Verbal disaster declaration for HPAI issued for Colorado county

Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera, in consultation with Gov. Jared Polis, verbally declared a disaster emergency at 8:05 p.m. Jan. 29, for highly pathogenic avian influenza in Weld County, Colorado.

This declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Plan and directs the Office of Emergency Management to take all necessary and appropriate state actions to assist the affected jurisdictions with their response, recovery and mitigation efforts.

Media accounts report an HPAI case was the result of a case found in an egg-laying operation in Weld County.

This declaration authorizes the use of disaster emergency funds and allows the OEM to mobilize state resources, make contracts and awards using emergency procurement procedures and encumber and expend these funds as determined by the director of the OEM or his delegate.

Gov. Polis is in Washington D.C. to attend the Colorado River negotiation meeting.