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<br />ooa97~ <br /> <br />-39- <br /> <br />Wildlife Initiatives--There should be a revenue source for earmarked funding <br />for the acqu~s~tion and development of private lands and waters to mitigate <br />lost wildlife habitat. Possible 'sources are: <br /> <br />1. Excess profits tax <br />2. Severance tax <br />3. Consumer tax on fuels <br />4. General sales tax <br />5. Dedication of general fund surplus for preservation of open <br />space and wildlife habitat <br /> <br />Federal land management agencies should be required to compensate for destroyed <br />or damaged wildlife habitat on their lands by dedicating and developing other <br />suitable lands and waters under their administration for maximum wildlife ~ <br />preservation and production. Certain key wildlife habitats should be designated~ <br />as wilderness. <br /> <br />A comprehensive State Land Planning Act should be enacted. Such an act <br />should require the state Board of Land Commissioners to utilize a land use <br />planning system similar to that used by the u.S. Forest Service and the BLM <br />before making any decisions to lease, sell or grant use permits on state lands. <br />The act should require that environmental values or the reclamation of such <br />values be given equal consideration in land use decisions. Concurrent <br />constitutional amendments ~tate-anG-F~ral} woul~ probably have to accompany <br />the enactment of such ~n-act. ______ ~ <br /> <br />Changes should be made in state statutes to allow development companies, <br />corporations, etc. to buyout the state's interest in the wildlife on the <br />affected area and earmark the funds for the DOW to use elsewhere for lands <br />and waters to compensate for the habitats lost. Such buy-outs would be based <br />on the value of the wildlife displaced for the period of time until the site <br />is completely reclaimed and capable of sustaining the original species. <br /> <br />Natural Areas Initiatives--Serious consideration should be given to <br />amending the Natural Areas Act or passing new legislation to give the Colorado <br />Natural A~eas Program the authority to demand long-term protection of endangered <br />species on justifiable sites identified as having high-priority for protection. <br />Additional financial resources can to some degree speed up the completion of <br />the natural heritage inventory part of the Natural Areas Program. This data <br />can then be used to identify the rarity of species and eCOlogical significance <br />of areas in Colorado proposed for energy development. <br />