Letter from the BLM

• Description: Documents related to the Upper Colorado River Wild and Sceni Stakeholders Process
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 12/5/2007
• Author: DNR
• Title: Letter to the BLM
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Meeting

STATE OF COLORADO
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR pourvir
Department of Natural Resources
131 3 Sherman Street, Room 718
Denver,Colorado 80203
Phone:[phone]
TDD: [phone] DEPARTMENT OF
Fax: [phone] NATURAL
RESOURCES
Bill Ritter,Jr.
Governor
December 5, 2007 Harris D.Sherman
Executive Director
Sally Wisely,
Colorado Director
Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Department of the Interior
Dear Sally:
I am writing to you as a cooperating agency in order to provide timely and meaningful
input into your planning process. My staff has been meeting regularly with your staff
(and a host of other representatives)regarding the BLM's process for revising the
Resource Management Plans for the Glenwood Springs and Kremmling field offices
where the BLM is considering the"suitability"of certain stream segments for Wild and
Scenic designation. We appreciate your staff's dedication to working with the State and
local entities to determine whether Wild and Scenic designation is the best management
alternative for these certain stream segments.
The State of Colorado's population continues to grow, and with that growth comes
significant tension between the need to secure reliable water supplies and the need to
protect instream water resources and meet associated environmental and recreational
needs. I am encouraged by a dialogue that has been initiated with your staff, the
Colorado River Water Conservation District,the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy
District, Denver Water, Trout Unlimited, Summit County, Eagle County, Grand County,
the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments,the Wilderness Society, Colorado
Springs Utilitics,American Whitewater,representatives of stakeholders involved in the
lower Blue River management planning process, and others to explore alternative
approaches to protecting Outstanding Remarkable Values while at the same time
considering the State's water supply needs. The State is participating in similar dialogues
in other basins as well and recently the Colorado Water Conservation Board unanimously
supported authorization of$400,000 from Colorado's construction fund to assist these
collaborative processes within Colorado.
As you know, Wild and Scenic designation may or may not be the optimal management
tool, however, a collaborative, consensus-driven approach to protecting those values
would be preferable. Given the importance of these water resources to the Bureau of
Land Management, the State of Colorado, environmental organizations, and local
communities, I hope you will be able to support the collaborative process that has just
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