Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Page 4 <br /> <br />12. Forest Service "Errata" for the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests Management . <br />Plan. [NEW] <br /> <br />The Forest Service issued so-called "errata" to these national forest plans, but these were <br />actually substantive changes to the plans in disguise -- including one change relating to the <br />imposition of bypass flows. These "errata" appear to be invalid because the Forest Service did <br />not comply with the public notice and collaboration requirements for amending forest <br />management plans. In accordance with the Board's direction at the November meeting, our <br />office has communicated with counsel for the Forest Service to protest this unwarranted <br />circumventing of the, appropriate procedures, and has prepared a follow-up letter to further urge <br />that the errata be withdrawn. The Board may wish tq discuss taking action to obtain <br />withdrawal 01 the "errata," including possible litigation, in executive session. <br /> <br />13. Colorado River. [NEW] <br /> <br />The hnperial Irrigation District (lID) did not meetithe Department of the Interior's December <br />31 deadline to accept the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) reached among all other <br />southern California users of Colorado River water. Ill,stead they proposed their own agreement <br />at the eleventh hour that was not satisfactory to either iDOl or the other parties to the QSA. <br />Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton announced that 2003 would be a "normal" water year - i.e. <br />no surplus declaration - and that DOl would limit its deliveries to California to 4.4 million acre- <br />feet (mat) and would not allow any surplus water to be delivered. DOl also rejected lID's <br />request for 3.1 maf, limited lID to approximately 2.8 maf and split the additional 0.3 maf <br />between MWD and Coachella V alley Water District. ' On January 11, lID filed suit against DOl <br />in federal court claiming that although the Secretary rtJ.ay have the right to limit California to 4.4 . <br />maf in a normal year, the Secretary was without authority to reduce lID's water rights or re- <br />arrange the intrastate priorities within California. <br /> <br />. <br />