Colorado Parks and Wildlife Acquisition Selection for the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Protection Program
State Wildlife Action Plan and CPW s Strategic Plan: *Conserve wildlife and habitat to ensure healthy sustainable populations and ecosystems *Build collaborative conservation partnerships that enhance the capacity to deliver CPW s mission
CWHPP Funding
33-1-105.5: Wildlife RFP Directive before the commission purchases any fee title interest in real property it shall solicit bid proposals from all interested parties through the issuance of a request for proposals.
CWHPP funds Acquisition of: Conservation Easements Public Access Easements Fee Title
Application is 18 pages long before being filled out *Conservation Values / Habitat Types / Species to be protected *How support local, state, regional, and federal plans for conservation? How benefit the public? *Threat if not conserved now / scale of impact *Reserved rights (building improvements, minerals, etc.) *Finances/Leverage Appraised value / amount requested / Partners *Maps, Photos, Budget Form, Letters of Support. *Transactional documentation: title commitment & exceptions, appraisal, water decrees, etc.
Start CWHPP Application Statistics Takes about 7 months Finish With ALL supporting documentation required, applications are generally ~100 pages long. Nearly 100 people review every single Application: Leadership Team Real Estate Staff PWC CPW Field Staff GOCO Habitat Stamp Committee
Will the project: *Protect Big Game Habitat? *Protect Riparian Wetland Habitat? *Secure Hunting or Fishing Access? *Connect other conserved lands? (Other Scoring Considerations) *Have Strategic Conservation Impact?
Clip from Scoring Matrix for HSC Portion of HSC Matrix Main Criteria Sub- Criteria
A step by step overview of the scoring of South Hale River Ranch with Patt Dorsey 2016 RFP: Tier I Project Hale River South (Patt Dorsey)
Who? Area Rankings: DWMs, Area Aquatic, Area Terrestrial Biologists Regional Rankings: AWMs, Senior Aquatic & Terrestrial Biologists Habitat Stamp Committee Leadership Team Rankings LT Parks & Wildlife Commission
Strategic Conservation Priority Project Impact Connectivity Fragmentation Condition Urgency Proximity to SWA, SHA
Big Game Big Game Species Richness Importance Winter Range Migration Corridor
Riparian and Wetland Habitats Habitat for priority waterfowl species Habitat for wetlanddependent non-game
Public Hunting Access Public Hunting Opportunity Harvest Potential Accessible Access
Public Fishing Lake or Stream Acreage Fishery Quality Public Fishing Opportunity
Other Other Conservation Plans Special Status Species Leverage Sustainability/ Diversity Partnership/ Catalyst
Adverse Considerations Fee Title Known Impediments Impractical Outside CPW mission Incomplete proposal
Capital Development Committee Wildlife CRS 33-1-105: In the event that the commission plans to acquire the fee title to any real property or to acquire an easement. after the commission has approved the transaction but before it has completed the transaction, the commission shall submit a report to the capital development committee. Parks CRS 33-10-107: In the event that the commission plans to acquire the fee title to any real property or to acquire an easement after the commission has approved the transaction but before it has completed the transaction, the commission shall submit a report to the capital development committee. Different criteria for Parks/Wildlife but same general direction
Wildlife Habitat Stamp 33-4-102.7. (1) The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that: (4)(c) Real property interest acquisitions made by the commission pursuant to this section shall emphasize the acquisition of easements and ensure that all other avenues are pursued prior to fee simple acquisition.
COLORADO WILDLIFE COMMISSION POLICY Title: LAND AND WATER ACQUISITION, OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT (O&M), AND DISPOSAL AUTHORITY The Colorado Wildlife Commission will use acquisitions of lands or waters as is necessary, suitable and proper to provide for long-term protection, conservation and enjoyment of the wildlife resource of the state 2. All acquisitions will consider the lowest level of control required to meet the resource objective. The use of conservation easements, access easements or leases is preferred to fee title acquisition, if the wildlife conservation and/or wildlife-related recreational purposes can be accomplished without buying a property in fee. The Wildlife Commission recognizes in some cases these methods may not be suitable or acceptable to achieve the wildlife objective. The Commission also recognizes that maintaining wildlife-compatible agriculture on the landscape is an important benefit that can be derived from appropriately crafted forms of acquisition.
Language from RFP Application Fee Title to CPW Fee title purchases will be considered in very limited circumstances where conservation easements or public access easements are not possible and where the property contains exceptional habitat or recreational values. Fee title purchases are considered primarily for properties that are within or adjacent to State Wildlife Areas (SWA), where the purchase is a strategic priority, and where the purchase would enhance management of an SWA. All reasonable options in lieu of fee title purchases will be pursued per CPW Policy and Title 33-4-102.7 C.R.S.
RFP Program History 2006 2016 Total RFP Acres by Transaction Type: 5% 30% Fee Title 65% Access (Term & Perpetual) Conservation Easement
Number of Projects:
CWHPP 10 YEAR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Since 2006, CWHPP Funds Invested: ~$138,000,000 >100 projects
Since 2006, Acres Protected: ~250,000
Acres of public access: ~117,000
What does that average? ~$552/acre For all CEs, AEs, Fee Title, Water Rights
Moving Forward What will be protected: *Pristine big game habitat, *Habitat for species of concern, *Winter range & migration corridors, *Public access to hunters & fishers, *Irrigated meadows for agriculture (water rights), *Connectivity to BLM lands, *Scenic views for Colorado and Wyoming residents alike
QUESTIONS? {