Arkansas - Colorado State Parks Zebra Mussel Response_Application

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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Fonn Revised May 2007 b) Socio-economic characteristics of the area Like many areas of Colorado, the population of Pueblo County is growing quickly. State census numbers report a population increase of 15.0% for the county between 1990-2000. Much of this new growth has occurred around the City of Pueblo and around the State Park. With its mild climate and access to a variety of recreational opportunities, Pueblo is growing in both seasonal visitors and year- round residents. These increases in both resident and tourist populations will undoubtedly lead to increases in park visitation and impact the natural resource base at the park. Most of the property that borders Lake Pueblo State Park is privately held. Housing development has dramatically increased on private lands near the park over the past few years, especially along the northern boundary in the area of Pueblo West. A 349-acre portion of State Land Board owned land also borders the north side of the park in the Juniper Breaks area. The Pueblo Reservoir State Wildlife Area borders the park to the west and upstream along the Arkansas River. This 4600-acre parcel is managed by the Division of Wildlife for recreation and hunting. A Division of Wildlife operated fish hatchery is located just below the dam operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. Upstream land uses include ranching, farming, and mining. Downstream uses are primarily the City of Pueblo municipality and agricultural and ranch lands. Lake Pueblo State Park is one of Colorado's premier recreation destinations and most popular state parks. Boating and water-based recreation are the mainstay of visitation. In FY 06/07, Lake Pueblo drew over 1.6 million visitors (or 14.2 percent of all the visitors to Colorado State Parks), making it the most visited park in the system. Visitors to Lake Pueblo provide a substantial economic benefit to surrounding communities, particularly the City of Pueblo. According to a 2002 Market Assessment Study conducted by Price Waterhouse Coopers (on behalf of Colorado State Parks), the average amount of money spent within a 50-mile radius of the park was $74.08 (Division of Parks and Recreation Market Assessment Study. Prepared by Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP. December 2002. Pages 69 & 135). This amounts to over $119 million visitor expenditures funneled into the local economy annually. c) Please include any relevant Tabor issues relating to the funding request that may affect the Contracting Entity. We have discussed and cleared TABOR and spending authority issues with the Dept of Natural Resources Budget Analyst and the Controller for the Dept. of Natural Resources. State Parks legislation includes explict spending authority for grants and gifts received, and since this grant would be between state agencies, TABOR limits are not an issue. 5. Please summarize the proposed scope of work. Please refer to Part 2 of the Criteria and Guidance ocument for detailed requirements. On the following page there is an example format for the Scope ofW ork. You can use the example format or your own format, provided that comparable information is included. See Attachment # 1. 12