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<br />\> <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />impact statement on dam operations. The suit seeks an order compelling the defendants to reinitiate <br />consultation and to supplement their EIS to protect and recover these species and their habitat in the <br />Grand Canyon and Colorado River. However, this suit does not seek to enjoin any dam operations while <br />these procedures occur. <br /> <br />Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin ~mJ~!!g~!"~d F!!!! Re~:}v::j' P.;:;griim; Reiiiihoi'iliitiuD <br />Act of 2005: - S 1578 the bill reauthorizes appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior, acting through <br />the Bureau of Reclamation, to undertake capital projects for the Recovery Implementation Program for <br />Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin and the San Juan River Basin Recovery <br />Implementation Program through FY2010 was passed by Congress and sent to the President for signing <br />on March 9, 2006. S. 1578 increases: (I) the amount authorized for federal participation in such projects <br />(from $46 million to $61 million); and (2) the limitation on the total costs of such projects (from $ 100 <br />million to $126 million). <br /> <br />Statewide <br /> <br />Tamarisk Control Update: The Tamarisk Coalition is fmalizing the inventory information for the <br />Arkansas and Colorado Basins that was presented to the Board at the January meeting. Carolyn Fritz in <br />our DDS section is assisting in the effort to get the data in a form that will be available as one ofthe <br />CWCB's mapping products. We are also soliciting input from various local watershed groups on how to <br />make the inventory information most useful to their efforts. We have identified an additional $50,000 in <br />severance tax funds that will be available in July 2006 to continue the inventory project into remaining <br />areas of the state and are beginning to plan for this work with the Tamarisk Coalition. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />We received and recommended as a high priority an application from the Coalition to provide $50,000 in <br />matching funds to assist with regional watershed planning for tamarisk control beginning in July 2007. <br />Hopt remains that federal legislation will eventually be enacted providing significant federal agency <br />technteal and financial assistance to these efforts. In the meantime groups are applying to competitive <br />fundllQ; programs within the Corps of Engineers and USDA-NRCS for planning and implementation <br />funds. The inventory and planning assistance we are providing to these local groups will strengthen those <br />funding proposals. <br /> <br />On Friday, March 10, we met with EDO staff to evaluate goals setout in the DNR I 0 Year Plan to Control <br />Tamarisk. We appear to be moving ahead consistent with the 10 Year Plan framework, but need to <br />strengthen interagency discussions within DNR and with the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture, centralize <br />tracking of achievements and needs, and ensure that adequate monitoring plans are created to ensure <br />longterm maintenance and ultimate successful completion of the I 0 Year Plan. EDO will be convening a <br />meeting of high level agency officials to create the necessary coordination structure and consider funding <br />strategies. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Colorado Watershed Protection Fund (CWPF). Staff proposed certain revisions to the CWPF <br />Program Guidance Document in early February which were approved by the CWCB/WQCC designees. <br />Shortly after the General Assembly created the tax checkoff Colorado Watershed Protection Fund in <br />2002, the Designees and staffs at the CWCB and WQCD as well as representatives ofthe Colorado <br />Watershed Assembly prepared a Grant Program Guidance document. It was anticipated that this <br />document would occasionally be revised to meet emerging and evolving needs. The Program Guidance <br />document states, "By February 15 of each subsequent year, the Board and Commission designees will <br />consider potential revisions to this Guidance, if necessary, and will make the revised Guidance available <br />by March I ofthat year." The proposed 2006 revisions were aimed at clarifYing the grant application <br />requirements and grant approval criteria. The revised document also reflects the Board's and the <br />WQCC's previous decisions to authorize the four designees to make final decisions regarding the award <br /> <br />9 <br />