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• Board Meeting Date: 1/22/2008
• Description: WSP Section - Species Conservation Trust Fund Recommendations
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Recommendations Attachment
The Staff's recommendations for approval by the Board for FY 2008-2009 are as follows:
FY 2008-09 Recommended Programs
Ongoin6 Projects
1. Platte River Program: Authorise the expenditure of up to $7.36 million to the CAIPlatte
River Program O&M account with the understanding tliat the split between Oc~M and
Capital may be adjusted depending on actual funding needs. Tlzis $7.36 million will be
available from last year's Isgar amendment allowing additional money to be transferred
from the Severance Tax operational account to the SCTF if the severance tax projections
were higher tlian the March 07projection, and from transfer of $2 million from the
severance tax operational account to the SCTF in FY OS-09, as the General Assembly
recommended last year. Lastly, move $700,000 of the $1.971 million in the Capital
Account to the O&M account so that this money can be used to fund a contractor or
employee at the Tamarack State Wildlife Area for the life of the first increment of the
program to operate the necessary recharge plan.
With the signing of the Program Documents developed under the Cooperative Agreement
("CA") in November of last year, the state now has amulti-million dollar obligation to the Platte
Program. The Platte Program developed under the CA will provide the -`reasonable and prudent
alternative" under the Endangered Species Act for water use and development in the North Platte
and South Platte River basins while promoting the conservation and recovery of downstream
endangered bird and fish species. The funding appropriated in FY06-07 was $5,000,000. The
funding appropriated in FY07-08 was $3,000,000. There had been other smaller appropriations
in previous years as well. Also, in FY03-04, the General Assembly authorized the expenditure
of up to $1,971,395 for Capital expenditures to provide full build out of the recharge program for
the Tamarack State Wildlife Area. Colorado's total cost share contribution for the first program
increment (13-years) is estimated to be $24,000,000 (in 2005 dollars). In addition, the State of
Colorado is responsible for meeting certain water obligations that will cost approximately $12
million.
The Program provides that all cash cost share contributions be adjusted to account for
inflation, thus there is an incentive to get the cost share contributions to the Program fund
manager as soon as possible. The earlier Colorado pays its cost share, the less the additional
costs incurred due to inflation. The Staff strongly recommends that the Board recommend
appropriating $7.36 million for costs associated with the Program this year and making the
additional appropriations (of $4 million in FY09-10 and $6 million in FY10-11) to the SCTF
over the next 2 years.
2. Colorado Division of Wildlife Recommendation: Sufficient funding from the SCTF O&M
Account to support a $400,000 annual program
The CDOW species conservation program is responsible for maintaining the health of 900+
species. Currently the CDOW expends $7 million per year (excluding land acquisitions
associated with species conservation) on species conservation work, concentrated on about fifty
specific species. The CDOW species conser~~ation projects are generally multi-year, ongoing
projects. Annual funding is essential to their success and the CDOW believes that as a rule only
the interest generated each year by the funds in the SCTF O&M account should be used to fund
projects. The Wildlife Commission recommended $400,000 for FY 08-09 funding for long-term