White Paper: Option for Land Protection Component

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White Paper: Options for Managing the Land Protectioa Component of the Pla#te River Recavery Implementation Program 1. Introduction This report presents options for an entity or entities to protect, manage and enhance habitat lands along the Platte River under a basin-wide program involving the federal govemment, ihe three states af Nebraska, Colorada and Wyoming, and basin stakehoiders. These options are designed to meet the habitat land protection objectives of the proposed Platte River Recovery Implementatinn Program (Program) put forward in the 1997 Coaperative Agreement signed by the Secretary of the Interiar and the govemors ofthe three basin states. The proposed Program calls for protecting, managing and enhancing habitat land in Nebraska along an 80-mile stretch of the Platte River to benefit three endangered or threatened species. Ten thousand acres of habitat land are projected to become part of the Program in the first nine to thirteen years, and 29,000 acres in the long term. To meet the habitat land protection goais of the propased Program, some organization or organizations will be needed to carry out tasks and achieve results. The basic task-implementation arm of the land companent of the Program is broadiy referred ta in this White Paper as the "Land Entity." Three decisions must be made in choosing a Land Entity. First, there must be agreement on where the Land Entiry will fit within the larger Program structure. The Land Entity rnay not, and likely will not, carry out all of the functions that make up land camponent of the Program. Second, when the role and powers of the Land Entity are understoad, it must be decided haw party and stakeholder interests will be represented in the Land Entity and larger structure. Finally, an organization or set of organizatians must be selected or created that can fill the agreed upon role. This White Paper explores the options available to the Govemance Committee, the policy-making arm of the Caoperative Ageement, in making decisions that shape the Land Entity. To put the choices in context, the White Paper first lists the tasks and responsibilities that make up the land camponent of the Pragram, to explore which of them might be assigned to a Land Entity and which should be addressed elsewhere in the Prvgram structure. Second, the report summarizes the constraints vn the state and federal governments, exploring whether there are legal iimits on the responsibilities to be assigned to a Land Entity or the type of organizatian that might be selected as the Land Entity. An appendix addresses legal authorities and limitations in greater detail. Third, the Wliite Paper expiares key pnlicy expectations or needs identified by the states and