Concerning Our Resources, Ensuring Our Future

Home Browse Search

National Ledger - Conserving Our Resources, Ensuring our Future Page 2 of 4 protect native species and their habitat in a manner consistent with the federal Endangered Species Act. To achieve this balance, the program will create more than 8,1oo acres of riparian, marsh, and backwater habitat and implement additional measures to protect 26 endangered, threatened, and sensitive species along the Colorado River. These conservation measures will ensure that the agencies and entities involved in ongoing and future water and power operations along the lower river comply with the Endangered Species Act. The MSCP covers approximately 400 miles along the Colorado River in the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada. The costs will be spread over 5o years, and split 50/5o between the federal government and the non - federal entities involved in the program. Arizona and Nevada will each bear 25 percent of the non - federal costs and California will bear 50 percent. Implementation began in April 2005 under the supervision of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the MSCP is already showing positive results. In order to provide more cert ain ro ra particip;nts, I "` - 10MOton, among other things, authorizes funds to cover the federal share of the program costs, directs the Secretary of the Interior to manage and implement the MSCP in accordance with the underlying program documents, and provides a waiver of sovereign immunity so that the non - federal participants would be able to hold the U.S. government accountable for its obligations under that plan in court, if that became necessary. This is an instance where the legislative process can serve many interests, and in a fair and reasonable way. Animal and plant life are protected at the same time that Arizona, Nevada, and California can continue to draw upon the body of water that has been called "the lifeblood of the West." Sen. Kyl serves on the Senate Finance and Judiciary committees and chairs the Republican Policy Committee. Visit his website at www.kyl.senate.gov Rocket.._ Stock. Picks: Free rockets tockpicks._ http: / /www.nationalledger.com/ adman /publisb/article_27267856.shtml 8/23/2006