22 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 9/18/2007
• Description: WSP Section - HB07-1130 Forest Restoration Grant Program Status Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor

To:
From:
Date:
Re:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members
Steve Miller
Sept. 7, 2007
Agenda Item 22, September 18-19, 2007, CWCB Meeting.
Water Supply Protection - HB07 -1130 Forest Restoration Grant
Program Status Report

Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Introduction:
Section 20 of the CWCB Projects Bill, SB07-122, authorized $1 million from the perpetual base
account of the severance tax trust fund for allocation to the Div. of Forestry for a one year grant
program to promote community based approaches to forest restoration that are protective of
water supplies. The Div. of Forestry, operating through the Colorado State Forest Service
("CSFS") based at Colorado State University, is authorized to conduct this program in new
legislation, HB07 -1130. A primary motivation for this program is to lessen the impact of
mountain pine beetle infested forests on watersheds, but there are other aspects of forest health
that also put sensitive and/or critical forested watersheds at risk. The CSFS program is called
the Colorado Community Forest Restoration ("CFR") program. On August 21, 2007 the CSFS
announced the 12 recipients of CFR grants utilizing the $1 million of funding authorized by
SB07 -122 and small additional amount of their own funds. A copy of the CSFS press release is
included as Attachment #1. During this agenda item the Board will hear from representatives of
the CSFS and the City of Grand Junction which was awarded a CFR grant of $140,000 to help
protect its important Kannah Creek watershed.

Discussion:
As reported in the July Director's Report we hired S.S. Papadopulos to develop an "Action Plan"
for the grant program. The $25,000 "Action Plan" identifies Best Management Practices and
criteria for evaluating high priority watersheds in a targeted grant program addressing control of
infestation, wild fire prevention, fire mitigation, and reforestation. As the "Action Plan" was
developed the consultant conferred with major water suppliers, local government groups, and
the Div. of Forestry. A copy of the "Action Plan" is included as Attachment #2 to this memo.

The CSFS solicited applications for the CFR in early July and by the closing date at the end of
July had received 47 responsive applications. The CWCB received a copy of all the
applications and performed a preliminary evaluation of the water supply aspects of each

Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning