Hay prices remain high in Southwest Colorado
Hay prices in Southwest Colorado remain high, but steady according to the Dec. 11 figures on current averages per region from the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
The CDA says hay movement statewide was slow last week due to a glut in supply of cow hay, but prices are steady.
In Southwest Colorado, large squares of good grade alfalfa, were averaging $235 per lot. Small bales of premium alfalfa are averaging $270-$280 per lot.
Premium alfalfa/grass mix hay prices are on par with alfalfa, according to the CDA, averaging $270 per lot.
The CDA had no figures on other classes of hay in Southwest Colorado.
Statewide, alfalfa hay prices were lowest in the northeast, with small squares of premium lots averaging $230-$260.
Gas prices down again; Cortez at $2.49 a gallon
Average retail gasoline prices in Colorado hovered around $2.56 per gallon, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
This compares with the national average, which also has fallen 8.3 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.57.
In Cortez on Monday, regular gasoline was selling for $2.49 a gallon.
Kinder Morgan founder plans to step down as CEO
Rich Kinder plans to step down as chief executive officer of the company he founded, according to the Houston Business Journal.
With a completed $76 billion deal to consolidate the Kinder Morgan companies, Kinder, 70, appears to be making room for a youth movement, and coming up with a succession plan for president and chief operating officer Steve Kean to take over. The Houston Business Journal reported Kinder would have an executive chairman role.
Currently, Kinder, Kean and CFO Kim Dang hold the top jobs.
“It’ll still be the same team running the company, but I want to see the younger group move up and take more active charge,” Kinder said. “We want to move along and make sure, both internally and externally, that people realize how the company is being run, and it’s being run by a group of people now, not just me.”
Kinder Morgan became the fourth-largest U.S. energy company by market value after buying out three publicly traded affiliates in deals valued at $50.3 billion that closed last month. It transports natural gas, crude oil and refined fuels such as diesel and gasoline. Richard Kinder, the largest shareholder, has a net worth valued at $11.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Officials taking comments on Dolores/Rico plan
San Juan National Forest Service officials announced last week that they will again take public comments for the Rico/West Dolores Travel Management Plan.
A travel management plan for the area was scrapped five years ago because procedures weren’t followed.
This comment period begins the National Environmental Policy Act analysis for the project. Comments will help refine the service’s proposal. The comment period begins Dec. 12, 2014, and ends Jan. 30, 2015.
A public open house will be held 4 to 7 p.m. at the Dolores Community Center on Thursday, Jan. 15 for comments and questions about proposed actions. Copies of the proposed action can be picked up at the Dolores Public Lands Office, 29211 Colorado Highway 145, or by contacting Debbie Kill at 970-882-6822 or dkill@fs.fed.us.
Journal reports
