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__.._ .._ ... ...._..__.. . .. ? <br />December 22, 2003, the June 14-15, 2004 agreeci upon changes are shown in redline-strikeout <br />format. The fourth attachment includes minutes of the June 14-1 5 negotiating meeting and <br />documents the GC's agreement to (a) fund a series of workshops to address adaptive <br />management concezns identified by the Service in the current version of the the Integrated <br />Monitoring and Research Plan (IMRP), and (b) revise the IlvIlZP to include studies relating to <br />Program and Depletion Plan impacts to the pallid sturgeon, its habitat components, and <br />floodplain connectivity. Results of the study will be used to develop any needed measures to <br />offset impacts to the pallid during the first Program increment. <br />Additional Information for Final EIS/BO <br />As described below, we note that some aspects of the proposed Program have not yet been fully <br />defined and are currently being negotiated between Interior and the States. We understand that <br />the Program proposal will be fully defined prior ta issuance of the final BO based, in part, on <br />iniormation containeu in tne ivationai Fcesearcn Louncii oi fne National AcaClemies <br />pre-publication copy of "Endangered and Threatened Species of the Platte River" dated April <br />2004, information obtained during public review of the draft environmental impact statement <br />(DEIS), and during subsequent deliberations b_y Program participants. The final Program <br />proposal, including the analysis of Depletion Plans, will be addressed in the FEIS and final B0. <br />Depletion Plans and Program Documents <br />The draft EIS analysis was based on the assu;nPti.on tha.t Progrun Depietion Pians would be <br />implemented and would prevent or offset all future depletions to target flows. During <br />preparation of the DEIS the parties began development of additional information concerning the <br />likely water-related effects of the Depletion Plans during the fizst increment of a Program. This <br />information is not yet ripe for analysis in the draft BO but will be available for the FEIS and final <br />BO. Because the language in the Program documents has kept pace with the negotiations and <br />anticipated future analysis; current versions of the Program documents (e,g., the Colorado arid <br />Nebraska Depletion Plans) contain references to future depletions that are not analyzed in the <br />DEIS. Specifically, the Program document (III.E.l.d, pg 14) states that reductions in lower Platte <br />River flows will be <br />addressed as described in the Colorado Depletion Plan. That plan (attachment 5, Section 91H.3) <br />cites depletions associated with 121,000 acre-feet of water supply from new sources of storage <br />development and water re-use. Sucn impacts to the target species and their habitats have not yet <br />been analyzed. The parties have agreed that offserting measures needed to address adverse <br />effects to the pallid sturgeon will be implemented during the first increment. The EIS team will <br />provide this information to the Service after it has been developed for analysis in the FEIS and <br />final BQ. Therefore, we request that effects a;sociated with thc Depletion Plans, that are <br />currently not analyzed in the DEIS and not addressed in the draft BO, be included in the final BO <br />following the parties' deliberations.