I have lived my whole life in San Juan County, and, as a fifth-generation rancher, I know the meaning of hard work, grit and determination.
It has been a struggle to provide for my family at times, due to the strict and cumbersome regulations involving grazing permits on land around the county and the water rights within the county.
I’m not alone on this matter.
Now, as we are in the worst drought that I have ever experienced, that situation has grown even more dire.
Agricultural industry is the lifeblood of our economy; it is the main source of income for many individuals, and everyone in our community is affected when a drought or similar natural disaster hits.
As this drought continues to starve our cattle and wither our crops, we have decided to fight back.
We want to be able to work and provide for our families.
Since we are a small rural community, we have often felt left behind in many respects, namely not having adequate resources and personnel to deal with these types of issues.
We hope through these efforts that the appropriate resources will be directed to help our community and we can help save the livelihoods of many citizens in San Juan County.
Bruce Adams is a San Juan County commissioner, fifth-generation rancher and a devoted voice for agriculture, lands and community unity.