To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Gini Pingenot, Director, Open Spaces Department
Prepared By:
prepared
Josh Garcia, Planner, Open Spaces Department; Dan Payson, Open Spaces Parks and Trails Manager; Gunnar Zollinger, Operations Supervisor, Open Spaces Department; Sam Bahl, Natural Resources & Agricultural Specialist, Open Spaces Department
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presenter
Presenter: Josh Garcia, Planner, Open Spaces Department; Gunnar Zollinger, Operations Supervisor, Open Spaces Department; Sam Bahl, Natural Resources & Agricultural Specialist, Open Spaces Department
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Subject:
title
1:15 PM *Colorado Parks and Wildlife Oil and Gas Compensatory Mitigation Grant Funding for Arapahoe County Open Spaces Shortgrass Prairie Restoration
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
Staff will present this funding opportunity through Colorado Parks and Wildlife and request approval to submit a project proposal for grant funding and if awarded, expend the funds.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Sustainable Growth and Infrastructure - Support environmentally responsible development and energy efficiency in county operations.
Background and Discussion: Funding for the Oil and Gas Compensatory Mitigation Grant program comes from impact fees that Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) collects from oil and gas operators whose projects impact high-priority habitats. In 2020 the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) established new oil and gas regulations to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 19-181. These regulations include "mandatory compensatory mitigation" for new oil and gas developments occurring within CPW identified high priority habitats (HPH). Oil and gas projects may elect to pay a fee to CPW to meet their compensatory mitigation obligations when permitting new oil and gas projects. CPW can then utilize these funds to implement wildlife habitat conservation and restoration projects to offset the adverse impacts associated with...
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