Laserfiche WebLink
<br />STATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br />EXECUTIVE CHAMBERS <br /> <br /> <br />136 State Capitol <br />Denver, Colorado 80203-1792 <br />Phone (303) 866-2471 <br /> <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br /> <br />March 4, 2005 <br /> <br />The Honorable Pete V. Domenici, Chairman <br />The Honorable Harry Reid, Ranking Member <br />Energy and Water Development Subcommittee <br />Committee on Appropriations <br />United States Senate <br />127 Dirksen Senate Office Building <br />Washington, D.C. 20510 <br /> <br />Dear Chairman Domenici and Senator Reid: <br /> <br />On behalf of the State of Colorado, I am writing to request your support for the Bureau of <br />Reclamation budget line item entitled "Endangered Species Recovery Implementation <br />Program" for the Upper Colorado Region. This item is for $2,529,000 in the fiscal year 2006 <br />budget and is allocated accordingly: $1,401,000 for construction projects for the Upper <br />Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program; $572,000 for the San Juan River Basin <br />Recovery Implementation Recovery Program; and $556,000 for Fish and Wildlife <br />Management and Development. <br /> <br />The Upper Colorado and San Juan programs promote the recovery of four endangered fish in <br />the Upper Colorado River Basin while providing the Endangered Species Act compliance for <br />continued water diversion and development for over 800 water projects on the two rivers, all <br />without a single lawsuit since the two Programs were instituted in 1988 and 1992 <br />respectively. The State of Colorado has partnered with its sister states Of Utah, Wyoming <br />and New Mexico, as well as Indian tribes, federal agencies, water and power suppliers and <br />environmental interests to make this program work. <br /> <br />The requested appropriation will allow the Upper Colorado Recovery Program to construct <br />fish passage structures on the Green and Colorado Rivers which will expand habitat for the <br />endangered fish above diversion dams already in place. The San Juan Program will use these <br />requested dollars toward providing in stream flows in cooperation with the State of New <br />Mexico, as well as applying dollars to fish ladders, flooded bottom land restoration, <br />propagation facilities, fish stocking and non-native and sport fish management. <br /> <br />The partnership under which these Programs operate is structured through their authorizing <br />legislation, Public Law 106-392, as amended by P.L. 107-375. While authorizing the Federal <br />Government to provide up to $46 million in cost share funds for capital construction projects, <br />the Law also requires $17 million in cost share funds from the states and $17 million to be <br />