Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES

Date:04/29/2015
ATTENDANCE
Time:11:46 AM to 12:58 PM
Arndt
X
Becker J.
X
Place:HCR 0107
Brown
X
Buck
X
This Meeting was called to order by
Coram
X
Representative Vigil
Danielson
X
Dore
X
This Report was prepared by
Ginal
X
Meghan O'Connor
Lebsock
X
Mitsch Bush
X
Saine
*
Becker K.
X
Vigil
X
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
HB15-1006
SB15-022
SB15-253
HB15-1380		Amended, Referred to Appropriations
Referred to Appropriations
Referred to Appropriations
Referred to Finance


11:48 AM -- HB 15-1006

Representative Coram, sponsor, presented House Bill 15-1006, and Representative Becker moved Amendment L.007 (Attachment A), which had already been distributed to the committee. Committee discussion ensued regarding the amendment and the bill.

150429 AttachA.pdf150429 AttachA.pdf
BILL:HB15-1006
TIME: 11:50:48 AM
MOVED:Becker K.
MOTION:Adopt amendment L.007. The motion passed on a vote of 11-2.
SECONDED:Lebsock
VOTE
Arndt
Yes
Becker J.
Yes
Brown
Yes
Buck
No
Coram
Yes
Danielson
Yes
Dore
Yes
Ginal
Yes
Lebsock
Yes
Mitsch Bush
Yes
Saine
No
Becker K.
Yes
Vigil
Yes
YES: 11 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


BILL:HB15-1006
TIME: 11:54:00 AM
MOVED:Vigil
MOTION:Refer House Bill 15-1006, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 12-1.
SECONDED:Coram
VOTE
Arndt
Yes
Becker J.
Yes
Brown
Yes
Buck
No
Coram
Yes
Danielson
Yes
Dore
Yes
Ginal
Yes
Lebsock
Yes
Mitsch Bush
Yes
Saine
Yes
Becker K.
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Final YES: 12 NO: 1 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

11:54 AM -- SB 15-022

Representative Brown, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 15-022, and introduced Representative Arndt as his co-sponsor. The reengrossed version of the bill transfers $1,000,000 from the Severance Tax Operational Fund to the Wildfire Risk Reduction Cash Fund in the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) during FY 2015-16. Up to five percent of this transfer is available for monitoring and measurement purposes. It changes terminology to expand references to hazardous fuels and specifies treatments for the removal or reduction of vegetative fuel. Where feasible, DNR is required to encourage a grant applicant to use veterans participating in an accredited Colorado Corps Program in wildfire mitigation activities.

11:58 AM -- Lisa Dale, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), explained the creation of the Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program and described several partnerships that work with the program. Ms. Dale explained that the demand for the program exceeds the availability of funding and the structure of the program.

12:04 PM -- Gaspar Perricone, DNR, explained the funding of the wildfire fund.

12:04 PM -- Paul Cooke, Director, Division of Fire Prevention and Control, spoke in support of the bill.

12:07 PM -- Mr. Perricone returned to the witness table to answer further questions regarding the funding of the wildfire fund.

12:09 PM -- Meghan Dollar, Colorado Municipal League, spoke in support of the bill and responded to questions from the committee. Ms. Dale also answered further questions from the committee regarding how grants are awarded and the use of the wildfire prevention tax credit program.




12:15 PM -- Carol Ekarius, Coalition of the Upper South Platte Basin, spoke in support of the bill. Ms. Ekarius described the Woodland Park project, specifically how private landowners were involved.

12:19 PM

Committee discussion ensued regarding regarding the sponsorship of the bill.
BILL:SB15-022
TIME: 12:22:11 PM
MOVED:Brown
MOTION:Refer Senate Bill 15-022 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 11-1.
SECONDED:Arndt
VOTE
Arndt
Yes
Becker J.
Yes
Brown
Yes
Buck
Yes
Coram
Yes
Danielson
Yes
Dore
Yes
Ginal
Yes
Lebsock
Yes
Mitsch Bush
Yes
Saine
No
Becker K.
Excused
Vigil
Yes
Final YES: 11 NO: 1 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

12:23 PM -- SB 15-253

Representative Vigil, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 15-253, concerning the funding of Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) projects. The bill appropriates $5,580,000 from the CWCB Construction Fund for specific water-related projects in FY 2015-16. The bill authorizes five cash fund transfers totalling $3,400,000 in FY 2015-16; extending the Stream Restoration Grant Account until July 1, 2017; and accounting for variation in the amount of money loaned for the Chatfield Reallocation Project.

12:25 PM -- James Eklund, Director, CWCB, and Timm Feehan, Deputy Director, CWCB, spoke in support of the bill and described several projects to be funded through the bill. Mr. Feehan specifically mentioned the Chatfield Reallocation Project.

12:29 PM -- Diana Orf, Colorado Water Congress, spoke in support of the bill.

12:30 PM -- Rick McCloud, Centennial Water and Sanitation District, spoke in support of the bill and explained that he is also representing several entities apart of the Chatfield Reallocation Project.


12:34 PM

Representative Vigil concluded his comments on the bill.
BILL:SB15-253
TIME: 12:35:08 PM
MOVED:Vigil
MOTION:Refer Senate Bill 15-253 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 12-0.
SECONDED:Saine
VOTE
Arndt
Yes
Becker J.
Yes
Brown
Yes
Buck
Yes
Coram
Excused
Danielson
Yes
Dore
Yes
Ginal
Yes
Lebsock
Yes
Mitsch Bush
Yes
Saine
Yes
Becker K.
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Final YES: 12 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

12:37 PM -- HB 15-1380

Representative KC Becker, sponsor, presented House Bill 15-1380, concerning state financial incentives to encourage watershed health. The bill creates a refundable, transferable income tax credit for taxpayers who make expenditures for a watershed health project and creates a watershed health project grant program. For tax years 2015 through 2017, an income tax credit is available to taxpayers who make expenditures for a watershed health project, defined as science-based ecosystem restorations of watersheds, forests, grasslands, riparian zones, streams, lakes, or reservoirs. Taxpayers claiming the credit must obtain a credit certificate from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB). CWCB is responsible for determining the value of the individual credit certificates, which may be worth up to 50 percent of the amount

12:40 PM -- Peter Nichols, Lower Arkansas Water Conservancy District, spoke in support of the bill and distributed a handout depicting the damage done by recent large wildfires from 2000 through 2013 (Attachment B). Mr. Nichols explained that the Colorado State Water Plan should include the program.

150429 AttachB.pdf150429 AttachB.pdf

12:46 PM -- Travis Smith, San Louis Valley Irrigation Director, spoke in support of the bill.





12:49 PM -- Carol Ekarius, Coalition of the Upper South Platte and Coalitions and Collaborative, spoke in support of the bill. Ms. Ekarius explained that the tax credit in the bill is valuable in order to improve watershed health.

12:52 PM -- Benjamin Waters, Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts, spoke in support of the bill.

12:53 PM

Representative Becker concluded her comments on the bill.
BILL:HB15-1380
TIME: 12:53:44 PM
MOVED:Becker K.
MOTION:Refer House Bill 15-1380 to the Committee on Finance. The motion passed on a vote of 10-2.
SECONDED:Danielson
VOTE
Arndt
Yes
Becker J.
Yes
Brown
Yes
Buck
No
Coram
Yes
Danielson
Yes
Dore
Yes
Ginal
Yes
Lebsock
Excused
Mitsch Bush
Yes
Saine
No
Becker K.
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Final YES: 10 NO: 2 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

12:58 PM

The committee adjourned.