House Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, & Natural Resources (02/09/2015)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES

Date:	02/09/2015	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:30 PM to 02:59 PM	Arndt	X
		Becker J.	X
Place:	HCR 0112	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:
HB15-1129 SB15-021 HB15-1166		Referred to Appropriations Referred to the Committee of the Whole Amended, Referred to Appropriations

01:31 PM -- HB 15-1129

Representative Kraft-Tharp, sponsor, presented House Bill 15-1129, concerning disaster prediction and decision support systems by the Department of Public Safety. The bill requires the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) to contract with an organization to establish and maintain a Colorado Wildland Fire Prediction and Decision Support System and also requires the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) to contract with an organization to establish and maintain a Colorado Flood Prediction and Decision Support System. Representative Kraft-Tharp distributed a letter from the Colorado Professional Firefighters (CPFF) and responded to questions from the committee. (Attachment A)

150209 AttachA.pdf

The following persons testified on the bill:

01:36 PM -- Bill Mahoney, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), spoke in support of the bill. Mr. Mahoney provided a computer presentation that showed examples of how the modeling used in developing the prediction and decision-support systems is used for floods and wildfires. Mr. Mahoney responded to questions from the committee regarding how the prediction and decision support systems would be used and the funding of the support systems. Mr. Mahoney also explained that Colorado has a need for the prediction and decision support system, citing a statement given at a recent meeting of the Western Governors Association and explained how the system would work in a practical sense. Mr. Mahoney also described the difficulty of predicting wildfire behavior in real-time, but utilizing the prediction and decision support system would allow an opportunity to understand that behavior.

01:48 PM -- Paul Cooke, Director, Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Colorado Department of Public Safety, testified in support of the bill. Director Cooke spoke about the financial impact that future fires and floods will have on the state and how the prediction and decision support system would alleviate that financial burden. Director Cooke explained that current fire behavior tools can help predict wildfires, but the model presented by NCAR is more sophisticated and would help to give firefighters advanced notice and prevent casualties by helping to identify and prioritize fires as well as prepare a plan and prescribe future fires. Director Cooke responded to questions from the committee regarding how quickly information from the prediction and decision support systems would get to responders on the ground.

02:02 PM -- Gary Briese, Colorado State Fire Chiefs, spoke in support of the bill and responded to questions from the committee. Mr. Briese explained that the system would assist with prevention, preparedness, and response to wildland fires. He also explained that the prediction and decision support system would be integrated into the fire department's current command structure.

02:08 PM -- Chris Johnson, County Sheriffs of Colorado, former Otero County Sheriff, spoke in support of the bill.

02:10 PM -- Kelly Campbell, Property and Causality Insurers Association of America (PCI), spoke in support of the bill.

02:13 PM

Mr. Mahoney responded to further questions from the committee regarding how the prediction and decision support system would operate.

02:21 PM

Representative Kraft-Tharp concluded her comments on the bill.


BILL:	HB15-1129
TIME:	02:22:11 PM
MOVED:	Mitsch Bush
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 15-1129 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 10-3.
SECONDED:	Arndt
		VOTE
	Arndt	Yes
	Becker J.	No
	Brown	Yes
	Buck	No
	Coram	Yes
	Danielson	Yes
	Dore	Yes
	Ginal	Yes
	Lebsock	Yes
	Mitsch Bush	Yes
	Saine	No
	Becker K.	Yes
	Vigil	Yes

Final YES: 10 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:24 PM -- SB15-021

Representative Vigil presented Senate Bill 15-021, concerning the repeal of the Interstate Pest Control Compact. The Interstate Pest Control Compact (IPCC) was formed in 1968 in order to provide financial assistance to states who may not have the necessar resources to combat plant pest infestations that threaten the agricultural and natural resources of other states impacted by that infestation. Recently, the IPCC board transferred its assets to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Research Foundation, making the IPCC, as it exists in Colorado law, unnecessary.

Representative Coram moved Senate Bill 15-021 to the Committee of the Whole, and no testimony was taken on the bill.


BILL:	SB15-021
TIME:	02:27:00 PM
MOVED:	Coram
MOTION:	Refer Senate Bill 15-021 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 13-0.
SECONDED:	Brown
		VOTE
	Arndt	Yes
	Becker J.	Yes
	Brown	Yes
	Buck	Yes
	Coram	Yes
	Danielson	Yes
	Dore	Yes
	Ginal	Yes
	Lebsock	Yes
	Mitsch Bush	Yes
	Saine	Yes
	Becker K.	Yes
	Vigil	Yes

Final YES: 13 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:29 PM -- HB 15-1166

Representative Saine and Representative Arndt, sponsors, presented House Bill 15-1166, concerning the creation of a tributary groundwater monitoring network in the South Platte River alluvial aquifer. The bill would enact recommendation 3.B of the study, mandated by House Bill 12-1278 and conducted by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and the Colorado Water Institute (CWI), regarding the South Platte River alluvial aquifer. Representatives Saine and Arndt distributed a handout describing provisions of the bill (Attachment B), Amendment L.001 (Attachment C), and Amendment L.002 (Attachment D).

150209 AttachB.pdf

150209 AttachC.pdf

150209 AttachD.pdf

The Following person testified on the bill:

02:33 PM -- Glen Fritzler, Groundwater Coalition, spoke in support of the bill.

02:34 PM -- Jeff Nelson, Mayor of the Town of Gilcrest, spoke in support of the bill.

02:36 PM -- Nick Colglazier, Colorado Farm Bureau, spoke in support of the bill as amended by amendment L.001.

02:38 PM -- Robert Longenbaugh, representing himself, spoke in support of the bill.

02:44 PM -- Kevin Rein, Deputy State Engineer, Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR), spoke in support of the bill. Mr. Rein explained that the bill is in response to work done by the technical committee of the Division of Water Resources. The bill codifies the State Engineer's Office's current groundwater monitoring; directs an effort to encourage more third parties to develop data; provides for automation of internal processes; develops protocols for the third party data collectors; and makes the data more widely available to the public. Mr. Rein spoke about the amendments and explained that DWR and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) would support the bill as amended. Mr. Rein responded to questions from the committee regarding the bill.

02:54 PM -- Dianna Orf, Colorado Water Congress, spoke in support of the bill.


BILL:	HB15-1166
TIME:	02:55:57 PM
MOVED:	Saine
MOTION:	Adopt amendment L.001. The motion passed on a vote of 13-0.
SECONDED:	Coram
		VOTE
	Arndt	Yes
	Becker J.	Yes
	Brown	Yes
	Buck	Yes
	Coram	Yes
	Danielson	Yes
	Dore	Yes
	Ginal	Yes
	Lebsock	Yes
	Mitsch Bush	Yes
	Saine	Yes
	Becker K.	Yes
	Vigil	Yes

YES: 13 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


BILL:	HB15-1166
TIME:	02:57:09 PM
MOVED:	Saine
MOTION:	Adopt amendment L.002. The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Brown
		VOTE
	Arndt
	Becker J.
	Brown
	Buck
	Coram
	Danielson
	Dore
	Ginal
	Lebsock
	Mitsch Bush
	Saine
	Becker K.
	Vigil

YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

Representative Arndt and Representative Saine concluded their comments regarding the bill.


BILL:	HB15-1166
TIME:	02:58:36 PM
MOVED:	Saine
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 15-1166, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 13-0.
SECONDED:	Buck
		VOTE
	Arndt	Yes
	Becker J.	Yes
	Brown	Yes
	Buck	Yes
	Coram	Yes
	Danielson	Yes
	Dore	Yes
	Ginal	Yes
	Lebsock	Yes
	Mitsch Bush	Yes
	Saine	Yes
	Becker K.	Yes
	Vigil	Yes

Final YES: 13 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:59 PM

The committee adjourned.