Las Animas County Rancher Wants Help Getting to Cattle

By Tammy Alhadef, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

Jan. 4–TRINIDAD – A rancher says she is growing desperate as her cattle go untended and access to pasture land remains limited in the wake of a massive snowfall.

Nancy Wilkinson, who ranches 7,000 acres east of Model, said she hasn’t seen a third of her 400 head of cattle in three days. She said she’s angry that Las Animas County will not venture onto private lands, leaving ranchers unable to reach their cattle even after county roads have been cleared. She said she blames the commissioners for failing to act while other counties such as Baca and Prowers have helped ranchers clear paths to livestock.

“If those cattle die we’re out $150,000,” she said. “There’s no insurance, no one to hold our hand when it’s over.”

Colorado National Guard flight crews searched Wednesday for trapped herds. A C-130 transport aircraft was scheduled to begin making hay drops across the county. The Guard also has brought in several large trucks to help clear the way for ranchers.

However, Wilkinson said it’s only a temporary fix for her and her neighbors.

“That’s great, but are they going to make a drop every day? What we need is access to our pastures so we can help ourselves,” she said.

County Manager William Cordova, who also is in charge of emergency response for Las Animas County, said the county’s responsibility is to clear county roads and get to people who need food and medical assistance. The region received up to 40 inches of snow during the storm.

He said it could be several more days before all the roads have been cleared.

“We have a lot of road miles left to do,” he said, adding that blowing snow has forced crews to have to clear some roads all over again.

“The National Guard is in a position to help with cattle,” Cordova said.

Even so, the priority for all entities involved is to protect human life said Dean Oatman, a rancher and county agent for Colorado State University Extension Service.

“They’ve got to get to people before they get to the herds,” Oatman said. “Human life has to come first.”

Oatman said while he shares Wilkinson’s frustration, he can understand the commissioners’ reluctance to take equipment off the county roads.

“I’m as concerned as anyone to get aid out to the ranchers. We’re looking at the potential for great losses,” he said. But the potential for liability is more than the county is willing to take on at this point, he said.

“We are looking at ways for the county to get around the liability issue,” Oatman said.

Jim Conley, county agent for the CSU Extension Service in Huerfano County, said most ranchers west of Interstate 25 have been able dig out on their own. Those west of the highway were hit harder by the storm.

The National Guard was scheduled to make drops in Huerfano County on Wednesday, but they never came. County Road and Bridge workers cleared a landing site near hay bales and waited for assistance.

“We had a crew on the ground all day, but nobody showed up,” Conley said. “Hopefully they’ll make it here tomorrow.”

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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