Cooperative Agreement for Platte River Research and Other Efforts Relating to Endangered Species Habitats

• Description: Cooperative Agreement for Platte River Research ‎(aka Platte River Recovery Implementation Program or PRRIP)‎ and Other Efforts Relating to Endangered Species Habitats Along the Central Platte River, Nebraska
• State: CO
• State: NE
• State: WY
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 7/1/1997
• Author: Platte River Endangered Species Partnership ‎(aka Platte River Recovery Implementation Program or PRRIP)‎
• Title: Cooperative Agreement for Platte River Research and Other Efforts Relating to Endangered Species Habitats Along the Central Platte River, Nebraska
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Contract/Agreement

• 4. Institutional Protections. Each state shall take whatever steps are
necessary to provide institutional protections within that state for waters
intended for environmental purposes, including without limitation: statutory
and regulatory reform; granting of any necessary water rights; and water
accounting systems. Accounting methodologies shall be provided to the Water
Management Committee.
IV. REGULATORY CERTAINTY
DOI and the states intend that this Program, if implemented, provide regulatory
certainty under the ESA to existing water related activities and to certain new water
related activities subject to review under section 7 of the ESA. DOI and the states
anticipate that the Program, as it may be modified after NEPA and ESA evaluation and
over time, will serve as the reasonable and prudent alternative under section 7 for
existing water related activities and covered new water related activities during the term
of the Program. Notwithstanding that Program activities described below will
generally be focused on the geographic area defined herein as "associated habitats," the
implementation of such activities is to serve as the reasonable and prudent alternative
for impacts to the target species and their habitats within the Platte River Basin
downstream from the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers. Regulatory
certainty will be provided by the following mechanisms:
• A. For water related activities existing as of the effective date of the Cooperative
Agreement, FWS intends that the reasonable and prudent alternative during the term of
the Program shall be the activities carried out by or on behalf of those water related
activities through the Program, as described above and as set forth in Appendix B.
"Contributions of the Parties During the First Increment," and as may be set forth in
the future for subsequent Program increments. For water related activities existing as
of the effective date of the Cooperative Agreement for which consultation pursuant to
section 7 was completed prior to or during the term of the Cooperative Agreement
(covered by Cooperative Agreement Paragraphs VIII.A.1, 2 and 4), payments made or
measures undertaken by or on behalf of these water related activities during the term of
the Cooperative Agreement shall be credited against the payments and measures set
forth in Appendix B to the extent they contribute to the land acquisition and restoration
purposes of the Program.
B. For new water related activities subject to section 7(a)(2) of the ESA, FWS
intends that the reasonable and prudent alternative during the term of the Program shall
be the activities carried out by or on behalf of those water related activities through the
Program, as described below and as set forth in Appendix A, Tabs 1B, 2B, 3B,
"Plan[s] for Future Depletions" for the respective states. For such water related
activities for which consultation pursuant to section 7 was completed during the term of
• the Cooperative Agreement (covered by Cooperative Agreement Paragraph VIII.A.3),
payments made or measures undertaken by or on behalf of such water related activities
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