6

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

for various projects associated with sage species, shortgrass prairie species and eastern plains
fish. The Staff recommends that the Board recommend supporting such a request.
New Projects
1. Colorado Department of Natural Resources Areas: $465,000 for implementation of the
Natw•al Areas Protections.
This funding will go toward rare species protection/aquatic nuisance species ($225,000)
and rare and endangered plant species on Natural Areas ($240,000). The plan and initiating
implementation and conservation efforts, including completion of baseline monitoring, work
with land trusts and NRCS, and outreach to agricultural and conservation stakeholders. The
Staff recommends that the Board concur with this request.
2. Instream Flow Protection for sensitive fish species: $1 million for instream flow
protections by acquiring water rights for sensitive fish species.
The CWCB is coordinating with the CDOW, The Nature Conservancy, Colorado Water
Trust and Trout Unlimited on developing a plan by which acquisitions of water for instream flow
use can be used to protect species of concern in specific river basins. Such a plan will assist in
assuring the continued existence of native fish populations to preclude or eliminate the need for
state and/or federal listing. The goals of the plan are to (1) develop a science-based
identification of stream flow acquisition priorities focusing on species of concern and the basins
in which they occur, in part by overlaying species habitat or range, such as CDOW
species occurrences, with CDSS flow data; (2) identify projects to acquire water, water rights or
interests in water to provide additional flows to protect the targeted species of concern; (3) seek
out water acquisition opportunities on streams where a need for additional flows to protect
species of concern has been identified; and (4) acquire and convert water to ISF use under
CWCB's ISF Rules (could be by purchase or lease).
This request is intended to (1) fund costs related to developing and implementing the
plan, and (2) fund costs related to the acquisition of water for instream flow use. Examples of
targeted species include Rio Grande cutthroat trout, plains minnow species and warm water
species such as bluehead suckers, roundtail chub, and flannelmouth suckers. Because data from
the Division of Wildlife and the CWCB's Decision Support System has become more reliable in
identifying where various species of concern are located, a plan built around this data will allow
CWCB and the DOW to prioritize species of concern and determine where future SCTF
investments can do the most good. Both agencies intend the plan developed under this
allocation will serve as a basis for federal and GOCO funding in the future. The Staff
recommends that the Board support this request.
3. Wildlife Research related to energy needs as they relate to certain potential endangered
and threatened species: $605,000 for wildlife research associated with energy impacts on
certain potential endangered or threatened species.
This request focuses on research related to three separate species/energy interactions. In
particular, $360,000 is sought for research related to impacts of po~verlines on predators; $850,00
is sought for research related to the effects of wind energy on grassland species; and $160,000 is
sought for research related to the effects of wind energy on bats. The Staff recommends that the
Board support this request.