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<br />consideration. Mr. Goldsmith. <br /> <br />Mr. Goldsmith: Mr. Chairman, members of the board, before we begin <br />our statement I would like to have you gentlemen know, as well as <br />the people in the audience, that unfortunately we did not have avail- <br />able until this morning the staff recommendations on these projects. I <br />I talked with Larry a little bit this morning and he said they were <br />mailed; I talked to Mr~ Ford and he said that they hadn't been <br />received as yet. I don't make this statement because I think it <br />makes a lot of difference. I just want the people that hear our state- <br />ment to know that the statement was made without knowledge of what <br />priorities were recommended by the staff. <br /> <br />The board of directors of the Fruitland Mesa Water Conservancy Dis- <br />trict is made up entirely of farmers and ranchers. Their livelihood <br />depends upon their abiiity to successfully operate and manage their <br />land and water resources, and there is no one in this room that <br />doesn't know this is getting to be a harder job all the time. They <br />have not had access either to the o~m guidelines. They are not <br />informed as to what may be politically wise or unwise, possible or <br />impossible. They decided the best thing they c.,ould do would be come <br />here and represent the feelings of the people on Fruitland Mesa and <br />this they intend to do. And if we get thrown out in the street, we <br />will know that we didn't do something right. <br /> <br />The board of directors did pass a resolution on March 15, 1973, on <br />this matter and I would like to read it to you at this time. <br /> <br />. . <br />"WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Fruitland Mesa Water Conser- <br />vancy District is advised that consideration in being given by the <br />state of Colorado to taking some selective approach toward securing <br />funding for the nine authorized reclamation projects; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, this board feels that a priority already exists by virtue of <br />conditional decrees, date of authorization and work done toward the <br />completion of the various projects; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the Fruitland Mesa project was authorized for construction <br />by the Congress of the United States on September 2, 1964, the water I <br />users in the district accepted the repayment contract by an over- <br />whelming vote, the board of directors has signed the repayment <br />contract, approximately $500,000 has been spent in actual construc- <br />tion which sum is repayable from new water revenues, and in addition <br />over $l,OOO~OOO in federal funds and $50,000 in state funds have <br /> <br />-39- <br />