BOARD02400

• Board Meeting Date: 1/27/1999
• Description: Colorado River Basin Issues - Long-Term Funding Legislation
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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DEPARTMENT OF
NATURAL
RESOURCES

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Department of Natural Resources
1313 Shennan Street. Room 718
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
TDD: [phone]
FAX: [phone]

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

TO:

CWCB, Acting Director Peter Evans

FROM:

Dan McAuliffe

DATE:

January 26, 1999

RE:

Long-term Funding Legislation

The Ad Hoc Subcommittee of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery
Program met in Salt Lake City on Jan. 20. .

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Among the issues discussed was the status of the Programmatic Biological Opinion for
the IS-Mile Reach, due to be released on Feb. 19, 1999. Tom Pitts, representing Upper
Basin and San Juan River water users, annoUnced that the water users he represents have
agreed to support the reintroduction and pas'sage of federal long-term funding legislation
in 1999. This decision was made primarily based on the progress made during the
negotiations surrounding the Programmatic Biological Opinion.

Several proposed revisions to the legislation that was introduced in the last Congress by
Sen. Allard and Rep. Mcinnis (S. 1749 and HR 3669) were also discussed. The revisions
are an attempt to aid the resolution of jurisdictional issues between the Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
The revisions also attempt to clarii)' the relationship between the state and federal
agencies regarding the loan of funds to construct capital projects, to sunset the use of
power revenues for non-operation and maintenance purposes, and to direct federal
agencies'to ensure the need for base funding for the programs does not conflict with other
Colorado River Storage Project Act obligations. A copy of a revised bill is attached.

I have also revised the briefing documents that accompany the bill to reflect the current
number ofprojects and the acre-feet of depletions covered by the Upper Colorado River
Program. Copies of these revised documents are also attached.

The Ad Hoc Subcommittee is working to ensure all efforts to gather support, make
revisions and see the bill reintroduced, are completed by March 1, 1999.

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Board of Land Commissioners-Division of Mmerals & Geology/Geological Survey
Oil & Gas Conservation Commission-Colorado State Parks-Soil Conservation Board
Water Conservation Board-Division of Water Resources-Division of Wildlife