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<br />Colusa District is now responsible for having a bank account of over <br />$4 million dollars to fix the fish screen, and the District's water <br />diversions have been greatly curtailed. In the Columbia Basin, <br />because of the newly listed Chinook and Snake River sockeye salmon, <br />the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District is also facing a <br />significant curtailment of diversion. Studies, however, have shown <br />that because of small proportion of the stream the District is <br />diverting, the maximum increase in mortality of juvenile migrant <br />salmon would only be one-half of one percent. I believe the Section <br />7 Consultation Process must be reformed to recognize other federal <br />authorities and responsibilities, and to provide a single uniform <br />standard to be applied during that process. <br />I believe that a reform of the Endangered Species Act should look <br />to proactive measures to keep species from being listed. In addition, <br />to balance water development and endangered species protection, <br />incentives should be increased for innovative federal, state and local <br />efforts to conserve species through voluntary, cooperative management <br />agreements, and states should be given delisting responsibilities with <br />appropriate federal funds.Some of these positive steps toward species <br />recovery are now being taken in Colorado. A native fish species <br />recovery workshop was sponsored by the Denver Water Department and the <br />Colorado Division of Wildlife in May to resolve issues pertinent to <br />the interrelationship of water development and management of native <br />aquatic wildlife species. The discussions generated the following <br />conclusions: the workshop group should focus on sensitive fish <br />species and propose or develop programs and activities which would <br />help to manage and recover these species, prior to their being listed <br />as federally threatened or endangered. The Division of wildlife was <br />encouraged to accelerate the development of a native species data base <br />and the development of management plans for currently identified <br />species of concern in conjunction with surrounding states. <br />In addition, I would suggest that there be an increased emphasis <br />in the Act on propagation and species population support programs. <br />The Colorado Water Conservation Board, together with a consultant, are <br />just completing a study for an endangered fish hatchery in Colorado. <br />A draft report may be available as early as September. The study <br />group has reviewed all the literature on propagation facilities, <br />developing design criteria, evaluating sites, and examining water <br />quality and supply. I think that this is a very positive step towards <br />balancing development and endangered species protection. <br />I also think there needs to be a new focus on recovery plans in <br />a reformed Endangered Species Act. The recovery planning process must <br />be strengthened by establishing that process as the focus for <br />formulating management policies to implement the Endangered Species <br />Act. The recovery plan provisions of the Act should be consolidated <br />into a separate management section of the Act, which details Plan. <br />requirements separately from the listing of species and the <br />designation of their critical habitat. Recovery plans should fully <br />assess the likelihood of a species recovery and should more fully <br />consider the social-economic impact of the Plan. Recovery plans <br />should evaluate alternatives for species recovery and public hearings <br />should be held in effected counties prior to the selection to a final <br />recovery plan. <br />I would like to comment briefly on the amendment to the <br /> <br />77 <br />