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Section 4 Delineating and Prioritizing Colorado's Environmental and Recreational Resources and Needs Existing Funding Sources There are several ways that funding can be acquired for environment and recreation water development. Existing federal and state programs can be drawn on and new programs at the state and local levels can also be created to provide funding. The subsections below discuss potential federal, state, and other funding sources. Federal Funding Sources Table 4-3 shows existing Federal funding sources appropriate for meeting the goals of environment and recreation needs. The federal funding programs identified are not dedicated entirely to recreation or environment water development, but these purposes are eligible for development under each program to varying degrees. For instance, under the Continuing Authorities Program administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE), there is a clear eligibility requirement consistent with environment and recreation water development (Sections 206 Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration and 1135 -Project Modifications for Improvement of the Environment). Grant monies must be matched by local resources and funding must be authorized and approved by Congress; a significant challenge. The Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) loan program also has an environmental eligibility criterion; however, a dependable source of repayment must be identified to receive this loan. The DOA, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and USEPA all have programs in which environment or recreation project attributes represent legitimate purposes, although none of these programs are actually focused directly on recreation or the environment. Environment and Recreation Needs can be Addressed by... • Developing and funding projects aimed at protecting or improving the natural environment. • Working with new water development projects to incorporate and address multiple needs where applicable and appropriate. • Working with existing water projects in a manner that does not reduce project yield or cause a financial impact to the project operator. In sum, federal funding for environment and recreation water development is possible through a number of eligible programs, but obtaining such monies is tenuous at best. As of 2006, Federal funding for water development of any type is highly uncertain. Even so, these opportunities should not be ignored since combining environment and recreation water purposes with other water development purposes may lead to sufficient public support to gain federal funding from one or more of these programs. 4-20 FINAL DRAFT