BOARD02588

• Board Meeting Date: 5/24/1999
• Description: Directors' Reports
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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1999 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

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Fish Recovery programs ($222,000): Platte River
Recovery Program (tn.state agreement) ($300,000);
aquatic species survey on eastern plains rivers
($304,000); Prebles Meadow Jumping Mouse
($250,000): and prairie grasslands species ($75,000).

. HB 1380 - Youth Licenses. (Johnson/Wattenberg)
Extends the Wildlife Commission's authority to establish
youth licensing programs through Jan, 1, 2005. Allows
youth combination license holders to have the full fish
bag limit, up from the half bag limit allowed under current
law.

. SB 214 - Education Council. (Dennis/Johnson)
Authorizes a voluntary check-off on limited big game
licenses for donations to the Wildlife Management Public.
Education Council. Funds will be used to pay for: 1) a
media-based campaign to promote the benefits of wildlife
management, including hunting and fishing; and 2)
administrative and processing costs associated with the
license check-off program. Also authorizes the Division
of Wildlife to provide advertising space in brochures and
publications for the promotion of the council.

. HB 1229 - Endangered Species. (Johnson/
Wattenberg) Requires General Assembly approval of
the reintroduction of species in the state that are: 1) not
now found in the state; and 2) listed or candidate species
for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act.

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Other Legislation Affecting the Department

. HB 1127 - Credit Card Payments to Government
Entities, (Gotlieb/Powers) Allows local and state gov-
emment entities to accept "altemative forms of payment;
such as credit cards, charge cards and debit cards.
Prohibits local and state entities from imposing sur-
charges upon persons using altemative forms of pay-
ment, unless those entities were accepting those forms
of payment on or before Jan. 1, 1999, and were impos-
ing surcharges at that time. Prohibits local and state
entities that were imposing surcharges on or before Jan.
1, 1999, from raising them. Requires certain state enti-
ties electing to accept alternative forms of payment to
join in a state-negotiated Ucontractual master agreemenf
formed with providers of altemative forms of payment.

. HB 1249 - Severance Tax Modifications. (Spradley/
Wattenberg) Increases the amount of gross income from
the severance of metallic minerals that is exempt from
the severance tax, from the first $11 million to the first
$19 million. Establishes a new exemption from the sev-
erance tax for the first 625,000 tons of molybdenum pro-
duced each quarter. Increases the amount of coal pro-
duced that may be exempt from the severance tax, from
the first 8,000 tons produced in a quarter to the first
300,000 tons produced in a quarter.

. HB 1351 - Regional Haze Pollution, (MitchellfTeck)
Directs the Air Quality Control Commission to conduct
public rule-making hearings at least every five years,
beginning no later than Dec. 31, 2002, to consider
updates of emissions inventories of state and federal

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public land management agency activities that reduce
visibility in mandatory Class I federal areas in Colorado.
Allows the commission to determine that the emission
inventory of any cnteria pollutant for a region of the state
is inadequate. Requires the commission to use the
emission inventories to develop control strategies for
reducing emissions within the state as a component of
the visibility long-term strategies for inclusion in the State
Implementation Plan and for inclusion in any environ-
mental impact statement or environmental assessment
required to be performed under the National
Environmental Policy Act.

. SB 111 - Prairie Dogs, (Hillman/Kester) Requires
recipient county commission approval of any inter-county
transfers of prairie dogs.

. HB 1111 - Captive Wildlife Board. (Alexander/
Chlouber) Extends Captive Wildlife and Alternative
Livestock Board for 10 years.

. HB 1155 - Conservation Easements, (Spradley/
Owen) Provides a state tax credit for landowners who
donate conservation easements to governmental entities
or a 501-(C) (3) ch\lritable organization. Tax credits are
based on fair market value of easement at lime of dona-
tion, are capped at $100,000 per donation and can be
rolled forward for up to 20 years.

. SB 145 - Regional Air Quality. (Wattenbergffaylor)
Directs that air quality and emission controls required
under state implementation plans also apply to public
property and facilities. Could affect prescribed burns on
federal lands and state wildlife areas. Allows review of
federal iand management plans by the state Air Quality
Control Commission.

. HB 1078 - Personal Services Contracts, (Leyba!
Powers) Removes the current six-month limit on tempo-
rary personal service contracts.

. HJR 1018 - Interim Committee on the Regulation of
Oil and Gas Production, (Larson /Dennis) Creates an
interim committee on the regulation of oil and gas pro-
duction in Colorado with six members of the General
Assembly and five members of the public - all appoint-
ed by the General Assembly. The study will focus on
the:

scope of existing oil and gas regulations and assis-
tance to the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
to meet its statutory mandates:

effectiveness of the commission's rule-making proce-
dures;

impacts of production on citizens and their property
and the public health, safety and welfare;

. relationship of oil and gas production wilh Colorado's
other natural resources; and
. examination of mineral rights development and eco-
nomic development benefits.

The committee may tour at least four locations that are
affected by oil and gas operations. Legislative Council
will report any findings and legislative recommendations
to the Colorado Legislature next session.