BOARD00261

• Board Meeting Date: 5/13/1964
• Description: Table of Contents, Agenda, Minutes and Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

1m. PETERSON:

1m. STAPLETON:

MR. ECKLES:

1

MR. PETERSON:

MR. SPARKS:

I

"I think Mr. Eckles had something to say."

"All right. Mr. Eckles."

"I was at the same meeting with Larry in
the last couple of weeks. It was an evalua-
tion meeting. There were many agencies in-
volved and the discussion was general. It
hasn't been decided as yet as far as I know.
The big problem is that they do not have an
operating plan so who is to say who would be
interested in the recreation until they find
or come up with an operating plan for the
area. II

"I'd like to ask I-tr. Sparks if that is an
item of interest to this Board?"

"I believe it definitely is an item of
interest to this Board in view of the long,
checkered history that the Curecanti project
has had. Every time we turn around we have
additional problems in connection with it.
The only problem that we anticipated origin-
ally was talking somebody into actually
operating the recreational features. Now we
apparently have two offerees. So somebody
has to make a decision, namely the Secretary
of the Interior, at this time as to who is
going to operate it.

I think, in view of the fact that the
project has been primarily the responsibility
of this Board over the years, we should retain
our interest in it. I would hesitate, however,
to have to make a decision as to whether or
not the state should operate the recreational
aspects or as to whether or not the National
Park Service should operate them. If the
state operates them this involves a consid-
erable expenditure of money and the Legisla-
ture has not seen fit to either appropriate
the money for such an operation or to author-
ize the Game, Fish and Parks Department to
charge fees. This is an operation that runs
into many hundred thousand dollars a year,