014 18:08:22 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Our commissioners have received considerable criticism for changing the TDR plan on the Dolores River. This criticism has been based on opinion, not facts. The continuation of TDRs was a guarantee that only millionaires would be able to develop or build on a new tract of land. Since no market value was ever established for TDRs, the few owners of TDRs could hold hostage anyone wanting to develop a tract in the Dolores River Valley and possibly control development by pricing those rights beyond reach of ordinary citizens. Many of the larger tracts in the valley are protected by conservation easements, and many more will become protected. To assume that new development will be out of control is erroneous. The valley is still protected by regulations. Those who have complained the most and the loudest want to control what someone else has bought and paid for, and landowners pay a premium for what they own when they get a notice from the tax assessor. Those who complain the loudest couldn't buy a TDR if they wanted to. Jerry Koskie Lewis, Colo.]]></content:encoded>
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