River Protection Workgroup Information Sheet

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River Protec on Workgroup Involving the public in protecting the natural values of selected streams while allowing water development to continue River Protection Workgroup Information Sheet Background. Membership and Funding_ Organized in late 2006 by the Southwestern Water Conservation District and the San Juan Citizens Alliance, a River Protection Workgroup Steering Committee has planned a community process to involve the public in developing measures to protect the natural values of selected streams in the region while allowing water development to continue. Entities participating in the River Protection Workgroup Steering Committee include: • Colorado Department of Natural Resources (Divisions of Wildlife and Water Resources, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB)); • San Juan Citizens Alliance (SJCA); • San Juan Public Lands Center (USFS /BLM); • Southern Ute Indian Tribe; • Southwestern Water Conservation District (SWCD); • Staff from the local offices of U.S. Senator Ken Salazar, U.S. Senator Wayne Allard and U.S. Representative John Salazar; • The Nature Conservancy; and • Wilderness Support Center. The River Protection Workgroup Steering Committee was formed as an outgrowth of discussions among various regional water planning and resource - protection organizations where a need became apparent for a collaborative process to select long -term, reliable federal, state and /or other measures to protect the identified values of regional streams, considering a wide range of "tools ", including, but not limited to, the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act ( "WSR "). Funding is from in -kind donations from many of the entities involved and grants from SJCA, SWCD, Trout Unlimited, CWCB, and the National Forest Foundation. Other grants are pending. Activities: The River Protection Steering Committee has designed a public process for forming Local Workgroups on these streams: Hermosa Creek; the San Juan River - East and West Forks; portions of the upper Animas River; Piedra River - Middle and East Forks; the Pine River; and Vallecito Creek. Each Local Workgroup will be open to all interested persons. A Hermosa Creek Workgroup will begin in the spring of 2008. Details will be forthcoming as to meeting dates, location and agendas. Additional Local Workgroups will form over the course of the next three to five years (over). Contacts: _.,■, Southwestern '� ater Conservation Qistrict pan Juan C itizens Alliance 970- 247 -1302 or frontier.nr: or 970 -259-3583 or ewannFr:i'ro^tier ne;.