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<br />CHAPTER I <br />PURPOSE AND NEED <br />A. Introduction <br />In 1984, the Upper Colorado River Basin Coordinating Committee (Coordinating <br />Committee) was formed to address the issue of endangered species conservation <br />and water development in the Upper Basin. The Coordinating Committee is <br />composed of representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), <br />Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), and the States of Colorado, Utah, and <br />Wyoming. Water development interests and conservation groups also <br />participated. <br />The Coordinating Committee developed a program to conserve three endangered <br />and one rare fish species. The program, known as the Recovery Implementation <br />Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin," offers <br />constructive measures to preserve these species while permitting new water <br />development to proceed. The Coordinating Committee has presented the program <br />to the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) and the Governors of the States <br />of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming for their consideration and support. <br />The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and its <br />implementing regulations require environmental analysis of proposed actions <br />before decisions are made or actions taken by Federal officials. Accordingly, <br />this programmatic environmental assessment has been prepared to analyze the <br />environmental consequences of implementing the Recovery Implementation <br />Program, should the Secretary approve Department of the Interior <br />participation. <br />This programmatic environmental assessment discloses those impacts that can be <br />meaningfully evaluated. Uncertain actions and issues that would be premature <br />to analyze at this time will be analyzed in future site-specific National <br />Environmental Policy Act documents prior to implementation. <br />B. Purpose of the Action <br />The goal of the Proposed Action is to recover and delist three endangered fish <br />species (Colorado squawfish, humpback chub, and bonytail chub) and manage a <br />rare fish species which is a candidate for listing as endangered (razorback <br />sucker) so it would not need the protection of the Endangered Species Act. <br />This goal is to be accomplished in a manner that allows water development to <br />proceed and does not disrupt State water rights systems, interstate compacts, <br />and court decrees that allocate rights to use Colorado River water among the <br />1 States. The Proposed Action is limited to the Upper Basin (excluding the San <br />Juan subbasin) and proposes an initial timeframe of 15 years to accomplish its <br />goal. <br />I-1