Date: 04/14/2010
Final
Great Outdoors Colorado
COMMITTEE ON JOINT AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
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08:06 AM
Representative Fischer called the meeting to order. There was no attendance taken because the meeting is informational and attendance is voluntary.
08:06 AM -- Great Outdoors Colorado
Lise Aangeenbrug, Executive Director, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), described how lottery proceeds are allocated by the Colorado Constitution (Attachment A and Attachment B. She explained that Article XXVII, Section 3 (b) of the Colorado Constitution, the Great Outdoors Colorado Amendment, specifies that the Division of State Parks and Outdoor Recreation receives 10 percent of net lottery proceeds; the Conservation Trust Fund receives 40 percent of net proceeds; and the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund receives the remaining 50 percent of net proceeds up to $35 million, adjusted for inflation. If this percentage exceeds the adjusted $35 million cap, the remainder goes to public school districts to address facility safety issues. In FY 2009, the distribution to GOCO was $54.3 million.
08:12 AM
Ms. Aaneenbrug explained that GOCO is required to allocate its proceeds in substantially equal amounts to wildlife resources through the Division of Wildlife; outdoor recreation resources through the Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation; open space; and competitive matching grants to local governments for open lands and parks. She identified GOCO grants made in 2009 to local governments for parks, the Division of Wildlife for wildlife habitat acquisition and improvement; and the the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation for recreation including improvements to Staunton State Park. She also described GOCO grants for acquisition of conservation easements and fee title lands.
08:18 AM
Ms. Aaneenbrug responded to questions from the committee about limits on using GOCO moneys for public schools and the use of GOCO moneys to pay for maintenance of lands purchased with GOCO moneys. She also described GOCO's grant cycle and how the GOCO board determines the amount of grants that will be available for the next year.
08:29 AM
Ms. Aaneenbrug described implementation of Senate Bill 10-098 that authorizes local governments to use lottery revenue to pay for weed control on lands acquired with lottery moneys. She also explained that the Colorado statutes require that GOCO receive 50 percent of the proceeds from Powerball, up to $35 million (in 1992 dollars), with the spillover being used for the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Fund. In FY 2009, $5.5 million was distributed to this fund.
08:37 AM
The meeting was adjourned.