Date: 01/15/2014
Final
Joint Budget Committee
COMMITTEE ON JOINT AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
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09:49 AM -- Joint Budget Committee
Senator Hodge, Joint Budget Committee member, explained that the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have oversight of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources. The Department of Agriculture performs a range of services including regulatory and inspection services relating to agriculture; investigations and hearings; standardizing, grading, inspecting, labeling, handling, storing, and marketing agricultural products; and agricultural related policy analysis. The Department’s FY 2014-15 appropriation represents 0.18 percent of statewide operating appropriations and 0.10 percent of statewide General Fund appropriations (Attachment A). Senator Hodge also identified the FY 2014-15 budget priorities for the department including a $250,000 General Fund appropriation for 4-H and Future Farmers of America programs at the annual Colorado State Fair and additional moneys for noxious weed management. Committee discussion followed about the impact of noxious weeds on agriculture and other elements of Colorado's economy. Senator Schwartz announced that a letter from the joint committee would be drafted to request the federal government control noxious weeds on federal lands in Colorado. Senator Jones announced that the Department of Agriculture released a statement explaining how it could better manage noxious weeds with an additional appropriation of $700,000 (Attachment B).
140115 AttachA.pdf
140115 AttachB.pdf
09:58 AM
Representative Duran discussed the budget request for the Colorado State Fair. Senator Tochtrop explained that the Audit Committee completed a financial and compliance audit of the Colorado State Fair Authority for the years ended June 30, 2013 and 2012 that was discussed at the January 15, 2014 Audit Committee meeting.
10:05 AM
Senator Hodge explained that the Department of Natural Resources is responsible for developing and managing Colorado's natural resources. The department’s FY 2013-14 appropriations represent 1.3 percent of statewide operating appropriations and 0.4 percent of statewide General Fund appropriations (Attachment C). She also identified FY 2014-15 budget priorities for the department including new personnel for the Water Resources Division; additional legal services for enforcement within the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission; and refinancing of the coal regulatory program in the Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety to replace the loss of federal funding for the program. She also discussed flood impacts to Colorado State Parks and flood impact mitigation measures of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Division of Water Resources.
140115 AttachC.pdf
10:14 AM
Committee discussion followed about the budget request for noxious weed control and proposed $10 million cuts to the Division Parks and Wildlife budget that includes a $500,000 reduction in grants for the Fishing is Fun Program and $1 million reduction in funding for aquatic nuisance species control.