WSP11129

• File Number: 8460.400
• Description: Platte River Basin-Platte River Basin Endangered Species Issues-Platte River Management Joint Study
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 6/26/1992
• Title: Report for Tasks 4 and 5
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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The availability of habitat probably will be opportunistic and
acquisition must be acted upon in any block or segment. A habitat
conservation contribution will be directed to a certain species depending
upon the stage of completion of a given habitat complex. If all the
necessary wet meadow has been conserved in a bridge segment then a wet
meadow contribution will apply to another bridge segment. However,
habitat protection will be influenced by several factors, most notably the
availability of willing seller and the proximity of potential PRMJS habitat
to existing habitat. The effort needed to restore a tract of land to habitat
meeting PRM.TS criteria is also an important consideration.

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Because several agencies and organizations are acquiring habitat,
there will need to be a process to track the acquisitions. A review board,
sanctioned by the PRMJS, should be established to monitor the progress
of acquisition and to ensure that PRMJS habitat acquisition goals are
being met. Just as the PRMJS is currently spearheading the
accomplishment of various Platte River management tasks, the PRMJS
could also function to facilitate and guide agreed-upon habitat
conservation endeavors.

Let's assume that someone or some entity wants to restore 160 acres
of PRM,JS species habitat. That contribution should target a habitat
complex in the process of being completed within one of the blocks or
segments. For example, if wetland meadow acquisition/restoration in a
given bridge segment was lacking 160 acres and the 160 acres were
available, and a donor ready, then one should pursue the acquisition of
that 160 acres before moving onto another bridge segment. What if 160
acres of wetland meadows and 160 acres of river channel were lacking?
Where would the 160-acre contribution go? The decision would be based
on varying circumstances but generally speaking contributions would
alternate among the habitats. If the last contribution was for wetland
meadow then the next contribution would fall to channel habitat, etc.

Land may be donated or there may arise some other unique
opportunity to capitalize upon. It is difficult to list all of the hypothetical
situations that may arise over the many years or decades during which
the habitat conservation will be carried out. However, the experience of

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