Laserfiche WebLink
On June 7. 1995, President Clinton signed Executive Order 12962 relating to <br />recreational fisheries. The executive order states that "Federal agencies <br />shall, to the extent permitted by law and where practicable. and in <br />cooperation with States and Tribes, improve the quantity. function. <br />sustainable productivity, and distribution of U.S. aquatic resources for <br />increased recreational fishing opportunities...". It further states that <br />Federal agencies will work to identify and minimize conflicts between <br />recreational fisheries and the Endangered Species Act. <br />To this end, the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries <br />Service issued a joint draft policy December 13. 1995, for conserving species <br />listed under the Endangered Species Act while providing and enhancing <br />recreational fisheries opportunities. This draft policy discusses the decline <br />in aquatic species and their habitats and the socio- and economic benefits of <br />recreational fisheries. This policy stressed the importance of an ecosystem <br />approach to management that recognizes multiple use of aquatic systems. The <br />policy outlined several elements with respect to implementation of the <br />Endangered Species Act that include: 1) increase efforts to work <br />cooperatively with effected stakeholders, 2) encourage greater participation <br />of stakeholders in implementation of recovery plans, and 3) provide more <br />information to the public regarding the relationship between conservation and <br />recovery of listed species and recreational fisheries. <br />On November 29, 1995, Colorado Governor Roy Romer and Secretary of the <br />Interior Bruce Babbitt signed a Memorandum of Agreement to "facilitate and <br />promote collaboration and cooperation in managing and conserving fish and <br />wildlife species and habitat within Colorado in a manner that is consistent <br />with the present direction of Colorado's Smart Growth Initiative as well as <br />state and federal laws." One of the primary elements of this agreement was to <br />facilitate collaborative development of conservation plans to address risks to <br />species and their habitats so that mandatory measures required by law would <br />not be invoked. The agreement also reiterated the Department of Interiors <br />commitment to "promptly recover and de-list threatened and endangered <br />species." It further states that the State and Department of Interior will <br />work together to define recovery objectives and to seek down-listing or <br />de-listing soon after those recovery objectives are met. <br />III. DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES <br />This assessment examines a no action alternative and five action alternatives. <br />A preferred alternative will be selected by the examination within this <br />assessment and comments received during public and scientific review. <br />Alternatives "no action" and number 4 are less restrictive than the Interim <br />Stocking Procedures of October 1994. Alternatives 2 and 3 are more <br />restrictive. Alternative 5 is very similar to the interim procedures and the <br />procedures discussed at the public meetings in December, 1995. Alternative 1 <br />requires case-by-case review for waters below the 100-year floodplain boundary <br />prior to stocking. The case-by-case review process is detailed in Appendix B <br />and summarized in Figure 2. These alternatives represent a range of options. <br />6