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Agreement <br />Section 7 Consultation, Sufficient Progress, and Historic Projects <br />Recovery Implementation Program for the Endangered Fish Species <br />in the Upper Colorado River Basin <br />October 15, 1993 <br />I. Background <br />The Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the <br />Upper Colorado River Basin (RIP) is intended to go considerably beyond <br />offsetting water depletion impacts by providing for the full recovery of <br />the four endangered fishes. The RIP participants recognize that timely <br />progress toward recovery in accordance with a well - defined action plan is <br />essential to the purposes of the.RIP, including both the recovery of the <br />endangered fishes and providing for water development to proceed in <br />compliance with State law, Interstate Compacts, and the Endangered <br />Species Act (ESA). Recovery activities which result in significant <br />protection and improvement of the endangered fish populations and their <br />habitat need to receive high priority in future planning, budgeting, and <br />decision making. The RIP participants accept that certain positive <br />population responses to RIP initiatives are not likely to be- measurable <br />for many years due to the time required for the endangered fishes to <br />reach reproductive maturity, limited knowledge about their life history <br />and habitat requirements, sampling difficulties and limitations, and <br />other factors. The RIP participants also recognize that further <br />degradation of endangered fish habitats and populations will make <br />recovery increasingly difficult. <br />II. RIP Recovery Action Plan ( RIPRAP) <br />The Recovery Action Plan ( RIPRAP) identifies actions currently believed <br />to be required to recover the endangered fishes in the most expeditious <br />manner possible in the upper basin. It has been developed using the best <br />information available and the recovery goals established for the four <br />endangered fish species. By reference, the RIPRAP is incorporated and <br />considered part of this agreement. The RIPRAP will be an adaptive <br />management plan because additional information, changing priorities, and <br />the development of the States' entitlement may require modifications to <br />the RIPRAP. The RIPRAP will be reviewed annually and modified or <br />updated, if necessary, by September 30 of each year or prior to adoption <br />of the annual work plan, whichever comes first. The RIPRAP will serve as <br />a guide for all future planning, research, and recovery efforts, <br />including the annual work - planning and budget decision process. <br />The RIP is intended to provide the reasonable and prudent alternatives <br />for projects undergoing Section 7 consultation in the upper basin. While <br />some recovery. actions in the RIPRAP are expected to have more direct or <br />immediate benefits for the endangered fishes than others, all are <br />considered necessary to accomplisfi the objectives of the RIP. Recovery <br />