Chapter 3: Description of Alternatives

• File Number: 8461.100
• Description: Adaptive Management Workgroup ‎(PRRIP)‎
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 1/1/3000
• Author: Unknown
• Title: Chapter 3: Description of Alternatives
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: EIS

Common Program Principles for the Action Alternatives
COMMON PROGRAM PRINCIPLES FOR THE
ACTION ALTERNATIVES
In achieving the Program habitat objectives, each action alternative incorporates the following elements
ar adheres to the following principles that the U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) considers to be
fundamental to implementing a cooperative, Basinwide approach to habitat restoration.'
(1) Willing buyer, willing seller/lessor: No condemnation of land or water rights will occur. The
Program will acquire interests (purchase, lease, easement, or other arrangements) in water and
land only from willing sellers and lessors (Governance Committee Program Document).
(2) Incremental approach: Any Program will be implemented in increments, with only the First
Increment of the Program under review at this time (Governance Committee Program
Document).
(3) Adaptive Management: The effectiveness of the Program will be improved based upon learning
from the initial steps. The initial effects of the Program on the species' habitat and the species'
response to changes in the habitat will be monitared and evaluated. Program goals, hypotheses,
or methods will be adjusted, as appropriate, based on results of monitoring and research and
experience gained in implementing the Program.8 The Governance Committee developed an
Adaptive-Management Plan to guide this process. The Adaptive-Management Plan also contains
initial objectives and plans for the first stages of Program management of some key land and
water elements (Governance Committee Program Document: Attachment 3: Adaptive
Management Plan). (See sidebar 3-2, Adaptive Management.) The Adaptive-Management Plan is
expected to change and adjust during the First Increment as new information is learned.
' Several key aspects of the Governance Committee Alternative have been incorporated into all action altematives, such as
the Depletion Management Plans, institutional arrangements, and cost sharing. While the parties to the Cooperative Agreement
have not agreed that these actions would be taken should an alternative other than the Governance Committee Alternative be
adopted, these elements are induded in all action alternatives to facilitate comparison of impacts.
8 The Program's adaptive management process allows for the Governance Committee to make changes to many aspects of
the Program's activities to adjust to new information, peer review, or experience during the First Increment of the Program. Any
changes must still address the Program's objectives for the First Increment of the Program. Changes to fundamental aspects of
the First Increment of the Program, such as to the Program flow targets, to regulatory certainty affarded by the Program, to the
Program principles of willing seller and payment of taxes, or to signatories' funding obligations, must be agreed to unanimously
by the States and U.S. Department of the Interior.