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Possible Advantages to the Proposed Program <br />The following is a list and explanation of what Nebraska sees as the potential <br />advantages of continuing with the collaborative approach which would serve as the <br />foundation for the Cooperative Agreement: <br />• Basinwide approach - important both for funding and for providing water <br />The recovery process will be very resource intensive and far beyond what the directly <br />affected interests or the State of Nebraska could accomplish by themselves. Because the <br />program is to address the impacts of water related activities throughout the basin, it is <br />imperative that the entire basin contribute to the recovery process. It is also important to <br />recognize that some of the upper reaches of the North and South Platte Rivers flow <br />through areas that are owned and/or managed by various Federal agencies. Actions by <br />those'agencies have also contributed to the river's current condition and there also are <br />numerous federal water supply and irrigation projects and facilities on the Platte. <br />• Incremental approach <br />The initial recovery actions proposed by the USFWS are far beyond what could be <br />done in a single step process, and there are concerns that some of the requirements and <br />actions might even be in excess of what is even beneficial to the species. An incremental <br />approach will allow for actions to be implemented only after careful planning and that <br />will hopefully prevent undue hardship from being imposed. The incremental approach <br />will also allow for further study and possible refinement of recovery actions and <br />proposals. <br />�neGrandfathering of pre 7 -1 -1997 water uses <br />of the concerns in Nebraska regarding the ESA is that water could be taken from <br />people with existing developments. The grandfathering of pre 7 -1 -1997 uses will prevent <br />adverse impacts on those current uses. Without a program and the included grandfather <br />clause there is nothing to insure that pre 1997 uses would be protected. <br />• Voluntary measures used throughout, rather than measures being imposed <br />through the regulatory process <br />As discussed earlier, the Platte system extends into three states. The states and their <br />citizens know what actions are realistic, economically feasible and politically acceptable. <br />By building the program on voluntary participation rather than mandatory requirements , <br />those involved will be far more motivated to make the program work for both the species <br />and for the people living in the area. <br />• Peer reviews <br />The peer review process will allow for proposed actions to be evaluated by outside <br />authorities and hopefully minimize the possibility of implementing activities that are of <br />little or no benefit to the species. Some of these proposed activities will be very costly, <br />so it is imperative that all actions be reasonable, beneficial and scientifically supported. <br />• Adaptive management will be employed <br />Everyone involved in the process recognizes that there are many questions relative to <br />the proposed recovery actions. Those include: details about how and to what extent the <br />Platte River hydrologic'system interacts with the underlying ground water system; how <br />river flows relate to sediment movement and what effect each has on the streambed and <br />banks; and basic questions about trends in species population numbers. It is important <br />that the program be allowed the flexibility to change as more information is learned about <br />the river, the species and their desired habitats. <br />-5- <br />