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Meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month (unless otherwise noted) in the City Council Chambers, second floor, 135 North Animas, Trinidad, CO. Meeting Dates & Times 2017 January 5th, 7:00 p.m. February 2nd, 7:00 p.m. March 2nd, 7:00 p.m. TIME CHANGE BELOW April 6th, 7:30 p.m. May 4th, 7:30 p.m. June 1st, 7:30 p.m. July 6th, 7:30 p.m. August 3rd, 7:30 p.m. September 7th, 7:30 p.m. October 5th, 7:30 p.m. TIME CHANGE BELOW November 2nd, 7:00 p.m. December 7th, 7:00 p.m. |
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| Inter-basin Compact Commission: Round table Meetings All meetings are open and the public is encouraged to attend. Please check their website @ ibcc.state.co.us for current meeting information, minutes of past meetings and roundtable information. |
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| Colorado Water Conservation Board |
| Upcoming meeting information: cwcw.state.co.us |
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| INVASIVE TREES Three species of non-native trees are of concern in the Arkansas River valley because of their effect on native habitat. Tamarisk: Native to central Asia and Africa, tamarisk, also known as salt cedars, are shrubs or small trees that grow in thickets imported to North America as ornamental shrubs in the 1800s. Some varieties reach up to 50 feet high. One tree can use up to 200 gallons of water per day, and produce up to 2.5 million seeds. They are exceptionally resistant to drought and fire and choke out native vegetation. Controlled by combination of chemical, biological and mechanical methods. Siberian elm: Native to China, eastern Siberia and Korea, the Siberian elm produces thousands of seeds that quickly germinate, particularly in disturbed areas. The fast-growing tree was brought into the United States in the 1860s, and has spread to most states. It can reach 50-70 feet in height. It grows well in dry conditions and quickly displaces native trees. Can be controlled chemically, manually and by burning seeds. Russian olive: Native to southeastern Europe and western Asia, Russian olives are small thorny trees that out compete native species. It first came to the country as an ornamental, then escaped to the wild. It was formerly recommended for windbreaks. The tree thrives in poor soil. While offering some food and habitat for wildlife, Russian olive is less suitable than native plants. Mowing and removing dead vegetation may be the most effective control. Source: Plant Conservation Alliance, Bureau of Land Management, http://www.nps.gov/plants/ |
| Federal Legislation: It’s official – after 4 years of hard work by the House and Senate; the Salt Cedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act was signed by the President on October 11, 2006 and is now law. It is referenced as HR2720 or Public Law 109-320 and can be viewed at the Library of Congress website. Many, many people were involved to make this law a reality – special thanks to the two sponsors, Representative Steve Pearce and Senator Pete Domenici. The principle components of the Act include: Authorization to fund $80 million for large-scale demonstrations and associated research over a five year period Assessment of the tamarisk and Russian olive problem during the first year Assessment of bio-mass reduction and utilization Demonstration projects for control and revegetation which will serve as research platforms to assess restoration effectiveness, water savings, wildfire potential, wildlife habitat, biomass removal, and economics of restoration Project funding would be 75% federal and 25% local with up to $7,000,000 per project for the federal share Development of long-term management and funding strategies Interior will be the lead and work with USDA through a memorandum of understanding to administer the Act. The next step, for which we are providing technical support, is the inclusion of appropriations to fully fund the Act. |