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Rick Cables, DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES Regional Forester U.S. Forest Service Sally Wisely Colorado Director Bureau of Land Management U. S. Department of the Interior Dear Rick and Sally: I am writing to you, on behalf of the State of Colorado and the Colorado Water Conservation Board, regarding the Draft Land Management Plan ("LMP") that the U.S. Forest Service San Juan Field Office, the San Juan National Forest, and the BLM San Juan Field Office are pursuing. My staff has been meeting regularly with your staffs, and other stakeholders, through the government water roundtable, regarding the planning process that your offices are pursuing wherein you are considering the "suitability" of certain stream segments for Wild and Scenic designation. In December, I wrote to Ms. Wisely about similar processes that the BLM Kremmling and Glenwood Springs field offices are pursuing. I appreciate your quick response and willingness to work with the State to protect the natural resources in the Colorado River basin in a manner that is responsible and appropriate. As you know, some of the stream segments in the San Juan Basin that are under consideration for suitability designation under the Wild and Scenic Act are located in places where that designation could impact the State's ability to fully use its compact entitlements. Nevertheless, the State of Colorado shares a strong desire to protect instream water resources, and to meet associated environmental and recreational needs in a balanced manner. I am encouraged by the dialogue that has been initiated in this basin. However, we are at a critical juncture in the process. It is my understanding that your offices will be proceeding to analyze alternatives for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (`FEIS") within the next month, in order to publish a FEIS by December 2008. In this regard, I believe that meeting planning goals and deadlines are, unfortunately, being favored over the locally driven process that could result in more comprehensive resource protection while allowing the State to protect its ability to fully use its compact entitlements. As we have discussed in the past, Wild and Scenic designation may, or may not, be the optimal management tool, especially considering: 1) reasonably foreseeable potential uses of the land and water; 2) current land ownership and use, and extent to which stream management could be shared with state and local land agencies; 3) state and local governmental ability to manage Outstandingly Remarkable Values ("ORVs") on nonfederal lands; 4) support for or opposition to designation; 5) existing water rights and water management operations in the basin that currently support flow-related ORVs; and