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In response to questions, Marsha and members of the Steering Committee <br />provided further information: <br />The area that will be studied by the Hermosa Workgroup includes Hermosa <br />Creek and its tributaries to the Forest Service /private land boundary line. Dots on <br />the Hermosa Creek map posted on the walls and provided to participants <br />indicate decreed water rights in the Hermosa Creek drainage. <br />The Hermosa Workgroup process is not geared toward reaching any set <br />conclusion. It could result in a recommendation to take to the local congressional <br />delegation, or input to be provided to the Forest Service and the BLM. There may <br />be two recommendations, rather than just one. The Workgroup will produce a <br />report to document the ideas and issues that came forward, as well as potential <br />solutions. <br />There is no particular agenda "driving" the process or overarching legal or <br />administrative framework behind the process and no mandate for it. Some <br />members of the Steering Committee, realizing that the issue of river protection <br />would involve some contentiousness, voluntarily organized the RPW process to <br />help bring forth the best ways to protect the selected stream segments. The <br />process is something of a "town meeting" about protecting rivers and their <br />values. <br />Although most of the Hermosa Creek drainage is on San Juan National Forest <br />land, the Forest Service is not driving the process. The Forest Service has <br />essentially no direct control over the water in streams within its boundaries, only <br />over land uses. The other five stream segments to be considered by future <br />workgroups involve more private land, whereas Hermosa Creek involves more <br />public land. <br />Decision to proceed: Marsha asked whether the group wanted to proceed with <br />the RPW process and the meeting participants agreed that they did. <br />Introduction to Hermosa Creek <br />Marsha reviewed the initial Hermosa Creek information sheet and asked for <br />comments. Suggestions and corrections included: <br />• A statement on Page 1 under Recreational Use that the Hermosa Creek <br />area is open to various uses but not to ATVs is incorrect. It is open to <br />ATVs, but has limited use due to trail conditions. The San Juan Trail <br />Riders have adopted this area and will be involved if there is talk about <br />limiting motorized use. <br />In <br />