Local Pollinators

For a lot of farmers in Colorado, and across the country, insecticides known as neonicotinoids, or neonics, have been a game changer. But what’s been a breakthrough for some has been a nightmare for others. Neonics are being blamed for die-offs in domestic bees and native pollinators, and there’s growing concern over their potential impacts on human health as well. This year, some Democratic lawmakers proposed a bold step to reduce the chemicals’ use in Colorado; they wanted farmers to get something like a prescription to be allowed to use neonic-treated seeds.CPR’s Bente Birkeland and Rae Solomon discuss what those lawmakers tried to do, and why they faced such fierce opposition from the get go.

In 2017, San Miguel County planted its first pollinator garden in collaboration with the Xerces Society, an organization working to promote international pollinator health. Deep in a valley near Telluride, the garden has been growing ever since.

KDNK's News Director Morgan Neely has Wednesday's news, including details on OSHA slapping four local contracting firms with tens of thousands of dollars in fines for an explosion at a home under construction near Aspen back in February.

On Saturday, June 8, the Colorado State Beekeepers Association hosts its Summer Bee College conference at the Garfield County Fairgrounds in Rifle. To…