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Home My WebLink About2011 - Natural Resources Advisory Board - Work PlanNatural Resources 215 N. Mason PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80521 970.221-6600 970.224-6177 - fax fcgov.com 2011 Work Plan for Natural Resources Advisory Board City of Fort Collins TO: Mayor and Fort Collins City Council FROM: Liz Pruessner on behalf of the Natural Resources Advisory Board SUBJECT: Natural Resources Advisory Board 2011 Work Plan DATE: November 27, 2010 This memorandum presents the Natural Resources Advisory Board’s (NRAB’s) work plan for the year 2011. General actions that we anticipate will be taken by the NRAB in 2011 include the following: • Reviewing City policies and plans for consistency with the community’s environmental goals and values through regular meetings and subcommittee meetings; • Continue providing feedback to Staff by participating in task forces and special committees to address specific policies, plans or regulations; • Developing recommendations to Council through Board discussion and consensus; • Communicating our recommendations to Council through written memoranda and attendance at Council meetings, hearings, and study sessions; • Coordinating activities with other City Boards and Commissions as needed, such as the Air Quality, Electric, Water, Land Conservation and Stewardship and Transportation Advisory Boards, and with Larimer County’s Environmental Advisory Board; The work plan identifies items and issues that are scheduled or that we anticipate will be considered by the NRAB during the year 2011, either by the full Board or by Board committees. The NRAB closely monitors Council’s six-month planning calendar for upcoming topics on which to provide recommendations. Other relevant issues will be addressed by the Board as they are brought before us by Council or Staff. The work plan informs Council of the board’s future agenda items, and will be relied upon throughout the year by the NRAB for our own planning purposes. To the extent practicable, the timing of our consideration of these items will closely parallel Council’s schedule, as many of the items and issues identified in this work plan are also contained in City Council’s Policy Agenda. Our priority action items are outlined on the following page in the categories of Poudre River Health; Water Resources; Urban Forestry; Community Sustainability; Climate Action Plan; Solid - 2 - Waste/Recycling; Hazardous Waste and Pollution Prevention; Energy Policy and Renewable Energy; Transportation Planning; and Local Agriculture. We look forward to a productive year of volunteer service to Council, the citizens of Fort Collins, and the environment. As always, please feel free to contact us with any comments or questions regarding our work plan for 2011. Sincerely, Liz Pruessner, Chair Natural Resources Advisory Board cc: Darin Atteberry, City Manager John Stokes, Director, Natural Resources Department David Roy, City Council Liaison to the NRAB - 3 - The NRAB has identified the following issues to be of specific interest over the next year: 1) Health of the Poudre River We will continue to review and comment on policies affecting water quality protection with a particular emphasis on the Poudre River as well as the entire river ecosystem. We plan to set up a subcommittee to prioritize and pursue the following items: - Scoping a voluntary insteam flow “check off” for utility bills. Several communities around the west have been exploring similar options to develop or enhance instream flow programs for their local rivers with varying degrees of success. NRAB will explore the alternatives that have been used, assess their degree of "fit" for our current social and institutional setting, design a voluntary program that could work here, and as appropriate make a recommendation to City Council. - Scoping options for using agricultural rental water to help satisfy instream flow objectives. In all but the driest years, Fort Collins leases a large portion of its water portfolio to farmers, mostly in the North Poudre Irrigation District upstream of the city. Though there may be several legal and institutional hurdles, the City could choose to lease a portion of this water to downstream agricultural or other interests, supplementing minimum instream flows on the Poudre through our community. The NRAB can assess the trade-offs involved, with their potentially competing goals, and make a recommendation to City Council. - Identify a “Poudre River Champion” within the City government structure. Because each City department has their own relatively narrow mandate, there is no comprehensive and passionate leadership for the Poudre as a whole. The NRAB can explore the roles of the various departments and perhaps identify one that can assert responsibility, really take ownership and implement actions to achieve the overarching goals of protecting the river. - Monitor health of fisheries. - Consider operations for enlarged upstream reservoirs as they relate to improved ecological management of instream flows. - Monitor the health of flora and fauna in the Poudre River corridor. - Weed management in the Poudre River corridor. - Biodiversity in the Poudre River corridor and issues with Wildlife/human conflicts. 2) Water Resources The NRAB will also focus on other water resources issues including: storm water runoff, impacts of development on runoff quality and raw water supplies, and monitoring and reporting of water quality in Fossil Creek, Spring Creek, and the Poudre River. NRAB will continue to monitor and coordinate with staff and other boards' review of water related - 4 - projects and issues; e.g., NISP/Glade, City of Fort Collins Water Conservation Plan, Halligan/Seaman Reservoir Expansion/Improvements, Flaming Gorge Reservoir (Wyoming) to Colorado diversions, etc. NRAB also will provide comment and recommendations on the issue of emerging contaminants in our waterways such as: pharmaceuticals, antibiotic resistant genes, hormones and hormone mimicking pollution from waste water. 3) Urban Forestry NRAB will get updates from the City forester and follow the health of our urban community forest, tracking issues such as infestation by bark beetle and emerald ash borer. 4) Community Sustainability NRAB will maintain a focus on community sustainability and monitor progress on the sustainability indicators included in Plan Ft. Collins. 5) Climate Action Plan NRAB will continue to urge progress on implementation of the Climate Action Plan and assist with current budgeted efforts such as the Community Climate Challenge, energy efficiency programs and Climate Wise enhancements. 6) Solid Waste Reduction /Recycling Work to assist the City in achieving the goal of reducing solid waste into the landfill including the on-going efforts to significantly increase recycling. We will focus on enhanced commercial recycling opportunities (e.g., in bars, liquor stores, gas stations and apartment complexes) and residential yardwaste. 7) Hazardous Waste and Pollution Prevention Review and comment on: hazardous waste, toxic substances, pollution prevention and remediation programs; and community outreach and education. 8) Energy Policy/Renewable Energy NRAB will review and comment on renewable energy issues, use of green energy funds, green job growth, energy efficiency and conservation, FortZed, Smart Grid implementation and energy efficient development, possible conversion of the Rawhide Power Plant from coal to gas, etc. 9) Transportation Explore, review and comment on regional and local issues affecting transportation planning; efficient transportation modes such as bicycle, Transfort, and the Mason Street Corridor. Participate in public discussions regarding environmental impacts of regional transportation projects, including I-25, Carpenter Road/SH 392, the Transit Strategic Plan, and other transportation projects that arise. 10) Local agriculture Explore issues and ideas in the local agriculture movement