DNR-Project-Final Report to Hecox

Home Browse Search

accessing funds available for water projects. One participantexpressed that the Basin will face the real challenge of how water impacts and is impacted by economic development and energy. Despite Arkansas Basin Roundtable m em bers being fully aware of the Town Hall meeting, it seem s that they were not invested in the concept to the point necessary for great attendance at the meeting. The project team, Hecox, and Smith believe this Townhall meeting was successful in that it shows the strengths and weaknesses of the applied approach. They also discussed ways to enhance the visible support of Roundtable members. It was deemed best to let the other Roundtable members dictate the format, promotion, and agenda for other Townhall meetings. The project team should facilitate the efforts rather than serve in a leading role. See Appendix A to view the promotional flyer and facilitated comments forthe Town Hall meeting held in Rocky Ford. rnlnrarln Racin Learning from experiences of the Town Hall meeting held in Rocky Ford, Rod Sharp collaborated even more closely with members of the Colorado Basin Roundtable. They drove the agenda, promotion, and conducting multiple Town Hall meetings within the Colorado Basin. Two such meetings were held during the project period and several others are being planned. One Town Hall meeting was held in Grand Junction on June 4, 2008. The meeting was promoted through various media outlets, email lists, direct mailings, and newspaper articles. The six speakers addressed and conversed with 32 participants. The speakers included Josh Penry, Colorado State Senator and Rita Crumpton, IBCC representative and board member of the Colorado Foundation for Water Education. The discussion covered areas such as the uniqueness in Colorado history of the IBCC/Roundtable process, projects funded by the Roundtable(s), and what should irrigated agriculture and water use be like in 50 to 75 years. According to a Mesa County Commissioner "After last night, my understanding of the Roundtables is about tenfold what it was prior......1 see now that the Roundtables are an effort that has the potential to pay dividends in the very long haul....." (email from Steve Acquafresca, June 5, 2008). AnotherTown Hall meeting was held in Frisco on June 3, 2008. The meeting was promoted via the Roundtable members and media outlets. The 25 participants used a "question and discussion" format to address and talk about selected water issues. Written on a flip chart (in bulleted style) was each comment, including: • over appropriation of water statewide and in the Blue River, • water rights -misunderstood by many people, conditional rights, etc., • accelerated run-off issues caused by pine beetles, fires, and other damages, • what is the "true" value of water, • climate issues -global warming, uncertainties, cloud seeding, etc., • political issues, including the "unbalanced" power on the front range and rural and western parts of the state, and • water storage -enhancing storage in existing reservoirs, fire prevention, carrying capacity in water planning, etc. No conclusions were drawn, but the participants departed with the feelings that their concerns had been heard and they had learned something new about water. Selected other Basin Roundtables were offered assistance for conducting Town Hall meetings. For various reasons - a Roundtable was focusing on other educational formats, such meetings were not a current priority, there wasn't time, etc. -other Roundtables choose not to have CSU Extension facilitate Town Hall meetings within their basins. Appendix B contains copies of promotional flyers, recorded meeting notes, and newspaperarticles pertaining to the Town Hall meetings held in the Colorado Basin. Appendix C contains a copy of the email form Mesa County Commissioner Acquafresca. Scope of Work -Fact Sheet Fact sheets can be valuable educational tools. This is especially true when there are a vast num ber of data to