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hht:>/ V~ r~ /D J1 =SLfCOO~SOO ARGUMENT FOR REINSTATEMENT OF FUNDING CWCB PLATTE RIVER COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT POSITION AND FUNDING February 29, 2000 The Colorado Water Conservation Board is requesting a comeback on the base cut of 1.0 FTE and $62,024 in funding in the Platte River Cooperative Agreement line item. This is the only full time staff for this program and must be retained to ensure that Colorado is adequately represented in the ongoing negotiations under the three state (Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado) cooperative agreement (CA) dealing with endangered species issues in the Platte River Basin. The purpose of the CA is to implement certain aspects ofD.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recovery plans for endangered species and related habitats by conducting research and providing habitat improvements that benefit the targeted species while developing a basin-wide program to assist in their conservation .and recovery. Development of this basin-wide program will serve as the reasonable and prudent alternative that offsets the effects of both existing and new water related activities in the Platte River Basin. Absent this program, these water related activities would be found by the FWS to likely jeopardize the continued existence of these species and either not be permitted or water users would be required to implement extensive and expensive mitigation measures. . The General Assembly approved the CA funding to begin in FY 98-99. During the first year of the program as details of the CA were finalized, contract services were utilized for startup and the recruitment process began. There were several reasons for the delay in filling the full time position, including the transition to a new administration, other personnel issues in the division, workload backlog in Human Services, and difficulty in recruitment. This resulted in a reversion of funds the first year. The position was filled in September 1999 and the full appropriation for FY 99-00 will be expended. . If this position is eliminated Colorado would not have representation on several of the committees established since the inception of the CA. Furthermore, Colorado's Governance Committee representatives would lose most of the CWCB staff support presently available to them. This position is Colorado's designated representative on the Technical Committee and has been involved extensively in the work of the Water Management Committee, Environmental Account Committee, Reservoir Operations Committee and the Habitat Management and Land Acquisition subcommittees. Additionally, this position provides technical support for both the implementation of Colorado's Tamarack Project and the development and implementation of Colorado's future water depletions plan. It is anticipated that activities in all these areas will expand as the basin-wide program develops. The Platte River Coordinator responsibilities currently include: · assisting in developing the basin-wide program, · managing issues associated with the CA, · coordinating state, federal and local water user input during development of program actions, · managing CWCB contracts for implementing the CA, and · managing a $140,000 reconnaissance study of water management alternatives in the lower South Platte to fulfill Colorado's obligations under the CA and to help manage Colorado's water resources efficiently in accordance with Colorado Water Law.