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Chapter 1 — Purpose of and Need for Action <br />THE PROPOSED PROGRAM <br />The purpose, goals, and objectives of the proposed Program are described below. These goals and <br />objectives were used to guide formulation of all action alternatives. (Boxed text, along with the <br />respective footnotes below, are direct excerpts from the Governance Committee Program Document.12) <br />I. Program Purpose <br />A. The purpose of this Program is to implement certain aspects of the Service's recovery plans for <br />the target species that relate to their associated habitats by providing for the following: <br />(1) Securing defined benefits for the target species and their associated habitats to assist in <br />their conservation and recovery through a Basinwide, cooperative approach agreed to by <br />the three States and the Interior. <br />(2) Providing ESA compliance 13 for existing and new water - related activities" in the Basin. <br />the need to list more Basin- associated species pursuant to the ESA. <br />12Available at <www.blatteriver ore >. Note that this DEIS provides only a summary of the very detailed and lengthy <br />proposals contained in the Governance Committee Program Document. This DEIS does not serve as the legal description of that <br />proposal. Persons who wish to learn the details of this proposal should consult the Governance Committee Program Document. <br />Work by the Governance Committee on this document continues. Excerpts used in this DEIS are based on the version dated <br />March 2003 and may vary slightly from the current document posted online. <br />13 "ESA compliance" means (1) serving as the RPA to offset the effects of water - related activities that the Service found <br />were likely to cause jeopardy to one or more of the target species or to adversely modify critical habitat before the Program was <br />in place; (2) avoiding any prohibited take of target species; and /or (3) serving as the RPA to offset the effects of water - related <br />activities that the Service found were likely to cause jeopardy to one or more of the target species or to adversely modify critical <br />habitat before a Program is in place. <br />14 The term "water- related activities" means activities and aspects of activities that (1) are subject to section 7(a)(2) of the <br />ESA, (2) occur in the Basin upstream of the confluence of the Loup River with the Platte River, and (3) may affect Platte River <br />flow quantity or timing, including, but not limited to, water diversion, storage, and use activities. Those changes resulting from <br />land -use activities, which affect flow quantity and timing, will be considered impacts of a "water- related activity." Changes in <br />temperature and sediment transport will be considered impacts of a "water- related activity" to the extent that such changes are <br />caused by activities affecting flow quantity or timing. "Water- related activities" do not include those components of land -use <br />activities or discharges of pollutants that do not affect flow quantity or timing. "New water - related activities" are new surface <br />water or hydrologically connected groundwater activities including both new projects and expansion of existing projects, both <br />those subject to and not subject to section 7(a)(2) of the ESA, which may affect the quantity or timing of wate <br />associated habitats and which are implemented after July 1, 1997. r reaching the <br />December 2003 <br />