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<br />~ -I ... <br /> <br />, . <br /> <br />6. <br /> <br />Commissioner Martinez is wrong...S.1771 contemplates no circumvention of the <br />environmental laws <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The Tribes explicitly rely on millions of dollars of past federal environmental analysis and the <br />specific Reasonable and Prudent Alternative proposal of the US FWS to shape the water <br />supply and facilities in S.I771. Given this reliance, the bill requests that Congress find that <br />these studies - relied upon by the Tribes to reduce their settlement -- to be at the same time <br />adequate to permit construction to proceed. Under S.I771 all that would proceed to <br />construction without further study or delay are three facilities. The public has had more than <br />ten years to examine these documents. <br /> <br />Moreover, contrary to the Commissioner's suggestion, no wait for ESA flow <br />recommendations is necessary. In the ESA program, the United States agreed that ALP could <br />proceed with a minimum 57,100 afand that future flow recommendations could only operate <br />to increase the depletions. <br /> <br />7, Commissioner Martinez is right about one thing -- it is now the job of the <br />Administration and Congress to find a solution <br /> <br />S.I771 offers the only carefully examined alternative. It is the vehicle for finalizing the <br />Colorado Ute Settlement. <br /> <br />. The Tribes, including the Navajo Nation, and the States of Colorado and New Mexico urge <br />the Senate and the House of Representatives to take S.1771 to a vote. We challenge the <br />Administration to engage with Congress in a constructive way to assure that the reduced <br />depletions and the three facilities identified in S.1771 become the basis for a final settlement. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />4 <br />