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j. Assessment, the Habitat Conservation Plan and an Environmental Impact Statement. el While some cost-sharing issues remain to be resolved, we expect to complete development of the multi-species program next year, and begin implementing the program in 2005. Thanks to the good work from our Interior agencies and the Lower Basin States, we are on track to have a Record of Decision by this time next year. Our plan uses adaptive management techniques to guide implementation of conservation measures. They can be adjusted over time, as we learn from ongoing monitoring and research. This will ensure that the conservation actions are effective. I should note that there is current litigation in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., known as the Spirit of the Sage Council case. This suit chal1enges the Fish & Wildlife Service's ANo Surprises@ policy under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act. This is one of the most important elements underlying Habitat Conservation Plans nationwide. As many of you know, the Lower Colorado multi-species program is designed to provide coverage for federal and non-federal actions on the lower Colorado under both section 7 and section lO of the Endangered Species Act. In light of the section lO aspect of the Program, we will have to await the Court's ruling in this case to see what, if any, impact it may have on the Lower Colorado multi-species program. Water 2025: Addressing Water Issues in the West e) . Several times this evening I have mentioned the importance of planning together for whatever the future may bring. Advance planning is also the central theme of this Administration's AWater 2025@ initiative. Too often we fmd ourselves Asurprised@by crises that were forecast well in advance. Water 2025 provides a basis for public discussion of water supply realities facing the West, so decisions can be made well in advance of crises. Water 2025 hopes to identify problems, and to set out solutions and a plan of action to meet current and future water supply challenges. While the water management tools envisioned by Water 2025 are not new, the philosophy is. More than 3,000 people took the time to participate in our Water 2025 consulting conferences. I'm sure many - ifnot most - of you attended and offered suggestions on how we can work together, collectively and collaboratively, to address water problems now before they become crises. The Bureau of Reclamation is currently working to summarize the conferences and this feedback. I expect to have that report by the end of this month. Even in advance of the Bureau's report, I can tell you that we crafted Water 2025 with the recognition that states, tribes, and local governments should have the leading role in meeting our future water chaHenges, while the Department focuses its attention and resources on areas where scarce federal dollars can provide the greatest benefits to the West and to the Nation. I can report that the 2004 Water and Energy Appropriations bill recently signed by President Bush 6