Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program and San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program 2005-2006

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A STATE OF COLORADO EXECUTIVE CHAMBERS 136 State Capitol Denver, Colorado 80203 -1792 Phone (303) 866 -2471 February 28, 2006 The Honorable Conrad Burns, Chairman The Honorable Byron Dorgan, Ranking Member Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations United States Senate 132 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 COtO•P �n O 1876 Bill Owens Governor The State of Colorado is an active partner in the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Endangered Fish Recovery Program, both of which have been very successful in working toward recovery of four endangered and threatened fish species in the Upper Colorado River Basin while allowing water development to continue. Today I request your consideration and support for two items funding these Programs which appear in the President's Budget for the upcoming fiscal year: 1) Appropriation of $697,000 in recovery funds to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for fiscal year 2007. This appropriation allows the Service to continue its participation in the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program. The specific designation of this appropriation is under "Ecological Services Activity; Endangered Species Subactivity; Recovery Element" and this would appropriate $697,000 within the $5,631,000 entitled "General Program Activities ". 2) Appropriation of $437,000 in operation and maintenance funds to the Service's Ouray National Fish Hatchery in Utah for fiscal year 2007. These specific dollars would be appropriated under the Service's budget designated "Resource Management Appropriation; Fisheries Activity; Hatchery Operations & Maintenance Subactivity, Hatchery Operations Project ". Furthermore, I request that your Committee strongly urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allocate $211,000 in recovery funds to the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. Such an allocation will allow the Service's Region 2 offices to pursue ongoing recovery work and undertake new recovery processes as they continue doing the good work of species conservation in the San Juan Basin.