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The Cooperative Agreement provides the opportunity through the Governance Committee <br />and the Committees that are addressing land, water, and technical issues, for Nebraska <br />farmers, Natural Resources Districts, irrigation districts, state agencies, and conservation <br />organizations to have a place and voice at the table, and to help shape the recovery <br />programs. Input from all Platte River interests is essential for successful cooperative <br />management of the Platte River resource. <br />The Cooperative Agreement is in the best interests of Nebraska's citizens. <br />Next year is the 30th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act which was preceded by <br />the 1966 Endangered Species Preservation Act. The Endangered Species Preservation <br />Act established the authority to create a list of endangered species and a minimal program <br />to conserve them. A year later the first list contained the black- footed ferret, the Florida <br />panther, the whooping crane, the bald eagle, and California condor. Five years later, in <br />1973, the Endangered Species Act was enacted. The House passed the bill 390 to 12 and <br />the Senate passed a similar measure on a 92 to 0 vote. President Richard Nixon signed <br />the new bill into public law. The new law expanded its predecessor by making all plants <br />and animals eligible for listing, including subspecies. It also established threatened species <br />as those likely to become endangered. The Endangered Species Act established <br />protection of species by making it illegal to "take" endangered species and provided harsh <br />penalties. <br />What started out as 114 species across America is now over 1000 species and growing <br />annually. A few species have perished, but there have been success stories such as the <br />bald eagle, Peregrine falcon and American alligator. Twenty seven species have been <br />removed from the list. <br />Congress has wrestled over reauthorizing the Endangered Species Act for years. Some <br />believe the Act is too burdensome, others believe the Act needs to be strengthened and <br />actions need to be sped up and more species listed and critical habitat established. One <br />key to addressing this issue is to find ways to reward landowners for conservation that <br />protects and restores valuable habitat for these species. More than half of the listed <br />species occur on private or non - Federal lands. . Private landowners are critical to the <br />conservation and recovery of most of the listed species. Partnerships with landowners are <br />essential in this process. <br />The United States Fish and Wildlife Service works with private landowners in the <br />conservation and recovery of species by providing technical assistance and through "safe <br />harbor" agreements. A safe harbor. agreement assures landowners that improving habitat <br />for species will not restrict land -use options on their land in the future. The key to recovery <br />is the cooperation of many partners working together to develop innovative conservation <br />and management actions that benefit the species, while accommodating <br />socioeconomic goals. <br />2. <br />