Chapter 3: Description of Alternatives

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Chapter 3- Description of the Alternatives (4) Integrated Monitoring and Research Plan (IMRP): As part of the Adaptive Management Plan, a systematic program of monitaring and research will be used to track and evaluate the effects of the activities implemented in the First Increment of the Program on the associated habitats and the response of the target species to those effects. The IMRP is designed to provide information useful in habitat management and evaluation consistent with the overall Adaptive Management approach (see sidebar 3-2, Adaptive Management and Governance Committee Program Document: Attachment 3: Adaptive Management Plan). See also sidebar 3-1, Addressing scientific uncertainty. (5) Water Protection, Tracking, and Accounting: Each State would take steps, as necessary, to provide legal and institutional protections far Program water to and through the Central Platte Habitat Area. Each State's method of regulating, tracking, and accounting for water would be applicable to account for the status of Program-provided water. (6) New Depletions Management: Each State and the Federal Government would develop means to track and offset effects of new and expanded (post-July 1, 1997) water-related activities that would cause depletions to species and annual pulse flow targets at the Central Platte Habitat Area (see chapter 3, "Target Flows"). (7) Water Management: Water developed by a Program would be managed to improve habitat conditions for the target species. The Service has recommended priorities to guide use of water from the McConaughy Environmental Account (EA) and other Program water elements. The Service's EA Manager would coordinate management of this water to improve riverflows with the other water managers participating in the Program, through the Reservoir Coordinating Committee (RCC) and the Environmental Account Committee (EAC) (Governance Committee Program Document: Attachment 5: Water Plan). (8) Land Management: Each action alternative includes acquisition of interest in lands in varying amounts, and management of those lands to approximate the habitat characteristics described in the Governance Committee Program Document: Attachment 4: Land Plan, tables 1 and 2. Two specific tracts of land already owned by Program participating entities have been designated for inclusion in the Governance Committee Alternative, and they are assumed to be part of the other action alternatives as well. % Cottonwood Ranch Habitat: NPPD has acquired a 2,650-acre portion of the Cottonwood Ranch near Elm Creek, Nebraska, that would be managed as part of the Program. % Wyoming Property: The State of Wyoming owns 470 acres along the Platte River, near Kearney, that would be managed as part of the Program. (9) Pallid Sturgeon: Each action alternative includes a process to provide benefits for the pallid sturgeon in the First Increment of the Program (above). (10) Institutional Framework: The action alternatives all require organizational structures to provide oversight and coardinate implementation of a Program. The Governance Committee Program Document proposes that a new Governance Committee would be established to guide implementation of the Program, having the same representation as the Cooperative Agreement Governance Committee. Also proposed is an Executive Director with staff far day-to-day program implementation, a Finance Committee to manage cost-sharing and approval of funds,