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would be for each water project to undergo individual <br />review and lengthy proceedings to develop separate <br />measures to help listed species. The signatories <br />believe that a basinwide, cooperative approach will be <br />more effective, efficient, and equitable, and provide <br />greater certainty for water users regarding compliance <br />with the ESA. <br />Overall Goals <br />The goals of the cooperative initiative are to imple- <br />ment a Program which will: <br />1. Secure sufficient improvements to the Platte <br />River habitat for the target species so that <br />current and future water use in the Platte <br />River Basin is not likely to jeopardize any of <br />the species. <br />2. Provide compliance with the ESA for these <br />existing and any new water uses. <br />3. Help prevent additional species in the Platte <br />River Basin from becoming threatened or <br />endangered. <br />4. Ensure that any impacts on the Central Platte <br />habitat from future water development in each <br />state are prevented or offset within that state. <br />The Proposed Program <br />The proposed Program uses a phased, adaptive - <br />management approach to meet the overall goals in <br />which: <br />• Initial actions are taken to benefit the target <br />species. <br />Agriculture —one of many uses for Platte River Water. <br />• The effects of these actions are closely <br />measured over a period of time. <br />• Subsequent approaches can be modified or <br />adapted as necessary to meet the overall goals <br />(based on the results of the initial efforts). <br />The long -term objectives for the Program proposed in <br />the Cooperative Agreement are to: <br />1. Provide additional or modified riverflows to <br />and through the Central Platte habitat area. <br />The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has <br />identified flow levels they believe are neces- <br />sary to provide adequate habitat for the endan- <br />gered species. Existing flows currently fall <br />short of these targets. Interior and the states <br />agree that flow targets will be reviewed and <br />may be modified as new information becomes <br />available. <br />2. Improve habitat through managing, leasing, or <br />acquiring approximately 29,000 acres of <br />suitable habitat between Lexington and <br />Chapman, Nebraska. <br />3 <br />