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a In response to questions on exactly where this policy document was and what will be done with it, Mr. Fjetland indicated the objective in forming the SFBPC, to involve a "wide" array of stakeholders in addressing the issue of achieving balance in conserving native fishes, was to seek w an agreed-to resolution. Mr. Fjetland offered to take this question back to the regional office and provide the CRFWC with a reply as to how this document(s) will be used given the current political policy situation following the 1994 elections. Council members indicated to Mr. Fjetland that implementation should be based on an agreement between individual states and the FWS on how policies of the FWS and the states will be implemented in the operations of both 4 their offices, this being the only way in which any progress can be made. Further, that any reasonable policies from a policy maker's position in Washington, DC, were very likely not to be followed in regional or field offices of the FWS. That is where the real philosophies and monkeyworks come from. Many biases and thoughts from the field levels are stopping reasonable decisions. Mr. Fjetland indicated that perhaps the problem was in the management 4 level of the FWS and NMFS not providing enough management direction to the field levels and that the Services might need to overcome the lack of resources at that point. The underlying message the CRFWC agreed upon is that the states have had, and continue having, problems with the ESA that seem to almost solely revolve around state support of the Act and they would like to see it as a tool that would allow progressive stewardship of resources, and that a reasonable approach at the biological levels principally based on biology must be maintained by administration. DEVELOPMENT OF A BASIN WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 4 Mr. Tom Moody, Grand Canyon Trust (GCT) provided an overview of the activities of the GCT following their recent agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR). The GCT is a conservation, natural environment advocacy group, which focuses on the natural resources of the Colorado River Basin. The GCT has agreed with the USBR to carry out a two-year study 4 to aid implementation of USBR responsibilities in water management of the basin, and to look into present and future uses of water in the Basin. The study concerns itself with three principle directions of information: discussion among the water user/managers groups and all other stakeholders in water management of the Basin about issues and trends in water management, to come up with ideas/recommendations for the Commissioner USBR and current demographics of the Basin. The GCT is currently working throughout the Basin to identify and gather input from the great number of small groups which have stakes in the Colorado River. Mr. Moody requested the CRFWC become involved in discussions with GCT, not only because of the responsibilities of the CRFWC in state recreation agencies, but of the very large constituency group, that of sport fishing and boating, have in the future of the River. Mr. Moody supplied the CRFWC with a copy of the subject agreement (Appendix Q. The work of identifying and enlisting the many stakeholder groups will culminate in a seminar now programmed for late February 1996, where the groups will work on the issues to work out the theme of the report. The GCT thinks their 4 4 4