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Platte River Recovery Implementation Program The Land Plan and Land Acquisition Background Under the Endangered Species Act(ESA), federal agencies must ensure that water projects do not harm the continued existence of any threatened or endangered species or adversely modify critical habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that habitat for the piping plover and the endangered 5 a. whooping crane and least tern, was significantly =' ' reduced by water diversions and other changes in land use through the Platte River Basin. In the pallid sturgeon could be negatively affected by Platte River basin activities. The Platte River Recovery Implementation Purpose Program(Program) brings together the states The purpose of the Program's land plan is to acquire (Wyoming,Colorado and Nebraska), federal interests in lands between Lexington and Chapman, government, water users, and environmental Nebraska,to restore them where appropriate, to groups to work collaboratively to improve and maintain them, and otherwise to manage them so that maintain the associated habitats for the they provide benefits to the target species based on designated species. The Program is intended to the individual features of the land while using some address the ESA and loss of habitat in Central or all of the characteristics of habitat complexes. Nebraska by managing key land and water Habitat acquisition is to be on a willing seller/willing resources in the central Platte region and the lessor basis. All land acquisition and management lower Platte River stretch. decisions will take into account the costs,the relative benefit to the target species, and contribution toward Definition of Habitat Lands fulfilling the Program's objectives. The Program will The initial focus of the land acquisition process manage its lands in accordance with a good neighbor is on habitat complexes. A habitat complex policy. consists of wet meadows, channel areas, and buffers. Channel area is the portion of the river that conducts flow and is bound on either side by Budget stable banks or permanent islands with The First Increment(13 Years, 2007- 2019) land vegetation that obstructs view. At low flows it budget is $39,131,000 (not including cash equivalent includes interconnected small channels and credits) in 2005 dollars. The budget covers exposed sand or gravel bars and non-permanent acquisition of property rights and restoration and islands. Wet meadows are areas with a generally maintenance of Program lands during the first level or low-lying undulating surface consisting increment. The costs will also include tax payments of a mosaic of swales with wetland soils and and potential mitigation of adverse impacts. vegetation and ridges with upland native or restored grasslands. Buffer is used to shield wet meadow or channel habitat areas from potential disturbances.