7281 ‎(2)‎

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7281
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Title: Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Environmental Assessment, November 1987.
• USFW Year: 1987.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver, Colorado.
• Copyright Material: NO

1
Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
FOR
A SECRETARIAL DECISION TO APPROVE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PARTICIPATION
' IN A
RECOVERY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM FOR ENDANGERED FISH SPECIES
IN THE UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN
The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) is requested to approve Department
of the Interior participation in a Federal/State/private Recovery
Implementation Program (program, Proposed Action) for endangered fish species
in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has
prepared the attached programmatic environmental assessment to provide an
analysis and assessment of impacts to the environment from program
implementation.
Based upon the information in the environmental assessment, it has been
determined that a Secretarial decision to approve Department of the Interior
participation in the Recovery Implementation Program does not constitute a
major Federal action having a significant impact on the environment.
Actions that can be meaningfully evaluated at this time do not appear to cause
significant impacts (See Executive Summary, environmental assessment).
Impacts were evaluated using the best available data and assumptions.
In addition, two important observations were made with respect to future
impacts:
1. The greatest potential adverse impacts arise from actions taken to
comply with existing statutory responsibilities. As described in the
environmental assessment, the greatest potential adverse impacts
(electrical generation, recreational boating, coldwater sport fish and
sportfishing) arise from mandatory actions required under the
Endangered Species Act to avert jeopardy to endangered species, and not
from discretionary research and recovery activities proposed under the
program. The Department of the Interior's participation (or non-
participation) in the Recovery Implementation Program will not affect
Section 7 consultation requirements and consequent impacts.
Section 7 consultations are a statutory responsibility of the
Secretary. Both the Cooperative Agreement (Item 7) and the "Recovery
Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper
Colorado River Basin" (Section 3.3) recognize that participation in
this program cannot alter the statutory responsibilities of those who
choose to participate.
r 2. The Secretary's approval of Department of the Interior participation in
the program affects discretionary research and recovery actions.
However, these actions are unlikely to result in significant new