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<br />Where scientists have attempted to establish quantifiable objectives for recovery, they have tended <br />to underestimate recovery criteria. Tear et al. (1995) concluded that recovery plans were <br />managing towards extinction rather than away from it. Approximately 77% of the plans they <br />reviewed established objectives so low that the target species would never recover. About 33% <br />of the recovery plans had objectives set at or below the population size existing at the time the <br />plan was written. Their recommendations to improve the recovery process included: 1) establish <br />biological objectives for long-term recovery based on population size (including genetic <br />considerations), number of populations, and probabilities of persistence over specific time periods; <br />2) provide short-term recovery objectives that incorporate biological, political, social, and <br />economic attributes; 3) establish research priorities for collecting information; 4) use a measure of <br />central tendency for describing population viability information; 5) avoid generalized recovery <br />planning; and 6) place more emphasis on multiple species planning and recovery. All of these <br />recommendations have application to recovery of endangered fish species in Colorado River <br />basin. <br />The purpose here is to outline <br />quantifiable interim management objectives (IMOs) for all <br />Colorado River endangered fish and describe how they were developed. The term "interim" is <br />being used because they will require refinement at regular intervals as new information is <br />obtained. Their achievement is dependent upon a multitude of environmental conditions and <br />management actions. These actions have been outlined and are reviewed annually by the UBRIP <br />in a recovery action plan. The application of IMOs will be primarily within the UBRIP to <br />evaluate progress towards recovery of these endangered fish. In this light, the IMOs will provide <br />a framework for prioritizing short-term actions needed for recovery and guidelines for obtaining <br />the information needed to define quantifiable long-term recovery objectives. <br />1 <br />1 <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />I