August 2, 2018 E-Newsletter

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Forest Health Meeting, CWC Summer Conference, POND Activities and More View this email in your browser CWC Survey: Water Community Perspectives on Water Policy We are seeking your input to help shape the discussion for the CWC Summer Conference session at 4:00pm on Wednesday entitled Water Community Perspectives on Water Policy: What's Been Working Well, What's Basically a Dumpster Fire, and What Will Be Our Future Opportunities. Specifically, we would like to know what your hot button water policy issues are - what do you think is working well and what do you think needs immediate attention? In about 6 months, a new Colorado executive administration will be in place and a new legislative session will begin. Priorities for water policies may change in ways that are currently difficult to predict. The water community's message needs to be direct, clear, and relevant. From your perspective, where should our advocacy be focused? Please take the following 3 question survey and let us know your thoughts. The survey will be open until 5:00pm on Monday, August 6th. We will summarize the most common issues from your response and session panelists will react to and discuss them. Thank you for taking the time to do the survey! Hot Button Issues We Request Your Attendance What: Open Tent Meeting When: Wednesday, August 22 from 9:00am to 11:30am Where: Vail at the Hotel Talisa Cost: Free! To all Colorado entities working on watershed protection, forest health, and wildfire issues: Forest wildfires pose a continuing threat to Colorado's environment, economy, and water supply. The time has come to take a very serious look at current forest management practices and work to expand programs for watershed protection/forest health. The need is urgent. The longer we remain in the status quo, the greater the risk. Five entities with considerable advocacy experience are exploring the creation of an alliance to increase the level of advocacy for watershed protection and forest health. They are: Club 20 Colorado Ag Water Alliance Colorado Water Congress Colorado Timber Industry Association The Nature Conservancy Why: we believe it is important to accelerate the pace and expand the scale of forest management and restoration. if created, the new alliance would work to: Increase federal, state, local, and private funding sources for forest watershed management Craft policy and legislative reforms to promote improvements for forest restoration activities Advance monitoring and research to improve the state of scientific knowledge about forest health. Many entities are either directly working in the forest on watershed/wildfire issues or advocating for the same. Our intent is to add leverage to these entities and not to compete with them. We plan to collaboratively work with existing entities including: Coalitions and Collaboratives, Inc. Colorado Forest Health Advisory Council Colorado State Forest Service Colorado Watershed Assembly Forests to Faucets U.S. Forest Service Watershed Wildfire Protection Group How: We are at the conceptual stage and have not yet finalized a mission statement or work plan. We believe a small core group representing a diverse range of interests will be nimble, efficient and effective. We seek your input as to how we might act to reinforce your mission. A facilitated listening session will be held in August. Your involvement is critical as we develop a detailed work plan for presentation by mid-October. If created, the alliance would not act as an umbrella group representing, controlling, or coordinating the work of local watershed entities.   Further details will be announced soon. If you need immediate information, please contact Doug Kemper at doug@cowatercongress.org.  2018 CWC Summer Conference The Colorado Water Congress Summer Conference and Membership Meeting takes place annually, in August, for two and a half days at a Colorado resort location. The 2018 summer conference will be in Vail at the Hotel Talisa, starting Wednesday August 22 thru Friday August 24. Registration is open. Hotel reservations for the Hotel Talisa can be made by calling 800-420-2424 or online by clicking on this link: Colorado Water Congress Rooms. Please refer to the CWC 2018 Summer Conference to get the CWC rate. For more information, click on the link below. 2018 Summer Conference Program Descriptions 2018 Summer Conference Registration Hotel Reservations Information Sponsorships Available Exhibitor Information POND Summer Conference Activities Join the CWC POND Committee on Thursday afternoon, August 23rd, at the 2018 Summer Conference in Vail, and connect with fellow attendees. POND's afternoon activities provide opportunities for everybody to make new connections while exploring all that the local community has to offer.  Don't forget to check out the CWC POND Committee Facebook Page! Berry Picker Trail Flyer Tour of Dillon Reservoir Flyer Fly Fishing with Ken Neubecker and American Rivers Flyer Group Mountain Bike Ride Golf at Vail Golf Club Flyer