I received this and was asked to spread the word, many of you may either own land, mining claims, or use the areas of concern mentioned during your off time. Everyone should be aware of the impact to all walks of life, on a daily basis this could affect you. Attend a meeting or two if you can and or submit input, prospecting and mining rights to water must be ensured as in the past. This isn't just one area of the state, it's part of the entire state's new plan as it reads below, check it out......

Please be aware that draft responses from Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff identify dredging as being a "threat" to the Arkansas River. This "threat" covers the river from Leadville to Pueblo Reservoir. Many folks are aware that the Arkansas River has earned Gold Medal status recently for the excellent fish resource but few realize that the criteria for such designation was met year-after-year beginning in 2002. I know for a fact that dredging and other placer mining operations have been ongoing within these Gold Medal waters during the analysis and more importantly, long, long before this official designation was in place. There are those that have taken the Gold Medal designation out of context and want to use it to promote their agendas.

If you want to continue with gold placer operations on the Arkansas River...then you'd better step up and protect your rights!

ASTROBLEME

Too many of "them" not enough of "us"...

There are enough of us fenixmom, we just need motivation and information.

Here is the thing that really should wake everyone up. The money for this process has come from the mineral severance tax trust fund. Yes, the state of Colorado has appropriated those tax monies generated from mining and mineral development into this process to be directed by water basin Roundtables for many years now. The state government is using taxes from those that generate them to be used for activities that, upon voting by the Roundtable members, can be in conflict with those same mineral rights owner's interests. This is not taxation without representation, it is taxation to fund representation of adverse interests!

Prospectors and miners must be involved in this process right now, to demand continued water use for our historic rights. Also, we have the rare opportunity to not just protect our existing rights, but we can start expanding our influence through across the state. Here's how to do it...

We must demand from the State Water Plan the inclusion of projects to build visitor's centers in each river basin that will promote mining/mineral development. We must demand the creation of mining and mineral educational resources for tourists and others wanting to learn more about our prospecting and mining history and future. We must demand the dedication of many more public prospecting areas to be established all across this state. Why can we make these demands? Colorado Laws were changed years ago in order to fund the Roundtable process. Tens of millions of dollars have went out each year to be distributed by the Roundtables that have non-elected members voting on funding and projects that meet their own needs rather than our interests!

Here is just part of this complex Colorado law that takes the mineral funds away from the historic uses;

(III)
The water supply reserve account.
Subject to the maintenance of a two-year reserve pursuant to sub-subparagraph (A) of subparagraph (III) of paragraph © of this subsection (1), on or after July 1 of each fiscal year, the state treasurer shall transfer ten million dollars from the operational account of the severance tax trust fund to the water supply reserve account, also referred to in this subparagraph (III) as the "account". The moneys in the account are hereby continuously appropriated to the Colorado water conservation board for purposes authorized by this subparagraph (III). All interest derived from the investment of moneys in the account shall be credited to the account. Any balance remaining in the account at the end of any fiscal year shall remain in the account; except that the unencumbered and unexpended balance of the
account shall revert on June 30, 2010, to the operational account of the severance tax trust fund.
The board shall allocate moneys by grant or loan from the account only for water activities approved by a roundtable pursuant to article 75 of title 37, C.R.S. The approving roundtable shall be the roundtable for the basin in which the proposed water diversion or nonstructural activity would occur. The board, in consultation with the interbasin compact committee created in section 37-75-105, C.R.S., shall jointly establish criteria and guidelines for allocating moneys from the account. Eligible water activities include, but are expressly not limited to, the categories listed in this subparagraph (III).
The criteria shall ensure that the allocations will assist in meeting those water supply needs identified under section 37-75-104 (2) ©, C.R.S., in a manner
consistent with section 37-75-102, C.R.S., and shall facilitate both structural and nonstructural projects or methods. Eligible water activities include the following:
A. Competitive grants for environmental compliance and feasibility studies;
B. Technical assistance regarding permitting, feasibility studies, and environmental compliance;
C. Studies or analyses of structural, nonstructural, consumptive, and nonconsumptive water needs, projects, or activities; and (D) Structural and nonstructural water projects or activities.

I need some help to "carry the water" on this matter. Are you with me?

ASTROBLEME

Yep for sure, I'm with you Astrobleme! As you said to above.......
From Leadville on through Pueblo just for that water basin alone, and many many folks like using this river for their own recreational prospecting etc. Surprisingly though, unlike a thread someone posts about going there with page after page of replies, this thread gets little input or participation about use in the future that certainly affects all users! What's up folks?! Read it again in simple terms.......


But as Astrobleme said above.....we can and must stand together to make a difference! He's even explained why and how this can be possible, but that's not going to happen without the citizens participation to accomplish the task. There are enough of us and the matter of having the right information has begun. Now it's our turn to get involved/motivated as individuals on this at what ever level each citizen can. If you can attend meetings for the public input that is great! If not, you can still post/email public comments via the website during the given time frame.
Your input can and does make a difference!

For those who'd like to attend a future meeting (several have passed already), here's the remaining list of meeting dates with a few more to be announced later the website said.....




Plenty of time for everyone to get in a word or two still.......... Post up questions or input as it comes to mind folks!

CP, ASTROBLEME, I agree there are plenty to voice and be heard, but has anyone thought to make a statement letter that some can copy/paste as a response to the site for comment. I know some have a hard time writing in their own words how to express them selves, and some are a little to harsh in words that may not be our best representation. Maybe a group letter from CP members? that each member could sign.

I have already sent in my comments, and also talked with a friend that works at CPW, this person isn't thrilled with the report letter that ASTROBLEME referred to, but unfortunately these types of letters can really hold some great weight when considerations are made.

Best of luck to us all!

Thanks for the suggestion traddoerr, but actually that's one thing we don't want to do is make a "copy paste" type form letter that many can use. This has been tried by us and many other groups before and what happens is, folks only copy and paste what's presented in the form letter without adding their own words in or adjustments. So basically what happens is, the receiving gov dept will just count the copy pasted "duplicates" (even though they are from different people) and they'll all be counted as only one comment.

So as a better option for everyone, we can discuss topics to include and presentations here in the forum and then everyone (including those who aren't word wizards) have something constructive to use when writing their own letters/comments.
Make sense?

Glad you're an active citizen as well...... We need a lot more of us to be!

Makes perfect sense, but there is a letter format that the NRA and some of our bowhunting orgs. use. Everyone who signs has to be a registered voter in the state that the letter is addressing, then every signature is counted as an individual. I'll contact the CBA to see what type of letter this is and how to draft it for everyone here to use. I know this type of letters works, when we were at the state capital for a bill we were against, our comment letter was read that had all our names on, and each name had been read out loud, and counted as 81 individual comments with the same point of view. It's kind of a petition letter.

The Roundtables seem pretty insistent that the forms they provide at the meetings and on the web are the ones they will consider. I wouldn't risk having my concerns dismissed due to not using the proper form.

ASTROBLEME

Right traddoerr, you said it, even though all 81 names were read, “81 people had the same point of view” in their eyes and were then addressed/replied to (in public format) once as 1 opinion submitted.
So rather than 81 different opinions of multiple topics being addressed/replied to separately, all 81 of you were replied to at the same time with one public reply to the “form letters topic or topics”.

That’s exactly the difference between going for numbers and “conveniently” offering comments to copy and paste in the name of a cause to raise money.
I’m referring to the citizens personal knowledge and participation here and their personal opinions depending on their perception, involvement etc. Without their individual knowledge and understanding of the topic, what can they do as a citizen individually? Signing petition letters is fine but out of 81 signers, how many realistically understood what they signed? Granted some may understand well but those that just signed and have no understanding also go to the field and pass their un-understood rumors about…..causing further confusions and perpetuating the very problems the government is trying to address.

Understandably many groups and orgs see the need for the numbers/$$ count via convenient form letters to raise bucks for their causes in lue of education for their agendas, but if you take that raising funds for the cause factor out (like we do at Colorado Prospector website) then it becomes just citizens info for their successful participation. How, when and or why each citizen chooses to participate must always be their choice as they understand and have confidence to participate. We aren’t looking for the highest numbers to count…..rather the most knowledgeable participation for positive outcomes from as many educated citizens as possible!

Stick with the forms the roundtable prefers like Astrobleme said too everyone, you don’t want your opinions dismissed over un-approved forms of letters used either. Good point!

After going back to the website, it says they will only accept the forms provided. Thank for the information ASTROBLEME! I hope everyone that visits this site and others gets in their voice on this issue.

Very good point Dan!!!

Thanks Russ!



For anyone interested, you can find more information/details about Colorado's water plan in total and for each of the separate water basins stats data, concerns etc. on this page.
http://www.coloradowaterplan.com/

According to the timeline shown on that site, we've still got time to discuss and formulate topics for submissions everyone.

If you would like to see comments that other groups, agencies and individuals have submitted, here is a link to the official records that have been collected...

Record of Input Received to Date

to make your comment be counted and to help the cause, in your handwritten / typed are the best . and your comment needs to include(atleast 1 ) a point of law in the comment! this ensures that your comment wont be filed in the TC as most of them are from these cut and paste comments. once its in with the point of law, it has to be included / addressed in the court case.

also, rather than load up 1 comment with several points of law, youd be better off writing several comments with a point of law in each of them!