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NT Op ry <br />Q Fi <br />United States Department of the Interior <br />? <br />? <br />FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ?E?????? <br />?4RCH 3 ?sA? Ecological Services <br />Colorado Field Office <br />P.O. Box 25486, DFC (65412) ??R ? 4 ?Q?7 <br />Denver, Colorado 80225-0486 <br />IN REPLY REFER TO: <br />ES/CO: NPlatte / PRRIP Oolorado wator consewacion Boai-d <br />TAILS: 65412-2007-TA-0396 <br />BO# ES/LK-6-CO-03-F-038 <br />A.PR 2 4 Uu/ <br />Memorandum <br />To: Field Office Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Kremmling, <br />Colorado <br />Attention: Pete McFadden (Acting) <br />From: Field Supervisor, Colorado Ecological Services Office ? <br />U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6 <br />Denver, Colorado <br />Subject: Information for Full Implementation of Existing Biological Opinions under the <br />Platte River Recovery Implementation Program <br />This memorandum provides additional information concerning the Swift Irrigation Ditch <br />Project (BO# ES/LK-6-CO-03-F-038) and my previous memorandum to you dated February <br />8, 2007. The February 8 memorandum identified two items that needed to be provided to the <br />Service by April 16; 2007, in order for the subject biological opinion to rely on the Platte <br />River Recovery Implementation Program (Program) for Endangered Species Act (ESA) <br />compliance. At that time, these were based on the State of Colorado's requirements as part of <br />Colorado's Plan for Future Depletions in the Platte R.iver basin. Subsequent discussion <br />between Colorado and their water users has resulted in procedural changes for water uses <br />occurring in the North Platte River basin within Colorado. <br />Specifically, my February 8 memorandum identified that a signed Platte Recovery Agreement <br />and Certification of Membership in the South Platte Water Related Activities Program, Inc. <br />(SPWRAP), were needed for the applicant to rely on the Program for ESA compliance. It is <br />our understanding that these two items are no longer required by the State of Colorado for <br />water users in the North Platte River basin. Given the differing nature of Colorado's Plan for <br />Future Depletions in the North Platte and South Platte basins and the anticipated effects <br />during the first Program increment, the Service believes that a decision as to whether water <br />users in the North Platte River basin in Colorado must join SPWRAP, and/or sign a Recovery <br />Agreement with the Service, is an internal matter within Colorado and not a decision to be <br />made by the Service.