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Program Contributions <br />(values in millions of dollars) <br />Contributions Total DOI States Descri tion <br />Cash 187.14 157.14 30.0 Colorado - 24.0; Wyoming 6.0 <br />Cash Equivalents <br />Land 10.0 10.0 Cottonwood Ranch/Deer Creek Lands <br />Water 120.19 120.19 Water from the three initial State <br />projects: Pathfinder Modification, <br />Tamarack Project, Lake McConaughy <br />Environmental Account. <br />Total 317.33 157.14 160.19 <br />How does the Preferred Alternative benefit the target species? <br />The Preferred Alternative improves habitat conditions in the Central Platte Habitat Area <br />(lands along the Platte River from Lexington to Chapman, Nebraska) for the three target <br />bird species (whooping crane, interior least tern, piping plover) by: <br />? Increasing the achievement of Fish and Wildlife Service target flows for the species <br />by roughly 130,000-150,000 acre-feet on an average annual basis, primarily by <br />increasing river flows in the spring, summer, and early fall (see following question <br />for more details). <br />? Leasing or acquiring land habitat in the Central Platte Habitat Area from willing <br />sellers and restoring habitat. Habitat restoration focuses primarily on restoration of <br />wet meadow areas and areas of wide unvegetated river channel. <br />? Habitat restoration methods to be tested and employed include: <br />• improving channel habitat by clearing wooded river islands and lowering <br />island elevations to broaden the flow of water within existing river banks; <br />• moving river sand perched on wooded islands back into the active channel <br />to begin offsetting the ongoing erosion and narrowing of the river channel <br />and to support formation of sandbars: <br />• creating a 2- to 3-day pulse flow each year, within existing channel <br />capacity, to build higher sandbars and scour annual vegetation from the <br />river channel. <br />? Taking measures on Program lands to reduce disturbance of roosting, nesting, or <br />foraging birds. <br />? Implementing an extensive program of research and monitoring of the target species <br />and their habitat, and the response of the species and the river system to Program <br />actions. This includes a focused program of research related to the habitat use and <br />needs of the pallid sturgeon. <br />5