24a

• Board Meeting Date: 11/18/2007
• Description: WSP Section - Sevferance Tax Operational Account - Forest Restoration and Tamarisk
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Staff Recommendation
A. Request that the General Assembly authorize the transfer of $1 million per year for 4 years, a
total of $4 million, from the Severance Tax Operational Account to the Construction Fund for
the purpose of financing amulti-year forest restoration grant program . Funding for the Forest
Restoration Program could be transferred directly to the Colorado State Forest Service or
managed by the CWCB in cooperation with the CSFS and DNR.
B. Request that the General Assembly authorize the transfer of $1 million per year for 4 years, a
total of $4 million, from the Severance Tax Operational Account to the Construction Fund for
the purpose of financing amulti-year Tamarisk and Russian Olive Control Cost-sharing Grant
Program to be managed by the CWCB in cooperation with the Tamarisk Coalition, DNR and the
Colorado Dept. of Agriculture.
C. Combine the forest health restoration activities focusing on headwaters watersheds and a
tamarisk and Russian Olive control grants program focusing on restoration of riparian areas of
watersheds and request that the General Assembly authorize the transfer of $2 million per year
for 4 years, a total of $8 million, from the Severance Tax Operational Account to the
Construction Fund for the purpose of financing amulti-year watershed restoration /vegetation
management cost-share program to be managed by the CWCB in cooperation with the Colorado
State Forest Service, the Tamarisk Coalition, DNR and the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture.
In any of the above cases the grant program(s) should include a specific authorization to use a
portion of the funds, not to exceed 10%, for a scientific research and monitoring component to
better target projects and assess their effectiveness. >n addition, any grant program so authorized
should include a requirement of a minimum of 50% non-state cost-sharing, which may consist of
a combination of in-kind and hard dollar matches. In addition, specific roles and spending
authorities for each of the cooperating agencies will need to be negotiated and incorporated into
the authorizing legislation in consultation with legislative drafting services. Staff recommends
that the supervisory financial management role remain with the CWCB.
DNR-EDO and CWCB staff will be available to answer questions about this proposal.