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<br />some of the existing State Parks, either as direct conservation of wetlands or as buffers to existing <br />wetlands or as conservation of wetlands-related uplands. <br /> <br />4) How many environmental education opportunities will be provided? <br /> <br />The WI will create numerous environmental education opportunities throughout the State, either <br />directly or indirectly. Because wetlands lend themselves to be educational opportunities, in many <br />instances the act of conserving them will translate into a provision of education opportunity. <br /> <br />If one takes a broader view of environmental education - one that includes children and adults, <br />formal and informal education - then one can say that environmental education opportunities have <br />already been offered and utilized. The Focus Area Committees have been meeting, and <br />committee members have been educating each other (many members are knowledgeable <br />professionals) about wetlands, what they are, what their functions and values are, why they need <br />protection and what threats they face. This is happening throughout the State, is gaining <br />momentum, and will continue as part of the WI. These same members are going on field trips, <br />sometimes accompanied by a wetlands ecologist, to view and review project proposals and truly <br />undergoing an environmental education. ATTACHMENT K, Wetlands of Colorado, is an <br />excellent example of the material that has been, and will be, distnbuted as part of the WI <br />environmental education effort. <br /> <br />Furthermore, plans in the WI include putting on wetlands workshops throughout the state for <br />private land owners, land-use decision makers and other citizens. Plans exist for educating people <br />of all ages about wetlands through a "best management practices" handbook and through the <br />DOW's new World Wide Web site (already, cooperation with DNR has resulted in the WI <br />concept paper being posted on the Internet). In the WP, DOW Wetlands Teams that include <br />education section members, will result in numerous new possibilities for wetlands focused <br />environmental education. Having wetlands conseIVed by means of the WI will provide real life <br />examples of wetlands conseIVation that will serve as topics for these environmental education <br />efforts. Similar approaches are used by TNC in their Visitable Preserves efforts and their <br />Conservancy Field Trips opportunities. <br /> <br />5) What non-game fish/wildlife species will benefit from any associated land protection? <br /> <br />Wetlands-dependent species in the state will benefit from the WI associated land protection. <br />ATTACHMENT E lists those wetlands-dependent wildlife species. Protection of wetlands <br />habitat provides a direct benefit to each of the species that utilize that habitat. <br /> <br />6) How many acre feet of water will be required? <br /> <br />Because the WI is a plan for conserving wetlands, and because of the needs of the plan will <br />depend upon the projects undertaken, it is not feasible to state how many acre-feet of water will <br />be required for the project. However, water and wetlands are certainly linked and wetlands need <br /> <br />12 <br />