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<br />developing the original conceptual plan for recreation rehabilitation at the Park. Those meetings <br />helped identifY issues and concerns to consider. Comments received were incorporated into the <br />five alternatives identified in the final Conceptual Plan. A team preferred alternative (# 5) was <br />identified in the final conceptual plan. <br /> <br />State Parks and Reclamation met in late 1997 to review the conceptual plan and develop a more <br />realistic action based on anticipated funding, the preliminary cultural resources report, and <br />anticipated reservoir fluctuations. The Proposed Action resulted from those meetings. <br /> <br />Also, in late 1997, the environmental assessment core team met to scope issues for the Draft <br />Environmental Assessment. They identified the following major issues: <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Threatened and Endangered Species <br />Cultural Resources <br /> <br />Riparian Areas <br /> <br />The proposed team preferred alternative for the Conceptual Plan was presented to the Southern <br />Ute Tribal Council on November 8. 1994. Approval to proceed with the Conceptual Plan was <br />received at that time. Reclamation and State Parks will present the proposed action for <br />recreational facilities to be constructed on the former tribal lands to the Southern Ute Tribal <br />Council for their review and approval. No construction of recreational facilities on those lands <br />would occur without their approval. <br /> <br />Reclamation consulted with the US Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the recreation <br />rehabilitation of the Park. In 1998, the Service outlined their concerns with the general program <br />at Navajo. Reclamation provided a biological assessment to the US Fish and Wildlife Service <br />for their consideration under the Endangered Species Act. The Service issued their final <br />Biological Opinion on March 13.2000. They concurred with Reclamation that the proposed <br />action may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the federally listed terrestrial species (bald <br />eagle, southwestern willow flycatcher, and Knowlton's cactus) or cause modification of their <br />critical habitat. They then discussed the consequence of water depletion to the endangered fish: <br />The San Juan River Basin RIP (initiated October 1992) was intended to be the reasonable <br />and prudent alternative to avoid jeopardy to endangered fishes by depletions from the San <br />Juan River. <br />. Depletions of 100 acre-feet or less would not limit the provision of flows identified for <br />the recovery of the razorback sucker and Colorado pikeminnow. Thus, such depletions <br />would not be likely to jeopardize the endangered fish species or result in the destruction <br />or adverse modification of their critical habitat. (Biological Opinion of May 21,1999) <br /> <br />Reclamation also consulted with the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) <br />regarding the effect of the proposed action on historic properties. On March 16,2000. <br />Reclamation submitted a copy of the final cultural resources report and a ''No Historic <br />Properties Affected" determination. The SHPO concurred with that determination on March 24, <br />2000. <br /> <br />001311 <br />