Colorado Native Aquatic Species Protection Workshop Summary

Home Browse Search

COLORADO NATIVE AQUATIC SPECIES PROTECTION WORKSHOP SUMMARY These proceedings highlight the results of a recent public workshop and dialogue concerning the apparent serious decline of many of Colorado's native aquatic wildlife species. These species, including many fish, frogs, toads, and freshwater shell fish, appear to be declining from significant portions of their historic range, according to data collected by the Colorado Division of Wildlife and other researchers. The Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife sponsored the workshop on March 15, 1995. Their purpose was to educate the 120 workshop participants -- representing diverse backgrounds and perspectives -- about data indicating these declines, and to engage them in addressing the following questions: • What is the significance of the data indicating decline? • What are the implications of this data for Colorado's environmental quality, economic vitality, and the ongoing management of the state's wildlife and water resources? • What should our "vision" be? What kind of results should Coloradans strive to achieve in response to the data concerning declining aquatic wildlife species, including the components of a desired future management strategy? • What strategies, opportunities and resources are available to Coloradans to achieve this "vision ?" To provide a foundation to consider these questions at the workshop, Jim Lochhead, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and Patti Shwayder, Acting Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, distributed a draft concept paper prior to the workshop. This draft concept paper, entitled Preserving Colorado's Water Resources and Wildlife Management Options through Cooperative Partnerships to Conserve Native Aquatic Species, is attached as appendix B. The concept paper summarizes what we know about declining aquatic wildlife species and what we think might be some of the consequences of these declines. The paper suggests that proactive, voluntary approaches to native aquatic species management are preferable to potentially significant regulatory incursions into ongoing land, water, and wildlife management activities in Colorado that could result if no steps are taken. The paper discusses the potential value of voluntary, cooperative, public - private partnerships in maintaining unique and irreplaceable elements of Colorado's natural and cultural heritage. Partnerships, the paper points out, could be useful in more completely evaluating data indicating the apparent decline of Colorado's native aquatic wildlife and in planning and implementing appropriate actions to reverse these declines.