In 1995, Governor Roy Romer appointed Senator Schwartz to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education representing the Western Slope. After serving on the Commission, she was elected to the University Of Colorado Board Of Regents from the 3rd Congressional District in 2000 where she served for six years and including two years as Vice Chair. In 2006, Gail was elected to the Colorado State Senate from eleven counties of Senate District 5, and was re-elected for a final four-year term in 2010.

Senator Schwartz is the Senate Caucus Majority Whip, Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy Committee, Vice-Chair of the Capital Development Committee, and a member of the Senate Local Government Committee. She holds a variety of state and national committee and board appointments including the Colorado Tourism Board and the Interbasin Compact Committee addressing water resources.

As a resident of Pitkin County and the Roaring Fork Valley for over forty years, Senator Schwartz has dedicated herself to making the seven counties of Senate District five the best possible place to live, work, raise a family, and educate our children. She is committed to preserving Colorado’s majestic environment, while protecting water, natural resources, and agricultural lands. She has a distinguished legislative record promoting energy diversification including local renewable energy generation, efficiency, and expanding Colorado’s energy portfolio resources. Sen. Schwartz has actively supported rural economic development, access to rural broadband and quality rural schools through the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) Program.

Current Appointments

• Colorado Senate Majority Whip
• Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy Committee, Chair
• Local Government Committee, Member
• Capital Development Committee, Vice Chair
• Water Resources Review Interim Committee, Chair
• Colorado Tourism Board, Member
• Colorado Foundation for Water Education, Member
• InterBasin Compact Committee (IBCC), Legislative Representative
• Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Oversight Committee, Chair
• National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) Energy Supply Taskforce, Member
• National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) Environment Committee, Vice Chair
• Council of State Governments (CSG) WestTrends Board, Member
• Council of State Governments (CSG) West  - Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee for the 2013-14 Biennium, Chair
• Rotary Club of Aspen
• El Pomar Regional Council
• Joint Select Committee on the Implementation of Amendment 64 Taskforce Recommendations

Former Appointments

• Joint Select Committee Appointments: Redistricting, Severance Tax, Economic Development, and Health Care
• Green Jobs Advisory Council, Member
• Energy Council Executive Committee, Member
• CollegeInvest, Member
• Colorado Early Learning Opportunities Commission, Member
• Council of State Governments (CSG) West  - Energy and Public Lands Committee, Member

Senator Gail Schwartz is the Colorado Senate Caucus Majority Whip, Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy Committee, Vice-Chair of the Capital Development Committee, and a member of the Senate Local Government Committee.  She also holds a variety of state and national committee and board appointments including the Colorado Tourism Board and the Interbasin Compact Committee addressing water resources.

If House Bill 1044 were a book, it might be called “Fifty Shades of Graywater,” a suggestion that made Sen. Gail Schwartz laugh out loud.

“If only the bill were that much fun,” she said. “But it’s a very important bill when it comes to water conservation and water efficiencies.”

Graywater is wastewater in a building that comes from showers, hand-washing sinks and washing machines. It does not come from toilets, urinals or kitchen sinks.

Colorado is the only western state that doesn’t allow treated graywater to be used for flushing toilets, landscaping and such, but a proposal scheduled to be heard Wednesday in a Senate committee would change that.

House Bill 1044, by Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, and Rep. Randy Fischer, D-Fort Collins, legalizes the use of graywater, calls for the development of regulations to protect the public health and gives cities and counties the discretion to offer graywater permits to single- or multi-family dwellings.

Bill supporters say a household with four people could save 58,000 gallons a year if it had a graywater filtration system installed.

A similar bill died last year in its first House committee amid concerns it would harm downstream water rights. Fischer said he reworked the bill, which was then endorsed by Colorado Water Congress .

The House unanimously passed the measure, which will be heard Wednesday by the Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy Committee. Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, who sits on the committee, said he’s excited to hear the bill.

“As long as we can protect the downstream users’ historical rights, there is nothing wrong with this idea,” he said. “A lot of money and energy goes into cleaning up water to bring it to drinking water standards, merely to put it on lawns and flush toilets, and we don’t need to do that.”

Schwartz also addressed that point, saying a number of Colorado’s wastewater treatment facilities are aging and need to be updated. She said the use of graywater would mean less input into those plants.

Fischer said he got the idea for carrying the bill from two Colorado State University professors who have been working on graywater issues. They have a graywater disinfectant vat set up in one of the residence halls and have been testing the system.

April is child abuse prevention month, and it reminds me that our communities are next in line after families in protecting children and ensuring they have the best start in life.  The 2013 report called Kids Count in Colorado provides vital statistics regarding the well-being of our children.  This type of data is critical to shaping policy to create the most effective programs to best serve our communities.  We all agree that protecting children and investing in them at a young age will benefit them as they grow up to become successful, happy adults. This month, I am supporting a range of legislation aimed at helping the children of my district achieve their potential.

There has been a variety of bills this session that work to protect the well-being of children in Colorado.  For example, HB13-1271 will set up a statewide hotline to report child abuse and neglect.  Reporting and preventing abuse is critical because of the lifelong impacts abuse has on children.  Since 2007, more than 175 children have died as a result of abuse and neglect. Our current patchwork of reporting methods has resulted in too many vulnerable children not receiving critical resources.  If passed, the statewide hotline bill would ensure that family and neighbors would be able to call one number and reach a live person to report a child in danger, no matter where he or she is in the state.

Another bill, HB13-1117, seeks to align early childhood services to help keep kids and families from falling through the cracks.  Currently, many of the voluntary services that serve Colorado children and families are housed in several different state agencies.  By streamlining enrollment processes and program administration into one place — the Office of Early Childhood — our young children will have better access to the investments they need to grow up strong.

Two bills regarding the well-being of children in our state have already passed both the House of Representatives and Senate and are on their way to the governor’s desk. The first bill, SB13-163, continues the Colorado Infant Hearing Advisory Committee. The committee provides recommendations on guidelines for newborn hearing screenings and best practices for hospitals, audiologists, early interventionists, and physicians.  Second, Governor Hickenlooper recently signed SB13-008, which stabilizes taxpayer savings by eliminating the three-month waiting period for the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+).  This bipartisan reform provides continuity of health care coverage for Colorado kids and avoids gaps in coverage.  Nearly 19% of all Colorado children, and 28% of kids in Senate District 5, are not currently enrolled but are eligible for coverage either through CHP+ or Medicaid.

Currently 11.5% of children in our district lack any form of medical insurance. As a result, SB13-200 also seeks to expand Medicaid eligibility, and bring the state in alignment with new federal requirements. This bill would extend health insurance to more than 160,000 uninsured Colorado parents and adults.  Research shows that when parents are insured, they are more likely to have their kids insured too—and use that health coverage appropriately for preventive care like annual check-ups and immunizations.  By expanding coverage for adults, this would also be a big step forward for covering all kids in Colorado.

Protecting the welfare of Colorado’s children extends beyond the efforts of the legislature. With April designated as child abuse prevention month, this is a time to remember that we are all responsible for the well-being of the children in our communities, and one person can make a difference. If you have any concerns about a child, you can anonymously call the Child Protection Ombudsman at 303.864.5111 or visit http://www.protectcoloradochildren.org/.

Western Slope Renewable Energy Jobs

Renewable energy benefits rural Colorado as it creates local jobs and develops our local renewable resources. SB252 takes a critical step toward mitigating emissions, developing local resources, and delivering important long term rate stability to customers in Rural Electric Association (REA) territories.

The bill includes the important additions of Western Slope coal mine methane and synthetic gas from municipal solid waste as qualifying resources under the RES. While creating energy, the capture of methane is critically important for the environment. These technologies represent key additions to our renewable portfolio as an eligible resource, using local resources that will create important new jobs in our communities and support coal mine operations by giving economic value to waste methane.

Local renewable resources will help Tri-State meet the 15% renewable standard increase with the REA’s 1% distributive generation requirement. For example, biomass energy can help address our forest health crisis and helps limit the risk of wildfire to our communities and watersheds. Small wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric power are also important to our agricultural and rural communities. Developing our own Western Slope renewables for our local energy helps create jobs and mitigate the long-term risk to residents and businesses associated with fluctuating fossil fuel prices. Most importantly, consumers will be limited to a 1% increase to their bills in order to meet the new standard.

Advanced Industries in Colorado

HB13-1001, the Advanced Industries Acceleration Act, created a grant program through the Office of Economic Development and International Trade to promote seven key sectors. The bill, which passed both the House and Senate, seeks to foster a renewed level of collaboration and connectivity between the public research and development infrastructure and the advanced industries which include aerospace, advanced manufacturing, electronics, energy and natural resources, information and technology, bioscience, and infrastructure engineering. Currently, advanced industries account for 37% of Colorado’s exports and 31% of gross state product.
HB13-1001 is intended to:
• Create high paying, quality jobs
• Boost exports and enable Colorado to compete effectively
• Drive innovation and capital investment in Colorado

This bill allows for three types of grants.
• A technology transfer proof-of-concept grant, which has a maximum of $150,000 per grant
• An early stage capital and retention grant, which has a maximum of $250,000 per grant
• An infrastructure funding grant, with a maximum of $500,000 per grant.

For more information please go to http://www.advancecolorado.com/key-industries

April is child abuse prevention month, and it reminds me that our communities are next in line after families in protecting children and ensuring they have the best start in life.  The 2013 report called Kids Count in Colorado provides vital statistics regarding the well-being of our children.  This type of data is critical to creating and shaping policy to create the most effective programs to best serve our communities.  We all agree that protecting children and investing in them at a young age will benefit them as they grow up to become successful, happy adults. This month, I am supporting a range of  legislation aimed at helping the children of my district achieve their potential.

There has been a variety of bills this session that work to protect well-being of children in Colorado.  For example, HB13-1271 will set up a statewide hotline to report child abuse and neglect.  Reporting and preventing abuse is critical because of the lifelong impacts abuse has on children.  Since 2007, more than 175 children have died as a result of abuse and neglect. Our current patchwork of reporting methods has resulted in too many vulnerable children not receiving critical resources.  If passed, the statewide hotline bill would ensure that family and neighbors would be able to call one number and reach a live person to report a child in danger, no matter where he or she is in the state.

Another bill, HB13-1117, seeks to align early childhood services to help keep kids and families from falling through the cracks.  Currently, many of the voluntary services that serve Colorado children and families are housed in several different state agencies.  By streamlining enrollment processes and program administration into one place — the Office of Early Childhood — our young children will have better access to the investments they need to grow up strong.

Two bills regarding the well-being of children in our state have already passed both the House of Representatives and Senate and are on their way to the governor’s desk. The first bill, SB13-163, continues the Colorado Infant Hearing Advisory Committee. The committee provides recommendations on guidelines for newborn hearing screenings and best practices for hospitals, audiologists, early interventionists, and physicians.  Second, Governor Hickenlooper recently signed SB13-008, which stabilizes taxpayer savings by eliminating the three-month waiting period for the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+).  This bipartisan reform provides continuity of health care coverage for Colorado kids and avoids gaps in coverage.  Nearly 19% of all Colorado children, and 28% of kids in Senate District 5, are not currently enrolled but are eligible for coverage either through CHP+ or Medicaid.

Currently 11.5% of children in our district lack any form of medical insurance. As a result, SB13-200 also seeks to expand Medicaid eligibility, and bring the state in alignment with new federal requirements. This bill would extend health insurance to more than 160,000 uninsured Colorado parents and adults.  Research shows that when parents are insured, they are more likely to have their kids insured too—and use that health coverage appropriately for preventive care like annual check-ups and immunizations.  By expanding coverage for adults, this would also be a big step forward for covering all kids in Colorado.

Protecting the welfare of Colorado’s children extends beyond the efforts of the legislature. With April designated as child abuse prevention month, this is a time to remember that we are all responsible for the well-being of the children in our communities, and one person can make a difference. If you have any concerns about a child, you can anonymously call the Child Protection Ombudsman at 303.864.5111 or visit http://www.protectcoloradochildren.org/.

Last week my column addressed child well-being and the legislation affecting the health and safety of our children.  This week I would like to share why it is critically important to support and improve our schools. Each year that we do not fully invest in developing the minds of the next generation is maybe another year we are responsible for remediation, diminished earning potential, and the growth of public programs. School funding should be fully transparent and equitable for districts throughout the state; and we should target our dollars where they can make the biggest difference in closing the achievement gap and supporting under-resourced districts.

The Colorado General Assembly has approved SB13-213 to reform K-12 education in Colorado. The Future School Finance Act rewrites outdated school finance policy. This new policy addresses the distribution of state and local funds to our 178 school districts and charter schools. The bill establishes full-day kindergarten for all children and early childhood education for at-risk three and four year olds, both of which are critical to a child’s academic success, and school readiness. In addition, programs for at-risk students, online/ASCENT students, English language learners, special education, and gifted and talented education will also see increased funding. This bill offers additional state support for mill levy match, innovation, and teaching and leadership investment.

Given the diversity of Senate District 5, I am aware of constituents’ concerns about the financial burden some districts will experience; however, all districts should benefit from this new formula. Adequate funding must be available to all districts for competitive teacher salaries and costly expenses to ensure top performance. Districts in SD5 will see increased funding in key areas for at-risk students, English language learners, special education, and gifted and talented. Finally, SB13-213 introduces a first-of-its-kind website that will enable parents to view exactly how dollars are being spent in their children’s schools, ensuring your taxpayer dollars are spent on effective programs you support.

The second proposed school finance bill is the annual school finance appropriations bill, SB13-260, which passed the Senate on April 19. Addressing the funding needs of K-12 public schools in the 2013-2014 fiscal year, this bill increases the base per pupil funding, and adds 3,200 openings in the Colorado Preschool Program (CPP). The bill also secures $20 million more for special education. SB13-260 creates the Quality Teacher Recruitment Program, allowing the Colorado Department of Education to contract with vendors to assist in recruiting, training, and retaining highly qualified teachers in struggling school districts.

Related to school finance, this session I sponsored SB13-214, updating BEST Oversight and Funding, to ensure a promising future for the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) program by assigning responsible government oversight through the Capital Development Committee along with the BEST Board and State Board of Education. Since passing BEST in 2008, the program has funded 181 projects in more than 284 individual schools in 94 schools districts and 15 charter schools, benefitting more than 113,000 students across the state. BEST has continued to put Coloradans to work, creating, or saving, 17,000 jobs, and has helped address approximately $980 million in capital construction needs. BEST provided safe, high-quality learning environments that have greatly benefitted SD5 schools.

These bills strive to modernize Colorado education, and demonstrate an investment not only in our children today, but also for the future of Colorado. In order to help our students reach their full potential, the system needs to have the financial framework in place to ensure that all districts can sufficiently meet the needs of their pupils. I believe in the future of Colorado K-12 schools, and that our children’s academic success is vital. And I will continue to advocate for SD5 schools, families and communities.

The excise tax revenue created under A64 protocols has been designated to fund the BEST rural school construction program that I helped create and SD5 has greatly benefited from the construction of 16 new schools as a result. This excise tax question will be put to the voters this fall.

I will also be introducing a bill on the production of industrial hemp, which can be developed as an agricultural crop that has many beneficial uses for production of food and fiber, and is a drought resistant crop.

Follow the select committee proceedings at goo.gl/pUXa8

· This bill renews one of the state’s most important conservation programs. The bill funds projects to preserve agricultural ranchland with public access for hunting, big game winter range for deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and sagebrush-related species.

· Habitat Stamp has helped:

· Conserve nearly 174,000 acres of key wildlife habitat

· Secured over 78,000 acres of new public access

· Opened more than 25 miles of new fishing access

· Protected over 100,000 acres of big game winter range and migration corridors.

· A few success stories from this program in SD5 include Chubb Park Ranch in Chaffee County, Miller Ranch in Gunnison County, and Moyer 45 Bar Ranch in Lake County.

SB13-188 Landowner Preference Wildlife Hunting License (Passed Senate)

· The Department of Natural Resources’ Landowner Preference program allocates big game hunting licenses to agricultural landowners through a system of transferable vouchers.

· The program encourages landowners to view wildlife as an asset through tangible benefits.

· The program leads to more permits by increasing landowner tolerance for big game.

· The higher populations mean more opportunities for public hunters on public and private lands.

SB13-169 Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program (Passed Senate)

· This legislation, supported by the Colorado Cattleman’s Association, creates a voluntary program on private lands to reintroduce the black-footed ferret in Colorado. By introducing the black-footed ferret, landowners can naturally manage the prairie dog population.

· Landowners are afforded the benefits of U.S. Fish and Wildlife safe harbor program which protects them from potential restrictions associated with the Endangered Species Act.

SB13-181 CWCB Projects Bill – Protecting Water Resources (Passed Senate)

· This bill, which passed the Senate unanimously, designates more than $70 million in water projects throughout Colorado without taking from the General Fund.

· These projects help to protect water rights, the environment and create new jobs.

· The funds come from the Construction Fund and the Severance Tax Trust Fund Perpetual Base Account, both of which include sustainable revolving loan programs.

SB13-19 Agricultural Water Efficiency (Passed Senate)

· Faced with drought, this bill protects Western Slope farmers’ and ranchers’ water rights when conserving water and leaving water for our streams to benefit the environment and communities.

This past month, the Senate passed many of my bills focused on Colorado’s natural resources and our sportsmen’s heritage.  They are critical drivers for local economic development, attracting tourists, and enriching our families. Activities like hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, and hiking contribute significantly to Colorado’s economy through direct sales, associated jobs, and fees.

Colorado’s quality of life and our landscape are inextricably linked.  I know SD5 constituents believe this to be true because they consistently communicate their support for preservation of our landscape.  Our gold metal streams and renowned big game population are a credit to the efforts sportsmen have made to support statewide conservation programs like the Habitat Stamp. I have kept very busy this month working on my natural resources legislation plus many other issues. Below is a description of some of the bills that have passed the Senate. Please continue to share your interest in these bills as they moved through the process in the House.

Sincerely,

My Wildlife, Habitat, and Water Legislation

SB13-175 Wildlife Habitat Stamp Renewal (Passed Senate)

· This bill renews one of the state’s most important conservation programs. The bill funds projects to preserve agricultural ranchland with public access for hunting, big game winter range for deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and sagebrush-related species.

· Habitat Stamp has helped:

· Conserve nearly 174,000 acres of key wildlife habitat

· Secured over 78,000 acres of new public access

· Opened more than 25 miles of new fishing access

· Protected over 100,000 acres of big game winter range and migration corridors.

· A few success stories from this program in SD5 include Chubb Park Ranch in Chaffee County, Miller Ranch in Gunnison County, and Moyer 45 Bar Ranch in Lake County.

SB13-188 Landowner Preference Wildlife Hunting License (Passed Senate)

· The Department of Natural Resources’ Landowner Preference program allocates big game hunting licenses to agricultural landowners through a system of transferable vouchers.

· The program encourages landowners to view wildlife as an asset through tangible benefits.

· The program leads to more permits by increasing landowner tolerance for big game.

· The higher populations mean more opportunities for public hunters on public and private lands.

SB13-169 Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program (Passed Senate)

· This legislation, supported by the Colorado Cattleman’s Association, creates a voluntary program on private lands to reintroduce the black-footed ferret in Colorado. By introducing the black-footed ferret, landowners can naturally manage the prairie dog population.

· Landowners are afforded the benefits of U.S. Fish and Wildlife safe harbor program which protects them from potential restrictions associated with the Endangered Species Act.

SB13-181 CWCB Projects Bill – Protecting Water Resources (Passed Senate)

· This bill, which passed the Senate unanimously, designates more than $70 million in water projects throughout Colorado without taking from the General Fund.

· These projects help to protect water rights, the environment and create new jobs.

· The funds come from the Construction Fund and the Severance Tax Trust Fund Perpetual Base Account, both of which include sustainable revolving loan programs.

SB13-19 Agricultural Water Efficiency (Passed Senate)

· Faced with drought, this bill protects Western Slope farmers’ and ranchers’ water rights when conserving water and leaving water for our streams to benefit the environment and communities.

Gun Responsibility Legislation

       I begin by thanking constituents from SD5 who wrote or called my office to weigh in on the gun responsibility bills considered this past month, and I appreciated those who made comments on specific legislation. This input helped frame the issues and informed my votes. I thoughtfully considered each bill to evaluate its merit, effectiveness, and any potential impact on our 2^nd Amendment Rights.

       I said prior to my votes, and I reiterate now, that I support the 2^nd Amendment as a foundational right given to us in the U.S. Constitution.  Yet, I also rely upon the Supreme Court’s rulings, time and time again, that there are reasonable limits to constitutional rights, including the 2^nd Amendment. The bills I supported were common sense measures that do not infringe on the rights of law abiding citizens, but rather closed loop holes and make an effort to keep guns falling into the hands of those who intend to do harm.

       After an extensive debate in the General Assembly, filled with a wide range of opinions, I know there are constituents who disagree with my votes and believe these bills are overreaching. Although some people chose to communicate in a threatening and degrading manner, gratefully others expressed their honest and reasonable concerns. It is my belief that, despite claims to the contrary, no law abiding citizen will be denied their guns or ammunition for their protection or recreation as a result of these bills; nor will they result in any sustained loss in Colorado’s economic activity.

Ultimately, five of the seven bills passed the Senate. Below is a list of the bills introduced.

· HB13-1224 – Prohibiting Large-capacity Ammunition Magazines (Signed)
· HB13-1228 – Payment for Background Checks for Gun Transfers (Signed)
· HB13-1229 – Background Checks for Gun Transfers (Signed)
· SB13-195 – No Online Training for Concealed Handgun Permits (Passed)
· SB13-197 – No Firearms for Domestic Violence Offenders (Passed)

· SB13-196 – Assault Weapon Responsibility Act (Withdrawn)

· HB13-1226 – No Concealed Carry at Colleges (Withdrawn)

District News

· Mastodon Exhibit – When in Denver, visit!

· The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is displaying the Snowmass Mastodons. http://www.dmns.org/mammoths-and-mastodons/

· Colorado Rural Electric Association’s EnergyWise Project

· An information source for energy efficiency and an access point for rebates for homes, businesses, schools, government buildings. goo.gl/wMEu8

· Our Aspiring Restaurateurs

· High school students from Basalt compete in the Colorado ProStart Invitational and Sysco Denver Hospitality Cup.  goo.gl/7r6yQ

· Regional Tourism Act Program

· The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade are accepting applications for tourism projects. goo.gl/lm3lX

Amendment 64 Committee

        As the majority of Colorado citizens voted in support of recreational marijuana use, it is now time for the legislature to draft bills to implement the program based on the recommendations of the Governor’s A64 Taskforce.  I have been appointed to the Joint Select Committee on the Implementation of Amendment 64, and we are focused on developing the necessary regulatory mechanisms.  I intend to make sure any system ensures the safest production and access.

The excise tax revenue created under A64 protocols has been designated to fund the BEST rural school construction program that I helped create and SD5 has greatly benefited from the construction of 16 new schools as a result. This excise tax question will be put to the voters this fall.

I will also be introducing a bill on the production of industrial hemp, which can be developed as an agricultural crop that has many beneficial uses for production of food and fiber, and is a drought resistant crop.

Follow the select committee proceedings at goo.gl/pUXa8

The Colorado based organization HempCleans (www.HempCleans.com) would like to work with the State and local governments to jumpstart the return of one of America’s fiber and oil seed crops, industrial hemp.

As part of a town meeting hosted by State Senator Gail Schwartz in Hotchkiss on February 10, representatives of HempCleans gave an overview of the uses of hemp and in-progress efforts in Colorado to bring the crop back. Schwartz and fellow legislator Don Coram plan to collaborate on a bill that would facilitate the growing of the crop in the State.

A lesser noted result of the passage of Amendment 64 last fall was an addendum that also legalized the growing of industrial hemp in Colorado.

Hemp has been grown in the United States since pre-Revolutionary War times and was once a primary cloth fiber and oil seed crop until supplanted by cotton. But due to the illegalization of a related plant, marijuana, hemp has also been prohibited from being grown by farmers in the United States since the 1940’s.

In the meantime industrial hemp is grown in Canada, Europe and most of the rest of the industrialized world.

Industrial hemp contains only trace amounts of THC (the active drug component in marijuana). Retail sale of hemp products in the U.S. is estimated at $365 million annually.

During the meeting, Janson Lauve, Lynda Parker and Eric Hunter of HempCleans explained the status of industrial hemp in the state and the world while passing around samples of hemp products that are manufactured elsewhere and imported into the United States.

These include a pair of 100% hemp cloth blue jeans (wonderfully soft but made in China), hemp socks, hempcrete (similar to cinderblock), hemp OSB board, and hemp soaps and oils. Manila rope is also made from hemp. Hunter roamed the room pouring samples of hemp milk (similar to soy or almond milk.)

Hunter explained the current economics of growing hemp and both he and Parker stressed that there is an effort (particularly on the Internet) to oversell the possibilities of the crop. Hunter said that seed yields were about 200 to 800 pounds an acre resulting in an average of about a $900 per acre yield on just the seed.

The value of the stem fiber would be in addition to this. Hemp oil sells at wholesale levels from $12 to $50 a gallon with certified organic oil at the top end. Hemp is also a nitrogen fixer and thus would be a productive rotational crop, enriching the soil in many ways including extracting some contaminants.  T

he initial market for hemp in Colorado would be for small growers to produce quality seeds for other future growers. Currently it is illegal is import non-sterilized hemp seeds into the United States so they would need to be produced within the state. HempCleans is working to secure a supply of seeds for prospective growers.

In the long term, Parker said that, if the crop is to become a major contributor to the economy, Colorado needs to develop the industrial infrastructure to process hemp fiber and seeds. If we could do this before other states, Parker said, we could capture a larger portion of the current and future hemp markets.

Even though growing industrial hemp is now legal in Colorado it is still an issue that needs to be clarified by the federal government since the DEA still technically has the power to prohibit (or allow) its cultivation.

Parker urged support of the Industrial Hemp Farm Act (HB1866) which has drawn broad bipartisan support including that from Republican leaders Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul. Parker said that four more states are poised to legalize the growing of hemp.

In Canada a regulatory framework has been set up that charges hemp farmers a registration fee of about a thousand dollars plus $5 per acre per year to fund inspections.

At the end of the meeting the difference between hemp and marijuana was underlined when local marijuana growing advocates Scott C. Wilson of Hotchkiss and Jere Lowe of Paonia asked why anyone would grow hemp at a dollar a pound for seed when they could grow marijuana for thousands of dollars a pound for the high THC herb.

Parker explained that the hemp issue was separate from the pot issue. Hemp would be a useful alternative crop for farmers, another option with many benefits beyond the crop itself.

On February 4, the Delta County Commissioners passed a general ban on the growing of commercial scale recreational marijuana in the county. The ban does not affect the future cultivation of industrial hemp.

The North Fork Merchant Herald