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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />implementation cost was determined to be approximately $1.2 billion, in 2002 dollars, resulting in <br />a total cost of about $1.7 billion if the full program is implemented. <br /> <br />California MSCP participants are currently reviewing the technical addendum and preparing <br />comments and suggestions for modification of data and information in the second administrative <br />draft MSCP Conservation Plan, which was released in late-January 2002. It is envisioned that the <br />draft Conservation Plan, technical addendum, and materials prepared by various MSCP participants <br />will be utilized in assembling the fina1 draft Conservation Plan, slated for public review and <br />comment in 2003. <br /> <br />In a related effort, several of the California MSCP participating agencies are meeting with <br />Reclamation to ensure that critical planning assumptions utilized in the development of the MSCP <br />are consistent with similar assumptions utilized during the development of environmental <br />documentation associated with the Interim Surplus Guidelines (lGS), the QSA and the Secretarial <br />Implementation Agreement. Toward this end, Reclamation is reviewing all of the technical and <br />biological data and information that was provided to the MSCP Technical Contractors to ensure that <br />all of the assumptions utilized were appropriate and are consistent with those used in the other <br />efforts. Reclamation is planning to produce a technical paper which describes all of the assumptions <br />used in the various compliance documents. This document should be ready in mid-November 2002. <br /> <br />The Steering Committee's Scientific Peer Review Ad Hoc Group has selected Dr. L David <br />Garrett, formerly of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, to empanel a group of <br />, scientific experts to review elements of the latest version of the conservation plan, including the <br />" addendum. As was discussed last month, the Peer Review Panel will be presented with a series of <br />questions or issues to evaluate. These questions may include the following: (I) Have the biological <br />and ecological needs of the MSCP "focus" species been adequately addressed in the conservation <br />plan; (2) Are the biological and ecological assumptions associated with development of the <br />conservation plan appropriate for the Lower Colorado River ecosystem; and (3) Are the conservation <br />measures proposed in the MSCP adequate to off-set the potential impacts related to on-going and <br />future river operations? It is the intent of the Steering Committee to engage the panel in the peer <br />review process this Fall, with a final report due in December 2002. The results of the scientific peer <br />review will be integrated into the [mal draft of the conservation plan. <br /> <br />Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program <br /> <br />The Board recently received a copy of the draft environmental assessment (EA), prepared <br />pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), related to the proposed experimental <br />flow releases from Glen Canyon Dam. Additionally, the EA evaluates the potential impacts related <br />to the mechanical removal of non-native fishes from selected sites within the Glen and Grand <br />Canyon reaches of the Colorado River. Mr. Harris has been participating in a small ad hoc group <br />tasked with evaluating the proposed strategies for selective removal and control of the target non- <br />native fishes. <br /> <br />8 <br />