7999

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7999
• Author: Colorado River Wildlife Council.
• Title: Minutes, Colorado River Fish & Wildlife Council.
• USFW Year: 1996.
• USFW - Doc Type: April 23-24, 1996.
• Copyright Material: NO

t
land and other valuable consideration. Mr. Gould believed
that mitigation fish cultural stations authorized by Federal
Reclamation Acts, such as the Colorado River Storage Project
Act, would become among the most important of service
responsibilities should large cuts be made in budgets even
' though mitigation priorities are now low.
New Budget
There are three areas of budget increase proposed in
the president's budget (Note Appendix "c").
(1) A considerable increase in activities related to
the Threatened and Endangered Species Act.
1 (2) A $10 million increase for national wildlife
refuges.
(3) A $4.4 million increase for recreational fisheries
as they relate to federal interactions with state wildlife
departments.
t Thinking in FWS on item 3 is that monies will focus on
native fish species but each project would need to have a
recreational fisheries primary objective. The elements of
this increase are: $1 million focused on whirling disease
and its implications to recreational fisheries, and $3.4
million to revitalize recreational fisheries.
1 th
t
o
e
FWS is committed to getting all stakeholders
table at the same time in discussions of whirling disease.
The earliest meetings will probably be in May to find those
1 who have information, funding, and expertise to specifically
deal with this issue. The other funds will be used to find
information on the native fish recreational fishing arena,
and in particular field assistance where specific data in
the management of recreational fisheries may be needed. All
money will be distributed to regional offices which will
determine programs based on a set of criteria developed at
the FWS director level.
A motion was made by Colorado, seconded by Arizona,
that the Council distribute a letter to each Council state's
congressional delegation, supporting the $4.4 million
increase in the Fish & Wildlife Service 1997 budget for
' recreational fisheries. The motion, after discussion, was
carried unanimously. The chairman assigned Colorado and
Arizona to produce a draft letter by the end of the meeting
which would be given to the secretary. The secretary was
requested to produce the letter and distribute to
congressional delegations of the seven states before
congressional budget committees moved beyond discussion of
the interior budget.

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