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<br />! <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR <br /> <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 718 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-331 1 <br />TDO: 13031866-3543 <br />Fa" (303) 866-2115 <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />CWCB members <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />Dan McAuliffe <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />March 18, 1999 <br /> <br />RE: <br /> <br />Agenda Item 22 j. - Colorado Wildemess Act (BLM wilderness <br />legislation, H.R.829) <br /> <br />Attached are copies of materials regarding the Bureau of Land Management wildemess <br />bill that was introduced by U.S. Rep. de Gette on February 24,1999. <br /> <br />The materials include a copy of the bill, a status sheet, introductory remarks and maps <br />(which are copies of copies and may be difficult to read). <br /> <br />Executive Director Greg Walcher and DNR division directors are scheduled to meet with <br />Rep. de Gette to discuss her bill on March 31 at 2:30 p.m. <br /> <br />Please note that the bill uses the so-called "Arizona" water rights language (Section 3 <br />(d)), rather than the water language used in the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993, PL <br />103-77. A copy of the later language is attached. <br /> <br />The BLM's proposal, sent to Congress by President Bush, identified four potential water <br />rights conflicts. These conflicts existed on the Yampa, Dolores, Gunnison and the <br />Arkansas Rivers. Staff should carefully review the bill to determine if other conflicts may <br />exist. <br /> <br />Finally, in the 1993 Colorado bill that primarily designated Forest Service lands as <br />wildemess, if water rights conflicts could not be resolved (for instance on the Piedra <br />River) the areas were not designated as wilderness. Rather, they were simply withdrawn <br />from mineral entry and other specific uses and called "areas." <br /> <br />I look forward to working with the board on this issue. <br /> <br />DEPARTMENf OF <br />NATURAL <br />RESOURCES <br /> <br />Bill Qwens <br />Governor <br /> <br />Greg E. Walcher <br />Executive Director <br /> <br />Board of Land Commissioners. Division of Minerals & Geology/Geological Survey <br />Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. Colorado State Parks. Soil Conservation Board <br />Water Conservation Board. Division of Water Resources. Division of Wildlife <br />