BOARD00398 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

.ocky Mountain News: Local , Page I of , Rocky Mountain News To print this page, select File then Print from your browser URL: http:j jwww.rockymountainnews.com/drmnjlocal/article/O ,1299, DRM N_15_ 4331300,00, htmJ White-water park rules drafted . GOCO to clarify policies on grants for construction By ]erd Smith, Rocky Mountain News December 21, 2005 Great Outdoors Colorado is drafting new rules for white-water parks, saying it wants to clarify its own policies on how grants to buiid the parks an awarded. White-water advocates worry that the proposed rules may serve to restrict construction of the parks, which are wildly popular with kayakers and the cities that host them. At the same time, the Colorado Water Conservation Board - charged with regulating the streams in which the parks operate - has asked GOCO t tread lightly in the highly charged water arena, saying that cities that win GOCO grants to build the parks too often use the extra money to battle the water board in court over the contentious waler issues associated with the kayak courses. Great Outdoors Colorado, created by voters in 1 992, awards millions of dollars in lottery proceeds each year to help protect open space and enhance recreation across the state. One of the key issues in the debate over the water parks is whether the cities that are building them are claiming too much water for their course, and, in the process, making it harder for other cities or farmers who use water from the same stream to manage their own supplies. Communities that have won GOCO grants for their parks say it is critical that the agency continue funding park construction. . Since 2000, 15 communities have applied for grants to build white-water parks. GOCO has awarded grants to five of those, including Pueblo, Lyons and Palisade. Puebio is also one of the cities battling the water conservation board over water rights for its course. Tom Fiorczak, Pueblo's assislant city attorney, said he's worried that GOCO's new rules may serve 10 restrict new course development and that the water conservation board is trying to push GOCO into a more restrictive stance toward the water parks. ''The Colorado Water Conservation Board wants to use its position under state law to restrict further development of these parks," Florczak said. "But it would be wrong of GOCO to cave in to this kind of thing." Colorado Water Conservation Board's Ted Kowalski denies that charge, but he said there is concern about how GOCO interacts with cities on recreational water issues. it's clear GOCO has the authority to fund the park's construction, Kowalski said. "But there is still a policy question thaI needs to be answered," h said. "If by funding a GOCO project, that frees up money for cities to be used in litigation with the state over water rights, is that a proper use of GOCO funds?" John Swartout, GOCO's executive director, said his agency is aware of the water board's concerns and in fact invited the board's staff to comment on the proposed ruies. "We're an independent, quasi-state agency," Swartout said. "Not only is it important that GOCO stay independent, we don't want to get in the middle of the fight between the state and these cities. It's just not our fight. We've funded these parks in the past and we will continue to fund them in the future." GOCO's local government committee will discuss the proposed rules at a meeting at 10 a.m., Feb. 16 at its offices in Denver, at 1600 BroadW. suite 1650. The GOCO board is expected to examine the proposal at its meeting in March. Copyright 2005, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved. :tp://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/cda/articleyrint/O. 1983,DRMN _15_4331300_ ARTICLE- DET... 12/22/200