Legacy Fund

PURPOSE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 9509 OF TITLE IX OF PUBLIC LAW 111-11, THE OMNIBUS PUBLIC LAND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2009, WHICH AUTHORIZES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ENTITIES SUCH AS RESOURCES LEGACY FUND (RLF) TO ASSIST IN RESEARCH AS FOLLOWS: SEC. 9509. RESEARCH AGREEMENT AUTHORITY.THE SECRETARY MAY ENTER INTO CONTRACTS, GRANTS, OR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, FOR PERIODS NOT TO EXCEED 5 YEARS, TO CARRY OUT RESEARCH WITHIN THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY WATER COLLABORATIVE ACTION PROGRAM (CAP) IS AN INITIATIVE TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR CALIFORNIAS SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. THE CAP IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT SEEKS TO ALIGN THE OBJECTIVES OF MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING WATER AGENCIES, AGRICULTURAL REPRESENTATIVES, ADVOCATES FOR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL REPRESENTATIVES, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES, TO AGREE ON A COMMON SET OF MUTUALLY AGREEABLE SOLUTIONS TO A MUTUALLY DEFINED SET OF CHALLENGES FACING THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.AFTER INITIAL FORMATION IN 2021, CAP PARTICIPANTS AGREED TO SEPARATE THE WORK INTO TWO PHASES. DURING PHASE 1, PARTICIPANTS DEVELOPED A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE INTERESTS. IN PHASE 2, INITIATED IN JANUARY 2023, CAP PARTICIPANTS COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING NEAR AND LONG-TERM ACTIONS TO ACHIEVE A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT FOR ALL INTERESTS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: OBJECTIVE 1: DEVELOP A VISION, PROBLEM STATEMENT, AND INITIAL SOLUTION SETAGREEMENT ON A SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT VISION FOR THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY INCLUDES AGREEMENT ON THE PROBLEMS THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED, OUTCOMES, AND SOLUTIONS REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THE VISION.FOR THIS OBJECTIVE, CAP MEMBERS WILL REVIEW THE VISION AND COMMON PROBLEM STATEMENTS REGARDING SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY WATER CHALLENGES AND THE INITIAL SOLUTION SET TO RESOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS TOGETHER. THEY WILL BE REVISED BASED ON THE REVIEW OF CAP PARTICIPANTS AND OUTREACH TO AFFECTED COMMUNITIES.OBJECTIVE 2: PROGRAMMATIC AND PROJECT-LEVEL EVALUATION TOOL AND INITIAL SUITE OF PROGRAMMATIC ACTIONS AND ON-THE-GROUND PROJECTSOBJECTIVE 3: ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR AFFECTED COMMUNITIES AND THE PUBLICOBJECTIVE 4: SUMMARY REPORTA SUMMARY REPORT DOCUMENTING THE PROCESS AND OUTCOMES WILL ULTIMATELY BE SUBMITTED TO THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE SENATE AND THE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOT LATER THAN 24 MONTHS AFTER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS MADE AVAILABLE TO RESOURCES LEGACY FUND.DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES:1)A FINAL VERSION OF THE VISION, PROBLEM STATEMENT, AND DESIRED OUTCOMES AND SOLUTION SET2)A FINAL EVALUATION TOOL TO ANALYZE AND EVALUATE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, PROGRAMMATIC REVISIONS, AND PROPOSED PROJECTS IN A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER FRAMEWORK. AN INITIAL SUITE OF RECOMMENDED PROGRAMMATIC ACTIONS AND ON-THE-GROUND PROJECTS TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY3)MATERIALS TO INFORM AND ENGAGE THE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES AND INTERESTED PUBLIC, AND DOCUMENTATION OF THE INPUT RECEIVED. 4)SUMMARY REPORT DOCUMENTING THE PROCESS AND OUTCOMES.BENEFICIARIES: THE PUBLICSUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES (IF KNOWN OR SPECIFIED AT TIME OF AWARD): N A

THE FUNDS WILL BE USED TO PURCHASE PROPERTY (LOT 8, COLORADO MOUNTAIN RANCHES SUBDIVISION, GUNNISON COUNTY, CO) LOCATED IN CRITICAL GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE HABITAT. THE RECIPIENT WILL USE THE FUNDS TO PURCHASE THE PARCEL AND PLACE AN EASEMENT THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONSERVATION OF THE GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE. THE LANDOWNER HAS AGREED TO THE TERMS OF THE SALE TO THE RECIPIENT. THE RECIPIENT WILL COMPLETE THE ACQUISITION AND HOLD TITLE TO THE PROPERTY UNTIL PERMANENT PROTECTIONS ARE ESTABLISHED. THE SERVICE WILL PROVIDE OVERSIGHT OF ACTIVITIES OUTLINED ABOVE AND COORDINATE WITH THE RECIPIENT TO ESTABLISH THE EASEMENT BOUNDARIES. THE ACQUISITION OF THE PROPERTY AND USE OF FUNDS WILL BE COMPLETED BY MARCH 15, 2020.

FUNDS UNDER THIS AWARD ARE TO BE USED TO FORM A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ' COLORADO PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE ('SERVICE') AND THE GUNNISON LEGACY FUNDS INC. ('LEGACY') TO FACILITATE CONSERVATION WORK THAT IS MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL TO THE SERVICE AND THE LEGACY.

GUNNISON BASIN CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP