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?.-? ?? ? ???,?.W? •?? Q? I? ? <br />?j.? <br />`?V'?.lrl? ?eli?-? • ?'?°_':, ...., `? ? ? ??I IYf? , <br />? ?ED ? o G ?` I <br />d ZOQO <br />Cnloraao W8tgr I ?( <br />conservatian Board V <br />MEMORANDUM <br />'? <br />To: Greg Walcher, Executive Director, Department of Natural Resources <br />Don Ament, Commissioner of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture <br />Howard Propst, Governor's Appointee <br />From: Kent Holsinger, Assistant Director, Department of Natural Resources <br />Rick Brown, Platte River Coordinator, <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />Date: June 24, 2000 <br />Subject: Important Issues Regarding the Platte River Cooperative Agreement <br />This memorandum is a follow up to your discussion with Dan McAuliffe during the <br />"transition meeting" held on 7une 21P. The Platte River Cooperative Agreement (CA) <br />negotiations over the last three years have resulted in significant progress toward the <br />development of a"Proposed Program". There are a myriad of issues and a significant <br />amount of work that still needs to be completed. We will not attempt to summarize all of <br />these issues but will focus on what we believe to be the most critical for your immediate <br />consideration. <br />Backjzround <br />The CA was signed in 7uly 1997 with a term of three yeazs and an option to extend for six <br />months without a formal amendment. The CA has been extended and will end 7anuary 2001. <br />The CA includes a number tasks and milestones that upon completion can become a <br />"Proposed Program". The "Proposed Program" will then undergo National Environmental <br />Policy Act (NEPA) evaluation [i.e., a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement <br />(PEIS)], and after consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), serve as the <br />Reasonable and Prudent Alternative to offset past and future water related activities within <br />the Platte River Basin. It has certainly been Colorado's hope and expectation that the <br />"Proposed Program" will be selected as the Prefened Alternative. However, there is no <br />guarantee that the "Proposed Program" will be selected as the Prefened Alternative under the <br />NEPA process. <br />The draft PEIS is currently scheduled for completion in August 2000. Colorado has received <br />preliminary cursory information on several alternatives that will be compared against the <br />"Proposed Program". These alternatives include various combinations of more or less water <br />andlor more or less land in comparison to the "Proposed Program". Of particular concern is <br />the possibility that the Preferred Alternative may alter the means by which Program water is <br />provided.