FD2FFA5E112A20048725893400006BFE Hearing Summary

PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (EXCLUDING COGCC) PRESENTATION

JOINT COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ON JOINT SENATE AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND HOUSE AGRICULTURE, WATER & NATURAL RESOURCES
Date Jan 10, 2023
Location Old Supreme Court

Colorado Department of Natural Resources (excluding COGCC) Presentation - Committee Discussion Only


	05:04:41 PM	Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), introduced the presentation.
	05:08:39 PM	Director Gibbs spoke about the department's wildly important goals, including sustainable funding for parks and wildlife, balancing outdoor recreation and wildlife, and water plan implementation.
	05:15:20 PM	Director Gibbs gave an update on the stimulus funds that were allocated to the department.
	05:15:53 PM	Director Gibbs spoke about the department's budget requests including the request for a Colorado River Policy and Technical Support Team and other requests focused on water and wildfire mitigation.
	05:19:41 PM	Director Gibbs gave an overview of the department's legislative agenda and the regulatory agenda.
	05:21:02 PM	Kevin Rein, State Engineer, DNR, introduced the presentation on compact compliance. He discussed the state's compact obligations, describing how Colorado stays in compliance with some of these compacts. He noted methods such as indexing supply, applying prior appropriations across state lines, pumping water through pipelines, and maintaining flows over time. He noted that Colorado is solidly in compliance with the Colorado River Compact.
	05:28:12 PM	Becky Mitchell, Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and Colorado River Commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission, provided an update on the Colorado River basin and spoke about actions to protect Lake Powell and Lake Mead. She noted that the state has been responsive to the conditions of the Colorado River, but that it also has little control over the current crisis in the river basin.
	05:33:42 PM	Director Mitchell discussed the five-point plan being implemented by the upper basin states. She noted the importance of actions taken in the Lower Basin as well.
	05:35:48 PM	Mr. Rein and Director Mitchell answered questions from the committee about groundwater pumping, the South Platte River water supply, and Colorado River Compact delivery requirements.
	05:42:32 PM	Director Gibbs answered questions about funds in the Rio Grande and Republican River Basins.
	05:47:57 PM	The committee asked questions about keeping water in agriculture and sending Colorado River water to other states. Director Mitchell discussed the value of water on the land and the parity across states relying on Colorado River water. She spoke about how Colorado is responding to the Lower Basin States.
	05:53:19 PM	Director Mitchell responded to questions about how Colorado is working with the federal government, the Upper Basin States, and the Lower Basin States.
	05:55:51 PM	Director Mitchell and Mr. Rein continued to respond to questions about Colorado River Compact compliance and water use and reuse within Colorado.
	06:00:57 PM	Director Gibbs answered questions about current snowpack, forest health, wildfires, and the environmental justice task force.
	06:11:00 PM	Director Gibbs answered questions about how the department is balancing relationships with all the river basins in Colorado.
	06:11:49 PM	Mr. Rein discussed how the state administers each of the interstate water compacts. Director Mitchell told the committee how her team is protecting water in Colorado.
	06:17:32 PM	Director Gibbs answered a question about the department's budget allocation for compensation for livestock owners from the impacts of wolf reintroduction.
	06:20:19 PM	Heather Dugan, Acting Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, discussed the draft wolf reintroduction plan, the public comment period process, and how the department will fund compensation.
	06:23:01 PM	Director Gibbs discussed the need for the federal 10(j) process, which is a species recovery program run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He spoke about the need for this process to occur to make the wolf reintroduction process possible.
	06:24:03 PM	Committee members made comments on the statutory requirements on the wolf reintroduction timeline and funding sources.
	06:26:33 PM	The committee continued to discuss the effects of wolf reintroduction.
	06:28:12 PM	Acting Director Dugan made comments on compensating ranchers for wolf depredation.
	06:29:53 PM	Director Gibbs gave closing comments on the presentation and encouraged committee members to reach out to the department with questions.

Colorado Department of Natural Resources (excluding COGCC) Presentation - Committee Discussion Only

Colorado General Assembly