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5. Explain why you are requesting a grant, instead of'a loan. (The Construction Fund exists <br />primarily to provide low interest loans for the construction or rehabilitation of raw water <br />projects. Non-reimbursable investments are approved only when the project or study is of <br />statewide interest and benefits a wide range of people and organizations, and/or a large <br />geographical arecx) <br />The CFR grant program is open to applicants from all parts of the state and has the potential to <br />benefit both rural and urban populations through the protection of critical watersheds and water <br />supply infrastructure. Once projects are implemented, the program will also provide diverse <br />public benefits such as community fire protection, improved wildlife habitat, enhanced <br />recreational and aesthetic opportunities, and contributions to local economies. Program <br />applications may come from, and be implemented by, many types of organizations including <br />homeowners' associations, watershed restoration groups, open space managers, public and <br />private utilities and various public land management entities. Preference will be given to <br />projects that involve an accredited Colorado Youth Corps in implementation. Per the <br />requirements of HB07-1130, grant dollars must be leveraged by a 40% match in non-state funds. <br />In the initial round of proposals, project applicants used private, local, and federal resources, <br />along with significant in-kind contributions, to effectively leverage the state's investment. It is <br />also likely that communities that receive CFR grant dollars will be more successful in <br />encouraging federal agencies to invest their dollars in complimentary projects, thus further <br />maximizing state funding through larger accomplishments on the ground. <br />7. List any feasibility study or scope of work that has been completed or is now in progress for <br />the proposed project or study. <br />The CSFS has compiled statewide data on areas at high risk to wildfire, areas with large-scale <br />insect and disease activity or the potential for such activity, areas of private forest land with high <br />potential for conservation of forest values, and areas where forest-related risks are associated <br />with human populations. Common elements such as soil type, slope, and aspect are incorporated <br />into each of these data sets. Colorado's Red Zone analysis, which highlights areas where high <br />wildfire risk coincides with human population, identifies 6.3 million acres at risk across the state. <br />The Colorado Front Range Roundtable has identified 1.5 million forested acres along the Front <br />Range, alone, that are in need of treatment to protect communities or restore forest health. And <br />nearly 700,000 acres, or 44 percent, of Colorado's lodgepole pine forests have been killed by <br />bark beetle infestations in the state's High Country. The CSFS uses data such as this, along with <br />on-the-ground expertise, to identify areas throughout the state that are the highest priority for <br />investment of available resources. If funding for the CFR program is extended, we could also <br />work more closely with the CWCB and watershed and soil scientists with the U.S. Geological <br />survey to map areas in the state where forestry activity would provide the most positive <br />outcomes for high risk watersheds. <br />CWCP Construction Fund Page 2 <br />2008-2009 Non-Reimbursable Project Application <br />