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National Forest Foundation. The Steering Committee is developing a process to bring the discussion of <br /> stream management options to a broader public through a series of public meetings to start in the late <br /> Spring of 2008. <br /> The Steering Committee is developing a Web site and has produced initial information documents that <br /> will be used in the public process. These include information sheets,maps,descriptions of management <br /> options, a glossary of significant terms and agencies,a complete set of Steering Committee Sweep <br /> minutes, and a process document or community involvement framework description. <br /> 2. Organizational Structure <br /> The Steering Committee for the Workgroup includes representatives of the local administrative offices of <br /> Senators Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard and Representative John Salazar;the Southern Ute Indian Tribe <br /> (SUIT); the Southwestern Water Conservation District(SWCD);the San Juan Citizens Alliance(SJCA); <br /> the Colorado Water Conservation Board(CWCB);the Colorado Division of Water Resources(CDWR); <br /> the Colorado Division of Wildlife(CDOW);The Nature Conservancy(TNC);The Wilderness Support <br /> Center and the SJPLC. <br /> The group receives unpaid administrative support from SWCD staff,has a paid part-time facilitator and <br /> will have a part-time paid support person. <br /> 3. Constituency <br /> The constituencies to be served by the Workgroup are local communities in La Plata, San Juan, <br /> Archuleta,Hinsdale and Mineral Counties,including the Southern Ute Indian Tribe,which are tied, <br /> directly or indirectly,to the streams that cross these counties. There will also be benefits to both the State <br /> and the region, since management options that represent consensus among entities and stakeholders may <br /> also serve the goals of the State of Colorado and the SJPLC. <br /> 4. Description of Request <br /> The Steering Committee is requesting Ten Thousand Dollars($10,000.00)to support the Workgroup <br /> process of collaborative discussion through public meetings,and action through consensus. The Steering <br /> Committee has developed an initial budget of about$80,000.00 for the complete Workgroup process and <br /> estimates that$13,000.00 would cover the approximate costs associated with the process for one of the <br /> six streams(see budget below). There are expected to be ten(10)to twelve(12)public meetings for each <br /> stream,with significant costs associated with holding these meetings. <br /> 5. Description of Community and Regional Need and Relationship to Local Water Planning and to <br /> MEGA Board Energy and Mineral Development. <br /> It is critical for a community to find balance in managing its natural resources,particularly in a way that <br /> provides for community economic health and respects the environment. The collaborative,public process <br /> proposed by the Steering Committee is a well thought out approach at finding this balance. It offers <br /> perhaps the best opportunity for finding common ground,while minimizing conflicts among varying <br /> interests and allowing a wide range of opinions and options to be considered. <br /> There is special need for this economic/environmental balance in Southwestern Colorado,which is <br /> heavily impacted by minerals and mineral and oil and gas development. There are,therefore, significant <br /> ties in Southwestern Colorado between energy and water issues. Upper reaches of streams are naturally <br /> heavily mineralized and lower reaches may be impacted by oil and gas development,which has the <br />