NonBasicSpecificComments01

• Title: Comments 1
• Date: 6/11/2003
• SWSI - Doc Type: Comments

June 11, 2003

RECE!VE[)
JUN 1. 3 2003

Ricl{ Brovvn
Colorado Water Conservation Board
1313 Sherman Street, Suite 721
Denver, CO 80203
& Via Fax: 303-866...4474

Colorado Water Conservat~on Board

RE: SWSI Meetings

Dear Mr. Brown,

We write as representatives of conservation organizations interested in water supply issues and
working wit11 the State of Colorado on the public participation process for the Colorado Water
Conservation Board's (CWCB) Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI). We believe"that
meaningful public participation in the SWSI will be crucial to its overall success. In the spirit of
cooperation, we urge the CWCB to adopt the following recommendations:

· The SWSI must involve non~water rights holders ~ i.e~, the public -- in a meaningful way in
every step of the process, including adequate advance notice of all meetings (both "advisory
meetings" and "public meetings") and meeting agendas, advance access to the teclmical
information that Basin Advisors plan to use to develop the'basin alternatives, meaningful
participation in every meeting, and information as to how to contact both key CWCB and
Basin Advisors around the state;
· Where the Basin Advisors are not expert themselves in their basin's environmental,
recreational and other instream water needs, both existing and future, the Basin Advisory
COlnmittees must include individuals who can supply this information; and
· The CWCB must also involve experts in environmental, recreational and other in stream
water needs in the statewide roll-up of the basin alternatives.

We discuss each of these below in more detailt

The SWSI must involve the public in a meaningful way in every step of the process.

Representatives of the CWCB and of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources have stated
their determination to have dozens of public meetings and ensure an open process throughout the
SWSI. However, certain additional communications suggest that the process will be far less
open to input from non-water rights holders (members of the public) than would satisfy this
aspiration. To ensure not only public participation, but meaningful public participation, we
believe that the eweB must do the following:

a. Provide adequate notice of all meetings.

Over the course of the SWSI, there may be as many as 70 meetings. To ensure that members of
the public have time to prepare for, and participate in a constructive manner in these meetings, it
will be necessary to provide adequate advance notice of each meeting. In addition, for interested