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1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY r A. Purpose The Secretary of the Interior is requested to approve Department of the Interior participation in a Recovery Implementation Program for three endangered fish species (Colorado squawfish, humpback chub, bonytail chub) r and one rare fish species (razorback sucker) in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The Recovery Implementation Program (program) was developed by the Upper Colorado River Basin Coordinating Committee, which is comprised of representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and the States of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Water development and conservation interests also participated. The program is intended to avoid a possible major confrontation between water development r and endangered species' instream flow needs. The purpose of this document is to analyze and assess impacts to the human environment from implementing this program. This document is a programmatic (or umbrella) environmental assessment that discloses potential impacts or areas of concern. It will be supplemented by future, site-specific National Environmental Policy Act documents prepared for individual program actions to ensure thorough environmental review. By staging environmental analysis in this manner, meaningful National Environmental Policy Act analysis is assured for the r entire program. B. Alternatives Evaluated in Depth Two alternatives were evaluated in depth: the "No Action" alternative and the Proposed Action. r The "No Action" alternative is to continue current Federal and State efforts to conserve the endangered and rare fishes. It is primarily a protection effort that guards the fishes from extinction, and is not considered sufficient to ensure recovery. Its major components are to: continue Section 7 consultation on proposed water projects and operating Reclamation projects, conduct research on and monitor the fish and their habitat needs (as funds permit), and conduct recovery actions (as funds permit). The Proposed Action is to participate in the Recovery Implementation Program. This program is a cooperative Federal/State/private program that works within the context of State water rights systems to: continue Section 7 consultation, accelerate research efforts, and significantly strengthen and expand recovery and management efforts in order to recover r the endangered fishes and manage the razorback sucker so that it does not require the protection of the Endangered Species Act after a 15-year period. The two alternatives are compared in Tables II-1-A and II-1-B. A complete description of the Proposed Action is available as a separate document entitled "Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin." ES-1 r