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<br />3 <br /> <br /> <br />E. establishmem of a governance Structure that will ensure appropriate state <br />government and stakeholder involvement in the completion of NEPA'com.p1iance tasks, <br />in the implementation of research ,and other projects beneficial to the target species and <br />their associated habitats, and in the development of a Program. <br /> <br />ll. RELATIONSHIP OF THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND ANY <br />PROGRAM TO NEBRA.SKA V. WYOMING, AND OnmR MA'rl"l!;KS <br /> <br />A. The signatories to this Cooperative Agreemcm arc also parties to Nebraska v. <br />Wyomin~, No. 108 Original, expected to go to trial during the term of the Cooperative <br />Agreement. Bcan'5e certain matters in that proc-'i1Jg may overlap with issues <br />addressed by the Cooperative Agrccmem and to be addressed by any Program. each <br />signatory reserves the right to reconsider its participation in the Cooperative Agreement <br />and in any proposed Program based upon the outcome of Nebraska v. Wyomill~. <br />/ whether by settlement or decision. Such reconsideration shall, without restriction, <br />include the right to require modification of the respective obligations and undertakings <br />proposed to be assumed by each of the signatories in the Program to equitably account <br />. for the outcome of Nebraska v. Wyominr, and in the absence of an acceptable <br />modffication, the ii.gJn to withdraw from the Cooperative Agreement or from any <br />proposed Program. <br /> <br />. B. .. _ In the event of such'~wal, or if.any signatory withdraws from this <br />Cooperative Agreement for another ri:ason, or if the Cooperative ~mem ~imates <br />and 'a Program is DOt adopted, FWS believes such a situation warrants reiniti~tion ofc' conSultation and will reinitiatc all ESA section 7(a)(2) consultations, referenced in <br />Paragraph vm below, which relied upon the Cooperative Agreement and the pl'o~ <br />Program as a component of tbeir leascmable and prudent altcmatives, and which are <br />subject to reinitiation pursuant to SO C.P.R. I 402.16. <br /> <br />C. Because it is the intent and the commitment of the signatories to this <br />Cooperative Agreement to work cooperatively and in good faith to resolve resource <br />issues relating to threatened and f'md~ngercd species habitats along the Central Platte <br />River in Nebraska, the signatories make the following additional commitments for so <br />long as all signatories remain signatories of this Cooperative Agreement. <br /> <br />1. The signatories agree that the pending trial in Nebraska v Wvomille <br />does not presem the appropriate forum for establishing the specific water flow <br />requirements for threatened and endangered species or their habitat in Nebraska. <br />Those requirements are more appropriately defmed and addressed in this <br />Cooperative Agreement and a Program, both of which the signatories enter into <br />or may enter into voluntarily.' . <br />