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1 Mr. Barrows: My name is Pete Barrows and I am from the Colorado Division of Wildlife. I am a member of the staff that consults with Larry's staff, and essentially what Larry said is correct. The only thing that I didn't know prior to today is that if we came in with a high flow recommendation, we were going to be thrown out. I thought we would be thrown out after deliberation. To elaborate a little on the misconception of what S. 97 is and isn't. Someone said it doesn't create any water and the remark in respons? to it was, "Like hell, it doesn't!" Maybe if does and maybe it doesn t. The important part is that we make these studies using a systematic method that is accepted throughout the western United States. Our particular bag, as you know, is wildlife. However, the bill doesn't read ''wildlife.'' It rEllds "water for envi]Jonmental purposes." When we give you a flow, geq~r!ihy it is directed toward the preservation maintenance of an existing wildlife habitat. When I say habitat, I mean the environment that sustains it. We call it an ecosystem. As Larry has stated, the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation is also required by law to submit recommendations to the Colorado Water Conservation Board for its consideration. To date, their effort has largely been supportive of our recommendations. Possibly this will change because it is conceivable that water for recreational uses would exceed flows necessary for fisheries or wildlife. Again, I think it is implicit in the law that if there is less water tliere than we have filed on, we are not -~oing -to get it.' 'If it goes dry, we will have a complete loss. 1 don t think there is any quarret with that. We are not going to request more water than we need. I think that point should be fairly clear. We intend to work with everybody that is interested in this and attempt to do the best job that we can. It will take us at least ten years to do it. Mr. Stapleton: What is the input of the public before you and Larry agree on recommendations that then go out to our mailing list and people who attend these meetings? Mr. Barrows: If fOU are referring to p,public opinion survey, we don't do one. We haven t as yet held public meetings. As soon as one is challenged, I suppose that is what ~e will do. Mr. Stapleton: I was just rying to get in my own mind how much input people would have other than your department and our department prior to the discussion of today, for example. If you think there is a question, do you talk to individuals to get their input? Mr. Barrows: Haven't yet, no. Mr. Stapleton: So in essence, it is your department and our department that maKe some recommendations. If we publicize them and distribute ',', them after we get input today, we ought to have covered some segment of the general public, is that correct? Mr. Barrows: Well, I would assume that each of us here represents the general public, and so they are covered in that manner. I -10-