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? <br />Endangered Species Recovery Implementation Program <br />(Platte River Recovery Implementation Program) <br />LOCATION: This activity is located in the Platte River Basin in Wyoming, ColQrado, and Nebraska <br />DESCRIPTiON/JiJSTIFICATION: On 7uly l, 1997, the Departrnent of the Interior, and the States of <br />Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska signed a Cooperative Agreement (Agreement) to develop a <br />Federal/State basin-wide Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (Program) for endangered species <br />in the Central Platte River in Nebraska and complete the necessary National Environmental Policy Act <br />analysis. The Agreement addressed recovery of four species: the Whooping Crane, Piping Plover, Least <br />Tem, and Pallid Sturgeon. Under the Agreement, Reclamation received significant and essentiat interim <br />compliance under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for eflntinued operations of the ColoradaBig <br />Thompson and North Platte projects which supply water to Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming irrigators <br />and municipalities. The Flatte River Recovery Implementation Program Agreement (Program Agreement) <br />was signed by the Governors of Golorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming and khe Secretary of the Interior in late <br />2006. The Program, which began January 1, 2007, is ostimated at $317 million, with the Federal shaze <br />being $157 miliian: The Program Agreement stipulates that the Federal government will provide <br />50 percent of the Program contributions, with the States providing at least 54 percent of the contributions <br />(cash and cash-equivalent). tmplementation of the Pragram provides measures to help recover the four <br />endangered or tfireatened species, thereby enabling existing water projects in the Platte River Basin to <br />continue operations, as well as new water projects to be devetoped in compliance with tlte ESA. <br />Legislation (H.R 1462 and S. 752) entroduced in tize 110d' Congress will authorize the Secretary of the <br />In#erior, through the Bureau of Reclamation, and in partnership with the states of Wyoming, Nebraska, and <br />Colorado, other Federal agencies, and other non-Federal entities to participate in the implementation of the <br />Platte River Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Species in the Central and Lower Platte <br />River Basin and to modify RecIamation's Pathfinder Dazn. No federal appropriations ate required to <br />modify the Pathfinder Dam. While awaiting the additional suthorization mentioned above, Program <br />activities are proceeding under P.L. 93-205 with the exception of acquisition of Iands and/or waters and <br />contracting for habitat restoration projects. <br />AUTHORIZATION: P.L. 93-205, Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended; future legislation titled <br />"TITLE i- Platte River Recovery Impfementation Program" and "T'ITLE II - Pathfinder Modification <br />Project." <br />COMPLETION DATA: The first increment of this program is scheduled for completion in FY 2020. <br />PERFORMANCE INFORMATIDN: I`his project is aligned with the following Department of the <br />Interior's .Strategic plan end outcome goal(s): Deliver Water. <br />Creat Plains Region - 30