BOARD01778

• Board Meeting Date: 11/20/2000
• Description: Directors' Reports
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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endangered fish recovery, Indian trust responsibilities, Reclamation's budget, ground water recharge, water
_reuse, rural water system needs, and other issues.

.. FY2000 Energy-Water Appropriations: On Oct. 7, President Clinton vetoed the FY2000 Energy and
Water Appropriations Bill (H.R. 4733). He stated, "The bill contains an unacceptable rider regarding the Army
Corps of Engineers' master operating manual for the Missouri River. In addition, it fails to provide funding for
the California-Bay Delta initiative and includes nearly $700 million for over 300 unrequested projects." The
House voted to override the veto 315-98 on October 11. There was not adequate support in the Senate to
override the veto. Therefore, the Senate dropped the Missouri River rider and attached the bill to the V A-HUD
Appropriations Bill and passed the bill on Oct. 12. The President is expected to sign the bill.

FY 2001 Interior Appropriations: On Oct. 5, the Senate approved the Conference Report for FY 2001
Interior Appropriations (H.R. 4578). Although the bill doubles current conservation funding, some are
disappointed about the defeat of the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA), which would have created a
special fund with annual permanent appropriations of nearly $3 billion over fifteen years (H.R. 701). Instead, a
trust fund called the Land Conservation, Preservation and Infrastructure Improvement Trust was authorized.
$1.6 million would be spent next year, with annual increases of $160 million. Spending would be subject to
Congressional approval.

Endangered Species Act/lndian Reserved Rights: On Oct. 4, I and six other water resource officials
wrote Elizabeth Birnbaum, Special Assistant to the Solicitor of the Department of Interior expressing concern
about the final report of Interior's Working Group on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Indian Water
Rights. We said the report failed to satisfactorily address state objections expressed on Jan. 20, 2000 and raises
new concerns.

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Statewide Issues

Kuharich Named CWCB Director: Rod Kuharich has been named the new director of the CWCB
effective December 4. Mr. Kuharich is familiar with water development, water right, environmental, social and
financial issues in his current position as manager of government affairs for Colorado Springs Utilities, where
he was responsible for legislative, regulatory, legal and policy matters related to water, wastewater, and power.
He has served as President of the Colorado Water Congress.

Special Water Committee Recommendations: The General Assembly's Special Water Committee met
on Sept. 10 in Denver.

Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament, Chair of the Governance Committee for the Three State
Agreement for the Recovery of Endangered Species on the Platte River, told the committee that that Colorado
should continue to support the agreement. Without the recovery program, he said that the USFWS might require
individual water users and water providers to undergo costly reviews to determine compliance with the federal
Endangered Species Act. Commissioner Ament expressed concern about potential new demands from the
USFWS concerning sediments in the Platte River. He requested the committee to support a two-year extension
of the cooperative agreement. Commissioner Ament closed his remarks by describing the benefits of the
Tamarack Water Project for the endangered species recovery program and Colorado farmers.

Kent Holsinger, DNR Assistant Director, also expressed support for a two-year extension of the
cooperative agreement. He also described the need for new state appropriations to support hydrologic and forest
management studies. Holsinger distributed a draft letter to Governor Owens supporting an extension of the
Cooperative Agreement.

David Holm, Director of the Water Quality Control Division, described the Source Water Protection
Program. He said that the program is based on a 1996 amendment to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act that

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