Meeting Minutes Oct 1, 2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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River Protection Workgroup Steering Committee Minutes October 1,2007 In attendance: Scott Brinton, Steve Fearn, Anne Oliver, Janice Sheftel, John Taylor, Chuck Wanner, Bruce Whitehead and facilitator, Marsha Porter-Norton. 1. Committee Statement of Purpose and Intent: The Committee discussed the most recent draft statement the Committee had developed to offer to the USFS for inclusion in the EIS for the draft San Juan Public Lands Revised Management Plan regarding stream suitability designations under the Wild& Scenic Rivers (W&SR)Act. Mark Stiles indicated that the information had been delivered to Thurman Wilson for inclusion of the significant points in the EIS. 2. Discussion of CWCB Participation in Committee& Community Processes: Mark will brief Harris Sherman on the Committee process. Linda Bassi will be notified that the Community Process will be discussed at this meeting and at each of the next Committee meetings, especially at the last four scheduled Committee meetings after the Committee Sweeps have been completed. 3. West Fork San Juan River (Sweep Document#6) Al& A2 Reach of Sweep and stream location • The Committee again discussed a request to the USFS to eliminate the bottom three(+) miles of the West Fork of the San Juan River from USFS W&SR suitability designation because of the numerous potential conflicts with a very large number of private water rights. The USFS would prefer to designate this stream reach as suitable in the draft Plan EIS but include discussion of the nature of potential conflicts because additional conservation easements are under discussion for Boot Jack Ranch. The private land water rights in the reach are owned primarily by one landowner(David Brown/Koinoina, LLC). The full extent of current Boot Jack Ranch conservation easements is unclear. Very little, if any, USFS land touches the West Fork, although the USFS does have land within 1/ mile of each side of the West Fork. The USFS is willing to review issues regarding this 3+ mile stream section during the Plan comment period. The ORV of geology entails the West Fork cutting through 4 Y2 billion years of history. This ORV occurs extensively in the bottom 3+miles of the West Fork. There may not be an ORV for the West Fork if the bottom 3+miles are eliminated from suitability designation. The conflict issue with numerous absolute and conditional water rights derives in part from concern with what the USFS will seek to protect under a suitability designation. Would a suitability designation burden the 3+miles of the West Fork more than an eligibility designation? Would even an eligibility designation require the USFS to object in water rights 1