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<br />endangered fishes), The Recovery Program <br />would prefer not to hold title to these properties, <br />however, and would seek to convert fee into <br />easement and re-sell the land, This would help <br />to ensure that lands are not taken out of <br />production or off tax roles. If there are instances <br />where lands cannot be sold, the government <br />would make payments in lieu of taxes. <br /> <br />Purchase of easement agreements would entail <br />acquisition of only the rights necessary to <br />provide and protect the habitat. The easement <br />would be perpetual, meaning that the acquired <br />rights would be everlasting. Easements would <br />allow private landowners to retain title to and <br />use their properties for their personal use as long <br />as the rights acquired are not violated. Except <br />during inundation periods, use of the floodplain <br />for purposes that do not adversely affect <br />endangered fishes would be allowed throughout <br />the year. Acquisitions would not include water <br />rights so that existing water rights would not be <br />impacted. As part of the agreement, the <br />floodability of the property would be enhanced, <br />where feasible; measures to control or prevent <br />flooding would not be permitted. In cases where <br />floodability enhancements may increase flood <br />risks to adjacent landowners, the Program would <br />take measures to maintain existing levels of flood <br />protection for adjacent non-participating land <br />owners. The purchase of this form of an <br />easement agreement was preferred by the group. <br />However, it was decided by the group that all the <br />acquisition methods, tools, and approaches <br />should be used (except condemnation), subject <br />to the needs and desires of the landowner, to <br />ensure that all the criteria for evaluating <br />alternatives are met. <br /> <br />Under the proposed action, Reclamation would <br />acquire the easements and subsequently transfer <br />them to the Service. Any habitat enhancements <br />that might be needed would be done by <br />Reclamation under the direction of the Recovery <br />Program and the Service. <br /> <br />II-4 <br /> <br />D. Alternatives Eliminated <br /> <br />Alternative # 2 - Induce Flooding <br /> <br />Induced flooding would provide abundant <br />habitat, except where levees exist. But,there is <br />no doubt that intentional flooding of private <br />lands without the consent of the landowners <br />would be politically unacceptable. This <br />alternative would be very controversial. <br />Previous scoping has shown that it would take <br />too long, if it could be done at all, to persuade <br />landowners to agree to be flooded without <br />considerable compensation. For these and other <br />reasons previously discussed, this alternative has <br />been eliminated from further consideration. <br />