BOARD02511

• Board Meeting Date: 11/20/2000
• Description: Education Initiative Updates
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

.

.

.

STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone:'[phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

e

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members ~
Dan McAuliffe
November 13, 2000
Agenda Item 18 -- Education Initiative Update

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

Dan McAuliffe
Acting Director

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Executive Director and the CWCB Director
may direct and manage natural resources and environmental educational programs (24-33-109
C.R,S,), These education programs must include:
. scientific concepts underlying natural resource and environmental management;
· the history of natural resource development and management in Colorado;
· public policy concepts like private property rights;
. benefits and costs associated with natural resource management decisions and information about
the role agriculture, mining, and timbering, play in natural resources management.

In November 1999 CWCB members expressed anxiety about the lack of a specific water
education program and directed its staff to identify whether curriculum existed that could be utilized
by teachers if it were appropriately distributed_ In March 2000 the CWCB agreed to support a
$115,000 water education initiative and funding was included in the 2000 Water Project
Authorization Bill (HE 00-1419):

SECTION 24, Water education program - appropriation_ (1) The Colorado water conservation
board is hereby authorized to participate in a water education program for K-12 students and
citizens throughout Colorado, The purposes of the program are to develop and integrate a
Colorado water education curriculum into existing education programs; identify mechanisms to
distribute a water education curriculum to effectively supplement or coordinate with other private
and public water education programs; and convert the curriculum to compact disc format for
statewide distribution, lnjurtherance of this program, the Colorado water conservation board
may develop its own curriculum and distribution systems or use existing curriculum reviewed and
approved by educators and water user groups and existing distribution networks,

After receiving this legislative approval, we developed a work plan, sought the support of the
Colorado Water Congress, created a CD-ROM containing a wide variety of water educational
materials, and negotiated a contract with the Learning to be WaterWise program to being distributing
the CD's and thus begin implementing the program,