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STATE OF COLORADO Bill Owens, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WILDLIFE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Bruce McCloskey, Director 6060 Broadway Denver, Colorado 80216 Telephone: (303) 297-1192 For Wildlife- For People Mr. Mike Serlet, P.E. Chief Water Supply and Finance Section Colorado Water Conservation Board 1580 Logan Street, Snite 750 Denver, Colorado 80203 Ref.- CWCB Finance Committee Agenda Item # 11' 10/25/04 Dear Mr. Serlet; The Colorado Division of Wildlife is respectfully requesting a non-reimbursable grant for seventy five thousand dollars ($75,000.00) to assist in the delivery of a federal United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Bill program that has the potential to provide tremendous water conservation and wildlife habitat benefits. The Division of Wildlife has been in discussions with USDA and state agencies regarding implementing the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program in Colorado and we feel this program can address some of the water related issues within the Republican, Rio Grande, and South Platte River as well as enhance habitat for certain wildlife species in these river basins. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is an initiative born out of the 1996 Farm Bill established as part of the highly successful Conservation Reserve Program. CREP expands CRP's effectiveness by allowing USDA to work in partnership with State and local interests to meet specific conservation objectives. CREP targets Federal and non- Federal resources for long-term voluntary protection of important natural resources. CREP is site-specific and addresses high priority conservation issues of State and national significance. Proposals must originate with State and local governments which determine geographic location of project area, resources to be addressed, and provide technical assistance. To meet CREP goals identified by the state, USDA provides financial, educational, and technical assistance to help prodncers voluntarily implement conservation practices on cropland that will enhance the environment in an economically efficient manner. USDA provides up to eighty percent (80%) of the total project costs, to include annual land rental payments and cost-share for practice installation. It is anticipated that the total USDA funding that can be leveraged through this program will exceed one hundred million dollars over a fifteen year period. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has the personnel, some salary and henefits funding, operating dollars and the FTE to contribute toward a position that would work exclusively toward developing proposals for the three drainages. However, the CDOW docs not have salary and benefits funding to support this position for tbe term necessary to complete the projects. The Colorado Division of Wildlife is respectfully requesting that the Colorado Water Conservation Board consider contributing seventy five thousand ($75,000.00) toward the salary and benefits necessary to complete this project. Thank you for considering this request from the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Sincerely; Brnce McCloskey, Director Colorado Division of Wildlife DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Russell George, Executive Director WilDLIFE COMMISSION, Philip James, Chair. Jeffrey Crawford, Vice-Chair. Brad Pheips, Secretary Members, Bemard Black . Tom Burke. Rick Enstrom. Claire O'Neal. Robert Shoemaker. Ken Torres Ex Officio Members, Russell George and Don Ament