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1 1 1 Colorado River Fish apd- Wildlife Council kcA c, APPENDIX F I am writing to inform you that the Colorado River Fish and Wildlife Council (CRFWC), at their January 1998 meeting in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, endorsed the proposal to provide statutory authority for federal agencies to undertake capital projects under the Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin and the San Juan River Recovery Implementation Program (Recovery Programs). The legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Wayne Allard and in the House by Scott McInnis, who are both Republicans from Colorado. The Senate Bill is S1749 and the House Bill is H.R. 3669. The CRFWC is composed of upper and lower basin state wildlife agencies. It exists to coordinate fish and wildlife management activities in the Colorado River Basin. These activities typically allow water development projects to proceed while states, water users, environmental groups and Indian tribes work with federal agencies to recover four Colorado River endangered fish species. Since 1988, these programs have successfully received Congressional appropriations. However, as necessary capital construction projects are finally underway, the amount of funding required is increasing. As a result, program participants want clear statutory authority to help ensure that needed funds will continue to be requested by the Department of the Interior and appropriated by Congress. The success of these recovery programs will depend upon annual funding and implementation of recovery action plans, which in turn, will help avoid federal Endangered Species Act confrontations. Therefore, officials from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are supporting the legislation which contains the following provisions: • Provides clear statutory authority for the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to undertake capital projects necessary to recover the four endangered fish species pursuant to the federal Endangered Species Act; • Requires significant cost-sharing by states, water users and federal power customers; STATE MEMBERSHIP: Arizona Game and Fish Department; California Department of Fish and Game; Colorado Division of Wildlife; Nevada Department of Wildlife; New Mexico Department of Game and Fish; Utah Division of Wildlife Resources; Wyoming Game and Fish Department COOPERATING FEDERAL AGENCIES: Bureau of Indian Affairs; Bureau of Land Management; Bureau of Reclamation; Corps of Engineers; Environmental Protection Agency; Fish and Wildlife Service; Forest Service; National Park Service