Governor’s Forum on CO Agriculture Will Discuss “Water: Colorado’s Treasure”

The 2015 Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture, themed “Water: Colorado’s Treasure,” highlights the challenges facing Colorado in meeting the water demands of a diverse state with competing needs. The event is scheduled for Feb. 26, 2015, at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver. 

“Water is vital to all aspects of Colorado’s economy,” Gov. John Hickenlooper said. “This forum will help connect businesses, municipalities and rural communities that are dependent on agriculture and meeting our water needs.”  

The Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture will include speakers from all facets of Colorado’s agriculture, including produce growers, water managers and climatologists.  

“We’re approaching the entire event to address the challenges we face in meeting future water needs,” said John Salazar, former Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture. “We, as a state, will need to meet those needs while ensuring our agriculture industry remains vibrant.”  

Presenting an overview of Colorado’s Water Plan, John Stulp will deliver the keynote address. Colorado’s economic future will be shaped by how we manage our limited water resources. As director for the Interbasin Compact Committee and water advisor to Governor Hickenlooper, Stulp is charged with bringing together a mixture of ideas and pathways for a water plan that will balance Colorado’s future water needs.  

The 2015 Governor’s Forum will be hosted by the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP), the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), and Colorado State University (CSU). This is the second year that CALP will plan and manage the Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture. The event was originally co-created by members of CALP, CDA, and CSU.  

CALP is a leadership training group that exposes emerging leaders in Colorado agriculture to the diverse aspects of the state’s farm economy. The program was re-instated in 2012 under the leadership of former Commissioner John Salazar and Senator Jerry Sonnenberg after several years of inactivity. Now, CALP’s Class 11 graduates are using the knowledge they’ve gained about Colorado agriculture over the past year in order to create a dynamic program for the 2015 Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture.  

For further information, please visit governorsagforum.com or contact Angie Cue at info@governorsagforum.com.