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<br />RECEIVED
<br />MAR 1 2 1998
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<br />Colorado Walfil
<br />Conservation Board
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<br />This fish recovery plan. ".
<br />has much to recommend ':
<br />
<br />'T he U.S, Fish and Wildlife Service has garnered more ,
<br />brickbats than accolades for its efforts to preserve
<br />endangered fish in the rivers bf western Colorado.
<br />Pricey fish ladders of debatable cost.benefit value and argu- '
<br />ably excessive mitigation demands imposed on the Ute:
<br />Water Conservancy District and other water interests have >
<br />,drawn criticism 1i:om this comer and others. .',
<br />In truth, though, the Upper Colorado River Endanger~ .
<br />Fish Recovery Program operated cooperatively by the Fish
<br />and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. state
<br />, wildlife and water officials and area water users has
<br />worked better than many other endangered species recov.
<br />ery efforts 3l"OIUld the COlUltry. In 10 years, numerous small
<br />water.development programs have been allowed to proceed:
<br />with no lawsuits filed, either by water users or
<br />envlromnentalist5.
<br />Now the Fish and Wildlife Service is proposmg a new
<br />effort to improve endangered fish habitat along the Colo-
<br />rado, Gurmison and Green rivers. The agency hopes to pur- -
<br />chase perpetual easements to properties along those rivers, '
<br />whiCh will authori:ze the agency to remove tIood.protection ;
<br />dikes and allow the sort oftIooding that historically created i
<br />, more ponds and wetlands along the river. " "
<br />This program, the agency stressed, is entirely V'oIWltn'y. ,':
<br />No landowner will be forced to sell an easement.
<br />The Fish and Wildlife Service is certain to encolUlter a bit ,
<br />of skepticism, And with good reason. After all, the state- "",
<br />ment, "We're from the government and we're here to help
<br />you," doesn't exactly provoke automatic applause in west. '
<br />ern Colorado or eastern Utah, especially among the ranch. ~
<br />ers and fanners who own much of the land in question. ", t
<br />Moreover. federal officials must find a way to deal w~th a
<br />very reallI1osquito issue. More ponds along the rivers mean ',:,
<br />, more breeding groWlds for moSquitoes, And, as the Red. '"
<br />,lands Mosquito Control Dislrict learned last year, efforts to ";;i
<br />spray for mosquitoes can run afoul of the endangered fISh ."
<br />program,
<br />That said, however, the Fish and Wildlife Service pro- '
<br />posal to acquire flood easements along the three rivers is ' ,
<br />entirely sensible. In contrast to very costly fISh ladders, it is
<br />probably one of the more cost-effective means of assisting
<br />endangered fish in the rivers, particularly the razorback
<br />, sucker by providing additional spawning habitat without
<br />pricey, technological IIXes.
<br />Additionally, the easements will benefit a variety of other
<br />wildlife. Blue herons. ducks and geese, other native fish --"
<br />that aren't endangered as well as mammals such as deer ':
<br />will be aided with the additional wetlands habitat.
<br />Also, the Fish and Wildlife ServiCe says it hopes to work ,j
<br />with state parks and wildlife ofijcials and groups such asl
<br />the Grand JW1ction/Mesa County Riverfront Commission I
<br />to seek other public benefits associated with the easements_
<br />The federal plan for acquiring tIood easements -,-' on a
<br />vollUltn'y basis - is a sensible one that can benefit land.
<br />owners, recreationists and endangered fish. Landowners
<br />and local officials would be well advised to give it serious
<br />consideration.
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