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, . . ~". United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Arizona Ecological Services Field Office 2321 W. Royal Palm Road, Suite 103 Phoenix, Arizona 85021-4951 In Reply Re," To: (602) 640-2720 Fax (602) 640-2730 us. nSH6WILDUI'1!: SEIlVICE AESO/SE 2-21-93-F-167 April 3, 1997 ~ MEMORANDUM TO: Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation, Salt Lake City, Utah (Attn: C. Karas) FROM: Field Supervisor SUBJECT: Review of Sufficient Progress in Implementation of the Elements of the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative from the December 21, 1994, Biological Opinion on the Operations of Glen Canyon Dam This is in response to your November 27, 1996, and subsequent March 13, 1997, letters to the Fish and Wildlife Service which concluded that the Bureau of Reclamation has made sufficient progress on the implementation of the December 1994 Biological Opinion. Your November 27 letter also asked for our written view of this conclusion. The Biological Opinion requested an annual meeting to coordinate reasonable and prudent alternative activities. One of the goals of the meetings was to provide the Service an opportunity to detennine whether sufficient progress is being made in accomplishing activities set forth to remove jeopardy to the listed species impacted by the operation of Glen Canyon Dam. An evaluation of sufficient progress is difficult to measure and subjective without established milestones or a schedule. Although varying amounts of progress towards completion of the elements of the reasonable and prudent alternatives have occurred, the Service is pleased with the direction of the implementation. We address each element of the reasonable and prudent alternative as described in your letter. We respectfully offer the descriptions of lack of sufficient progress in certain elements as a means to re-focus activities for the next year. 1- Adaptive Management Program The Record of Decision on the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Statement was signed on October 9, 1996. The signing of the ROD fonnally adopted the preferred alternative including the Adaptive Management Program. The Adaptive Management Plan includes an Adaptive Management Work Group to facilitate the AMP, The Charter which establishes a Federal Advisory Committee for the Adaptive Management Work Group was signed by the Secretary of the Interior on January 15, 1997. These time consuming steps were necessary procedures for the implementation of the Adaptive Management Program. The Service is pleased that the process is continuing and looks forward to participation in the Adaptive Management Work Group.