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. . . ., . Reducing shortages to the Fish and Wildlife Service's recommended target flows in the central Platte River by about 130,000 to 150,000 acre-feet on an average annual basis, primarily by retiming river flows to improve habitat conditions in the spring, summer, and early fall. (An acre- foot is about 326,000 gallons.) . Leasing or acquiri~g land in the Central Platte Habitat Area from willing sellers and restoring habitat, focusing primarily on restoration of wet meadow areas and areas of wide unvegetated river channel. . Testing the assumption that managing flow in the Central Platte River also improves habitat for the pallid sturgeon in the Lower Platte River. The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program was formulated by the Platte River Governance Committee, which is made up of representatives of the States of Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and water users and environmental groups in the Platte River Basin. When the implementing agreement is signed by the state governors, and Federal authorizing and funding legislation is enacted, the Program will begin. The Federal government will provide half the funding necessary for the Program; the other half will be contributed by the three states through non-Federal funds, water and lands. The estimated total value of these cash and cash-equivalent contributions over the first 13-year increment of the Program is about $317 million. An Executive Director will be hired to guide day-to-day operations of the Program and to supervise staff and contracts. The Governance Committee will contract with a financial management agency to hold and disburse the funds contributed by the Program's partners and a land interest holding agency to hold title to Program lands. The Record of Decision is posted along with other Platte River Recovery Implementation Program documents at http//www.platteriver.org. SPWRAP Holds First Annual Meeting: The South Platte Water Related Activities Program, Inc. (SPWRAP), held its first annual meeting following the South Platte Forum in Longmont, Colorado. SPWRAP is an organization formed to assist the State in meeting its obligations to the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program Agreement.. The first annual meeting was well-attended, and there was a lot in interest in, and questions about, the benefits of joining SPWRAP. For additional information about SPWRAP and the benefits of becoming a member ofSPWRAP, contact Ted Kowalski. Future EAC/RCC Meetings: The Platte River Environmental Account Committee (EAC) and Reservoir Coordinating Committee (RCC) will be holding its fall meeting in Ogallala, Nebraska on November 8, 2006 to discuss operations of the Environmental Account in Lake McConaghy. North Platte Roundtable Presentation: On October 23, Ted Kowalski presented an overview of the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program to the North Platte Roundtable. The North Platte water users expressed their support for the Program and their appreciation for the State's efforts to provide programmatic coverage under the ESA to water users in the North Platte basin. The North Platte water users indicated that they may be interested in joining the South Platte Water Related Activities Program, Inc. ("SPWRAP") and indicated that they would invite Deb Freeman, counsel for SPWRAP, to the next roundtable discussion to provide a description of the benefits of joining SPWRAP. 33