14d ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 7/22/2008
• Description: Directors' Reports - CWCB Director
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

NFEDERAL AND INTERSTATEN
SNOWPACK AND WATER SUPPLY AUGMENTATION WORKSHOP IN AZ - CWCB
staff is working with the Central Arizona Project, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University
to plan a three day cloud seeding workshop in Flagstaff, Arizona. As the current Chair of the North
American Interstate Weather Modification Council staff is coordinating on behalf of the ten NAIWMC
states with cloud seeding programs. In 1995 Arizona used state and federal funds through the NOAA
Atmospheric Modification Program to conduct a field program that was technically advanced using
aircraft, radiometers, Doppler sounders, polarized radar, and meso-scale modeling. The objective of the
workshop is to illuminate the state of practice in weather modification for snowpack augmentation as it is
practiced in the Colorado River Basin States today. The workshop will address regulatory and permitting
framework, selection criteria for sites and methodologies, and evaluations of effectiveness and the
costlbenefits of an Arizona program. The workshop dates are September 29 -October 1. The issues and
commentary by participants will be captured in a white paper and made available to steer policy and
guide decision making. There are four sites in the north and above the Mogollon rim there ground based
snowpack augmentation opportunities exist. Arizona might also investigate an aerial seeding program
that would compliment ground based seeding. (Tom Browning)
DITCH BILL UPDATE - As part of staff's continuing effort to keep the Board informed of the U.S.
Forest Service's ("USFS") progress on the issuance of Ditch Bill Easements and related issues, the
information attached to this report as Attachment Sd-06 was provided by Michele O'Connell, USFS. If
you have questions regarding this information, please contact Michele O'Connell at:
Michele O'Connell
USDA Forest Service, Roclcy Mountain Region
Group Leader Lands Special Uses
[phone], FAX [phone]
mmoconnell(cr~fs.fed.us
(Linda Bassi)
FARM BILL /AGRICULTURAL WATER ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM - On June 18,
the House voted to override President Bush's second Farm Bill veto by a bipartisan vote of 317-109.
"Today's vote will ensure that all parts of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act are enacted into law,"
Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson said. "Particularly considering the serious concerns
about rising food prices and severe flooding affecting crops in the Midwest, this Farm Bill provides a
critical safety net for families and farmers." Last month, Congress approved the conference report for
H.R. 2419, but when the bill was sent to the White House, one of its 15 titles was inadvertently left out of
the official copy vetoed by the President. Congress overrode the veto and enacted 14 of the bill's 15 titles
into law. To ensure that all 15 titles are properly enacted, the House passed the Farm Bill a second time
with a new bill number (H.R. 6124). That bill was sent to the White House, and following President
Bush's second veto, the House again voted to override that veto.
Title II -Conservation, Section 2510, establishes what is now called the Agricultural Water Enhancement
Program (AWEP) within the Environmental Quality Enhancement Program (EQIP) to help producers and
partners achieve ground and surface water conservation and improve water quality on agricultural and
silviculture lands. Partners are defined to include groups of producers or producer associations, a State or
unit of local government or a federally recognized Indian tribe. The law provides that the Secretary of
l '