Problems with a Two-State Agreement

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water projects in all three states, but just two projects in Colorado: Tamarack I and Tamarack III. In a Water Action Plan designed to provide 130,000 to 150,000 acre feet of benefit at the habitat, Tamarack I(about 10,000 acre feet) and Tamarack III (17,000 AF) would provide about 20°10 of the 136,000 acre feet of water benefit in the three-state water plan. Removing these two projects from the Program, while retaining the remaining projects in Nebraska and Wyoming, would leave two initial water projects (the Environmental Account at Lake McConaughy and the Pathfinder Project in Wyoming) plus a scaled-back Water Action Plan, with a total of about 109,000 acre feet of water benefit measured at the habitat.3 This substantial reduction in the water available to the Proposed Program is unacceptable. Conservation groups and the Department of Interiar have already compromised substantially from the 417,000 acre feet of water that the FWS says is needed to restare and maintain the habitat. To reduce the current Program goal even further, without any assurances that the difference would be met through outside processes covering Colorado projects, would put the species even more at risk. The estimated cost of the three-state version of the Water Action Plan is a range from $37 million to $69 million, and the current Proposed Program budget includes $45 million for the Water Action Plan, plus $17 million for the initial three water projects. Subtracting the estimates for the two Tamarack projects (about $12 million for Tamarack I and III) would result in a total water cost of about $51 million. Mac EA plus Pathfinder (70,000 AF) Water Action Plan (43 KAF) Permitting Subtotal Water Section Proposed Prgm NE/WY Share $ 17 m $ 12 m $45m $38m $ 1m $ lm $63m $51 m Land Action Plan The Land Action Plan in the 3-state CA contemplates the protection and management of 10,000 acres of habitat, including the 2,650 acre Cottonwood Ranch in Nebraska. A commitment for just 60% of that land would result in a 6,000 acre Land Action Plan. Based on the current CA budget, the budget for a 6,000 acre Land Action Plan would be approximately as follows: 10,000 Acres 6,000 Acres Cottonwood $ 5.3 m $ 5.3 m New Acquis. $14.0 m $ 6.4 m M&O $ 6.3m $3.8m Investigation $ 3.6 m $ 3.6 m Taxes $ 1.1 m $ 0.7 m Permit/LAC $ 1.0 m $ 0.6 m 3 These are rough estimates. The projects in the Water Action Plan were assessed at a reconnaissance level so they are estimations, and changing the mix of projects can change the expected yield of other projects because many of them rely on the same sources of water. Draft - June 3 version - Draft