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Schedule 1 to Request to CWCB for <br /> Severance Tax Funds <br /> PROPOSAL NARRATIVE <br /> 1. Organizational History,Goals,and Key Achievements <br /> The River Protection Workgroup("Workgroup")is a Southwestern Colorado entity formed in late 2006 to <br /> provide a framework for considering various forms of protection and management strategies for six(6) <br /> streams in La Plata,Archuleta and San Juan Counties,and parts of Hinsdale and Mineral Counties: the <br /> San Juan River, East and West Forks;portions of the upper Animas River; Piedra River,Middle and East <br /> Forks; Pine River; Hermosa Creek; and upper Vallecito Creek. The Workgroup was formed as an <br /> outgrowth of the San Juan Public Land's Center("SJPLC")revision of the management plans for San <br /> Juan National Forest("SJNF")and Bureau of Land Management("BLM")lands("Plan")and the SJPLC's <br /> consideration of Wild and Scenic River("W&SR")status for various local rivers. The Workgroup is <br /> seeking to develop long term,reliable federal, state or other measures to protect the identified values of <br /> these streams,which may incorporate or be in addition to outstandingly remarkable values("ORVs") <br /> under the W&SR Act,while considering current water uses and addressing future needs. <br /> The SJPLC organized a Governmental Water Roundtable("Roundtable")to seek a common <br /> understanding among interested governmental entities concerning water related issues for the revised <br /> Plan. The Roundtable included representatives from area counties and cities; the Southwestern Water <br /> Conservation District; Colorado governmental agencies, including the Divisions of Wildlife and Water <br /> Resources and the Colorado Water Conservation Board; and the two Colorado Ute Indian Tribes. Active <br /> participants in the Roundtable's public monthly meetings also included representatives of local <br /> environmental groups and the local offices of the area's Congressman, Senators and state legislators. <br /> Among the issues reviewed extensively by the Roundtable was the SJPLC process for carrying out its <br /> mandate to review all streams within its jurisdiction for eligibility for W&SR designation. The SJPLC <br /> chose to proceed with a WSR suitability analysis in the Plan and its Environmental Impact Statement. <br /> Because of the importance of obtaining community consensus with regard to any new stream protections, <br /> a number of Roundtable participants and others agreed to meet outside the Roundtable process to seek <br /> ways to protect the exceptional values of selected streams while considering current water uses and future <br /> needs(the "Steering Committee"). Steering Committee members,with an interest in the management of <br /> these six streams, felt a collaborative,public process for discussing methods to protect the key values of <br /> these streams would be a benefit to the regional community, especially those with an interest in the <br /> management of National Forests and/or water resources. The Steering Committee,which operates by <br /> consensus,includes representatives of a broad spectrum of the community. (See Paragraph 2 below.) <br /> The Steering Committee will support the Workgroup's collaborative public process. The Workgroup <br /> activities and their implementation,as listed below,represent the Committee's initial identification of <br /> measures to seek to achieve the Workgroup's goals. The Committee may modify this program as the <br /> Workgroup's activities unfold. <br /> The Workgroup has met with significant success in its short history. It has brought together a diverse <br /> range of interested parties for over twenty(20)discussion and planning meetings. In addition,funding to <br /> support the Workgroup's activities has been secured from the Southwestern Water Conservation District, <br /> the Colorado Water Conservation Board,the San Juan Citizens Alliance,Trout Unlimited,and the <br />