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Program's `first increment' (approximately year 2020), and suitable actions for a <br />subsequent Program increment will be determined at that time. <br />Significance of the Program for project consultations in Colorado <br />With or without the three-state Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, federal- <br />nexus projects in the Platte River basin must undergo Section 7 ESA consultation with <br />the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for actions that may affect federally-listed species, <br />including potential effects of project-related depletions. This requirement under the ESA <br />does not change with implementation of the Platte River Program. <br />However, an important benefit of the Program for individual water-related projects in the <br />South and North Platte River basins of Colorado will be to provide, in most cases, a <br />streamlined process for addressing depletion-related impacts to the target species and <br />whooping crane critical habitat. 3 <br />Prior to implementation of the Program in 2007, interim measures were in place for <br />projects needing to offset the impacts of depletions to the target species until such time as <br />a satisfactory Recovery Program was in effect to address those impacts. Typically, these <br />"interim measures" included annual payments to the National Fish and Wildlife <br />Foundation for management and/or acquisition of land or water to improve habitat <br />conditions. <br />With a Recovery Program now in place, those interim measures are no longer needed, as <br />participation in the Program provides ESA compliance for effects on the target species <br />for all existing and, in most cases, new water-related activities.4 <br />How do I"consult under the Program", and what are my obligations? <br />Because Interior and the three States believe that the cooperative, basin-wide Platte <br />Program will be the most effective means of protecting and restoring habitat for these <br />species, a streamlined consultation process is available for those who agree to be covered <br />by the Program. <br />Streamlined consultation is made possible by the programmatic biological opinion of <br />June 16, 2006, which determined that the Program, including the continuation of existing <br />and certain new water-related activities in the Platte River basin, is not likely to <br />3 Note that programs targeting a specific geographic area and/or involving multiple individual actions of a <br />similar nature commonly can be handled through a single consultation with the Service known as a <br />programmatic consultation. For the sake of simplicity in this document, the term "project" is used, <br />however it should be understood that "programs" also are potentially relevant to this discussion. <br />" The Program document defines "Existing water related activities" to include surface water or <br />hydrologically-connected groundwater activities implemented on or before 7uly 1, 1997. "New water- <br />related activities" include new surface water or hydrologically-connected groundwater activities, including <br />both new projects and expansion of existing projects, which are implemented after July 1, 1997. See page <br />2 of the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program for the complete definitions of these terms. <br />2