BOARD00507

• Board Meeting Date: 1/26/2000
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - San Juan Recovery Program - Section 7 Agreement
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Agenda item 23 i
January 26-27, 2000 Board Meeting
Page 2 of 13

7.2 Service Review and Assessment ofProgram*
8. Minor Depletion Allowance
9. Reinitiation ofConsultations*
10. Modification of Principles*

ltems with an "*,, were included in the Upper Basin Section 7 Agreement.

These "Principles" were developed by an ad hoc group of the CC including Tom Pitts,
chairperson, John Whipple of New Mexico, Jessica Aberly for the Jicarilla Apache, Scott
McElroy for the Ute Tribes, Bob Krakow for BIA, Lee Carlson and Cindy Schulz for the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and myself over the past year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, at the staff level, believes these "Principles" are consistent with the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) and regulations implementing the ESA.

The CC will discuss the "Principles" further at their January 18-19 meeting in
Farmington. Tom Pitts will also be discussing them with the water user steering
committee on January 18th. I will update the Board on these discussions at the January
Board meeting.

The "Principles" are straightforward and there is nothing unusual about them so I well let
the document speak for itself.

Recommendation

Staff recommends that the Board approve the adoption of the attached "Principles for
Conducting Section 7 Consultations on Water Development and Management Activities
Affecting Endangered Fish Species in the San Juan River Basin" as part of the San Juan
Recovery Implementation Program.

Attachment

. .

-

e

--