Date: 04/22/2015

Final
Presentation from the Department of Natural Resources on Statewide Adaptati

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION & ENERGY

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
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01:36 PM -- Presentation from the Department of Natural Resources on Statewide Adaptation to Climate Change

Taryn Finnessey, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), came to the table to present to the committee on statewide adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the effects of climate change. Ms. Finnessey summarized House Bill 13-1293, which requires the state to collaborate on developing strategies to address climate change. She discussed the department's Climate Change in Colorado report and distributed an executive summary of the report (Attachment A). She also gave the committee a copy of the department's update in accordance with HB13-1293 (Attachment B). She discussed projected temperature increases and precipitation change projections. She detailed the Colorado Climate Change Vulnerability Study that the department released in February 2015, discussing how climate change will impact the electrical grid, airports, public health, and crops. She discussed efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change, such as the federal Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan, oil and gas air quality rulemaking performed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, and the Colorado Climate Plan (CCP).

150422 AttachA.pdf150422 AttachA.pdf150422 AttachB.pdf150422 AttachB.pdf

01:51 PM

Ms. Finnessey responded to committee questions on how far back DNR is studying climate change, causes for historical droughts in the state, the involvement of the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) in state climate change studies, when DNR is expected to complete the CCP, if the CCP will include solutions to climate change, and if CWCB is incorporating water conservation and storage into the CCP.