WSPP00153 - Laserfiche WebLink

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" -.1.---. ______._~_. .---- ----.------- " .. . ' .. . . 0182 THE INTERIOR WANTED ANOTHER $40 MILLION FROM COLORADO FOR THE TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT FUND, DEMANDED MORE UP FRONT MONEY, AND REFUSED TO QUANTIFY THE EQUITABLE OBLIGATIONS AND FEDERAL TRUST RESPONSI- ; BILITIESe KNOWING THAT WE COULD NEVER MEET THE FEDERAL DEMAND"S IN EARLY NOVEMBER, WE DISMISSED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM THE NEGO- TIATION TABLE.THIS WAS RISKY, YET WE HAD NO ALTERNATIVE. WE KNEW THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF OMB AND THE DEPART- MENT OF THE INTERIOR. WE FURTHER KNEW THAT THE NON-FEDERAL .LOCAL RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWEST COLORADO AND NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO, BOTH INDIANS AND NON-INDIANS, HAD TO REACH AGREEMENT BETWEEN THEMSELVES IN THE ATTEMPT TO POLITICALLY OVERRIDE INTERIOR AND OMB. EVEN WITHOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, ISSUES AROSE WHICH THREATENED OUR FRAGILE COALITION. PRIMARY AMONG THESE ISSUES WAS THE OFF-RESERVATION USE OF TRIBAL WATERS. THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEASE WATER OFF-RESERVATION WAS CENTRAL TO THE TRIBES' DEMANDS. COLORADO AGREED TO THE CONCEPT EARLY ON AS LONG AS WE PROTECTED STATE LAW AND THE LAW OF THE RIVER. HOWEVER AT TH~ SEPTEMBER MEETING THE NEW MEXICO INTERSTATE STREAM COMMISSIONER STATED THAT IF THE ANIMAS-LA PLAT~ . PROJECT PUT WATER IN INTERSTATE COMMERCE, HE COULD WITHDRAW HIS SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT. BALANCING THESE 'COMPETi-NG INTERESTS WAS NOT AN EASY TASK AND FOR A LONG TIME 'WE ,DID NOT KNOW. IF IT COULD BE DONE. INDIAN , AND NON-INDIAN NEIGHBORS RECOGNIZED THE PRACTICAL AND POLITICAL LIMITATIONS INHERENT~ IN THE SETTLEMENT AND ACCEPTED THE FACT THAT NOT EVERYTHING WOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED NOR ALL GOALS MET IN THE SETTLEMENT. WE-ALWAYS BELIEVED, THAT THE LOCAL WATER USERS COULD REACH A COMPROMISE. -3':