Quantity/Quality/Wildlife Meeting January 5 1995

• Description: Quantity/Quality/Wildlife Meeting January 5 1995
• State: CO
• Date: 1/5/1995
• Title: Quantity/Quality/Wildlife Meeting January 5 1995
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Meeting

The State of Colorado has participated in some notable successes
in recent years in efforts to minimize the confrontation which
often attends endangered species protection efforts. The
successful partnership that has led to the pending recovery of
the state fish, the greenback cutthroat trout, and the Upper
Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program are examples.
While successful, the process requirements of the ESA nonetheless
have caused these efforts to be very expensive and time -
consuming. In addition, the protection and recovery efforts
themselves have raised important questions concerning the limits
of federal jurisdiction in wildlife and water allocation, areas
which traditionally are the responsibility of state government.
B. Other Federal Authorities
In addition to the ESA, other federal resource management
authorities could be triggered by declining native aquatic
species. These include the National Forest Management Act, the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and the Clean Water Act.
Regulation pursuant to these federal laws to protect aquatic
species can also reduce water resource and wildlife management -
options for state, local, and private interests, and may
interfere with local land use control and private property
rights. A native species protection initiative, undertaken on
terms acceptable to and supported by Colorado's citizens, can
minimize this possibility.
IV. A Partnership Approach
It is becoming increasingly apparent that Colorado's management
of water and wildlife need to be coordinated for the state -'s
overall interests to be served. This will be particularly
important in efforts to achieve native species protection on
terms acceptable to and supported by Colorado's citizens.
Therefore, DNR and DPHE propose a collaborative effort among
local, state and federal agencies and the private sector, to
develop and implement a Colorado native species protection
initiative.
Federal regulatory requirements have been effective in motivating
state agencies, local governments, special districts and other
interests in Colorado to seek more compatible and proactive
alternatives for protecting our natural environment. However,
DNR and DPHE believe that federal regulatory programs are
primarily effective as a "management regime of last resort"
where natural resources are concerned and, more importantly, that
local or regional partnerships which include representatives of
the most affected - interests can be substantially more effective
in fulfilling our environmental protection priorities while
avoiding unnecessary confrontation and expense.
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