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<br />!.~ .! <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />South Platte River Basin (Page 16) <br />. Special Water. Committee <br />. Chatfield Reservoir ReaIlocation Study <br />. Extreme Precipitation Study <br /> <br />Yampa and White River Basin (Page 17) <br />. Yampa Water Management Planning <br />. Lower Elk River Streambauk Stabilization <br /> <br />Water Supply Planning and Finance Program <br />(Page 18) <br />. Town of Palisade Collateral Change <br />. Audit Implementation Measures <br />. Feasibility Studies Status Report <br /> <br />Conservation Planning Program (Page 19) <br />. Drought Conditions <br />. Drought Planning <br />. Colorado Dam Site Inventory Status <br />. Weather Modification Program <br />. AgriculturallMultipurpose Demonstration Grants <br /> <br />Agency Personnel and Budget (Page 21) <br />. Platte River Coordinator <br /> <br />. FY 2000-01 Budget <br />· Homepage Update <br /> <br />Attachments (Page 23) <br />. Proposed Projects from the Severance Tax Trust Fund <br />Operational Account in FY 2001 (P.23) <br />. Water Project Construction Loan Program-Design and <br />Construction Status Report (P. 24) <br />. Water Project Construction Loan Program-Projects Under <br />Construction (P. 25) <br />. Water Project Construction Loan Program-Projects Under <br />Design (P. 27) <br />. Water Project Feasibility Status Report (P.30) <br />. Water Project Construction Loan Program-Marketing <br />Update (p. 31) <br />. Water Project Construction Loan Program-Contract <br />Processing Status Report (p.32) <br />· Stream and Lake Protection Program-De minimis Cases <br />(p.32) <br />· Stream and Lake Protection Program-Summary of <br />Resolved Cases (p.33) <br /> <br />Federal and Interstate Issues <br /> <br />Ditch Bill Letter: On September 2, DNR Executive Director Greg Walcher sent a letter to the <br />. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman opposing U.S. Forest Service revisions to the easements <br />granted for certain water facilities on National Forest Lands under a 1986 law known as the "Ditch Bill." <br />The USFS proposal would subject these easements to review every 30 years at which time new terms and <br />conditions could be required. In his letter, Greg said the proposed action imposes conditions that are <br />"contrary to the letter and intent of the law and flies in the face of good public policy." He also criticized <br />the USFS for failing to consult state officials and water users in developing proposed changes and asked <br />that a workgroup be convened to obtain such input. <br /> <br />Congress enacted the Ditch Bill as an amendment to the Federal Land Policy Management Act <br />(FLPMA) to allow agricultural water users to obtain a permanent easement from the USFS for irrigation <br />and stock-watering facilities on national forest lands. The intent was to protect certain facilities <br />constructed prior to Oct. 21,1976 (when the FLPMA was enacted) from the special use permitting <br />requirements that are often subject to NEPA, ESA and other federal review. Water users are concerned <br />the imposition of ESA and NEP A requirements could be used to require bypass flows or to support <br />federal claims for reserved water rights. <br /> <br />Other issues Greg raised in his letter include tbe need to extend Ditch Bill easements to allow <br />water users access to 50 feet on either side of their facilities to perform maintenance and repairs without <br />obtaining Forest Service permission in advance. <br /> <br />Warren Act Legislation: A number of Colorado water user organizations want Congress to <br />amend the Warren Act to: <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />2 <br />