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. . CHAPTER 7. ACTIONS SUPPLEMENTAL TO THE ALP WETL~DS AND WILDLIFE MITIGATION (Non-Mitigation and Non-Required Actions) 7.1 Supplemental Actions in the La Plata River Basin Reclamation may choose to supplement the actions of mitigation in the La Plata River Basin and the affected area of the Animas-La Plata Project. Supplemental actions may include but are not limited to such pursuits as performing land exchanges which better enable the management of properties on the La Plata River by consolidating into a contiguous block. Reclamation may also seek grant funding and cost sharing for weed management, wetlands protection, habitat enhancement and channel restoration on properties proximate to the mitigation program lands. Reclamation has determined that the currently defined mitigation lands (the Huntington Ranch) are sufficient for Reclamation's mitigation requirements. Additional acquisitions or actions are merely supplementary to the mitigation and are in no way required of Reclamation. The consideration of acting on other lands or supporting action on other lands is to merely enhance the region and provide opportunity to Reclamation's neighbors and clients for land and water management improvement, providing proper natural resource trust management as a Bureau of the Department of the Interior. This philosophy is directly supportive of Reclamation's intent to employ 'ecosystem management' approaches to land management in the La Plata Drainage. Reclamation may seek to partner with other federal agencies, state programs, local governments and conservation groups, to include local fanning and ranch organizations and individuals, for the purposes of expanding upon the efforts on the La Plata River drainage for the mutual benefit of all landowners and the general public. 7.2 Wetland Development on Basin Creek. Reclamation may also utilize the infrastructure development in Basin Creek (developed for purposes of dam outlet flow management) to expand and improve the riparian and wetland habitat in the Basin Creek drainage. This also is not a requirement of Reclamation's, but a supplemental action, as Reclamation is already mitigating for possible negative wetland/riparian impacts to the drainage in the MA. By design and management, as well as through the exercising of Reclamation's existing water rights in Ridges Basin, Reclamation may be able to not only repair damages done to the drainage, but be able to enhance the area significantly, perhaps by increasing the wetted period, increasing flows or expanding Basin Creek's zone of influence. Riparian plantings may be part of this option, as well as bank stabilization and other related tasks. -50-