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will make. any necessary amendments to the RIPRAP to fulfill such <br />intent. <br />2. The RIP is intended to offset both the direct and depletion impacts <br />of historic projects occurring prior to January 22, 1988 (the date <br />when the Cooperative Agreement for the RIP was executed) if such <br />offsets are needed to recover the fishes. Under certain <br />circumstances, historic projects may be subject to consultation <br />under Section 7 of the*ESA. An increase in depletions from a <br />historic project occurring after January 22, 1988, will be subject <br />to the depletion charge. Except for the circumstances described in <br />item 11 below, depletion charges or other measures will not be <br />required from historic projects which undergo Section 7 consultation <br />in the future. <br />3. The Bureau of Reclamation (BR) and the Western Area Power <br />Administration will operate projects authorized and funded pursuant <br />to Federal reclamation law consistent with its responsibilities <br />under Section 7 of the ESA and with any existing contracts. No <br />depletion charge will be required on depletions from BR projects as <br />long as BR continues its contributions to the RIP's annual budget. <br />4. The FWS will assess the impacts of projects that require Section 7 <br />consultation and determine if progress toward recovery has been <br />sufficient for the RIP to serve as a reasonable and prudent <br />alternative. The FWS will use accomplishments under the RIP as its <br />measure of sufficient progress. The FWS will also consider whether <br />the probable success of RIP is compromised as a result of a <br />specific depletion or the cumulative effect of depletions. Support <br />activities (funding, research, information and education, etc.) in <br />the RIP contribute to sufficient progress to the-extent that they <br />help achieve a measurable population response, a measurable <br />improvement in habitat for the fishes, legal protection of flows <br />needed recovery, or a reduction in the threat of immediate <br />extinction. Generally, sufficient progress will be evaluated <br />separately for the Colorado and Green River subbasins (but not <br />individual tributaries within each subbasin). However, the FWS will <br />give due consideration to progress throughout the upper basin in <br />evaluating sufficient progress. <br />5. -. If sufficient progress is being achieved, biological opinions will <br />identify the activities and accomplishments of the RIP that support <br />it serving as a reasonable and prudent alternative. <br />=F: - If sufficit progre "ss "is not being achieved, biological opinions <br />for new and historic projects will be written to identify which <br />action(s) in the RIPRAP must be completed to avoid jeopardy. <br />Specific recovery actions will be implemented according to the <br />schedule identified in the RIPRAP. The FWS will confer with the <br />Management Committee on the identification of these actions within <br />established timeframes for the Section 7 consultation. For historic <br />projects, these actions will serve as the reasonable and prudent <br />K? <br />