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1 <br /> <br />The draft should go to the Council secretary sufficiently <br />before January so it can be distributed and reviewed. The <br />secretary should put this item on the agenda in the separate <br />morning Council meeting in January. <br />River Basin Partnerships and UREWS Efforts for Sport Fish j <br />Mr. Gary Edwards, Asst. Director for Fisheries, US ' <br />Fish and Wildlife Service, discussed the Service's <br />activities with regard to the Executive order of 1995, which <br />provided that all Federal Agencies with abilities to <br />increase recreational fisheries, promote compatibility with, <br />and reduce conflicts with, Threatened and Endangered Fishes. <br />He reviewed actions taken which have had a positive affect <br />on sport fisheries; advancements in hatchery uses; increased <br />work in genetics; the main-stream Columbia River <br />Conservation Plan; work to de-list the Apache and Gila <br />Trout; improve fisheries in the San Juan River and Lake <br />Mohave, while addressing recovery of T&E and other sensitive <br />fish. <br />After considerable discussion on this subject the <br />Council asked Mr. Edwards to supply a complete copy of the <br />Eighteen agency report of what they are doing to further the <br />Order. <br />Mr. Edwards then addressed the Council from his point <br /> <br />of view of seeing great value in the CRFWC maintaining their , <br />prestige as a front-runner in Basin-wide management and <br />conservation by becoming the organization to be legally <br />recognized with the authority to represent the Colorado <br />River Basin wildlife agencies in the management, husbandry, <br />and promotion of wildlife and habitat. This may be similar <br />to the Connecticut River Compact, or the Atlantic and the <br />Pacific Fishery Councils. Such legal authority puts the <br />Colorado River Basin in a much better position with regard <br />to funding, opportunities, and administrative authority. He <br />asked the Council to consider putting a committee together <br />to look at the pros-and-cons of such a possibility so that <br />the Council could have a full discussion on the issue. <br />During the discussions that followed it was brought out <br />that the Council had implemented several of the objectives <br />they had set in Scottsdale in 1993 but had not considered <br />looking into a formal, legal formulation of the Council. <br />Under the Wallop-Breaux Act there is provision for annual <br />appropriations for river basin or other compacts ahead of <br />funding apportioned to the State Management agencies. <br />4 1 <br />