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<br />What I was thinking was that we should try to get a study: group going <br />as rapidly as possible of people who are able to put some time on this <br />problem-and to formulate:as rapidly_as possible a response to each of <br />those four issue areas. Our_final:policy cannot~be adopted until ~fter <br />the President makes his announcement, which is now scheduled for _ <br />November l~ We won't really know until that time what the new President <br />,proposes in the way ofa new water policy. -We would like to get pre- I <br />pared before August 20 to submit: our views for the record. That will <br />be our last_ opportunity to make 'any input to the task force's delib- <br />erations. '- <br /> <br />MR.. !?TAPLETON: Some of us attended the meetings in-Grand Junction and <br />elsewhere in the last few months. Are they.going tq be ttte same_ type <br />of hearings.in:Denver that we had in Grand Junction,: for example? <br /> <br />MR.; SPARKS:. I thinlt for all practical purposes they will beQidentica1. <br />We have not been informed who will be here for these: hearings, except: <br />that we know the hearing moderator. The hearing moderator for the <br />Denver hearings will-be Mr. John Neuberger, who is an employee of the <br />Missouri River Basin Commission, which is an organization of ten stat~s. <br />The ten states pay half the cost of that _ commission, and the federal <br />government pays :the other half. . ~ . <br /> <br />When we were first informed that the Missouri River Basin Commission <br />would be. the. host agency for these~hearings, we protested bitterly and' <br />said, "This is a state-federal organization. Why weren't the states <br />consulted? We would never have agreed to using our own agency'to <br />conduct these hearings." The response we got from the staff of the <br />Missouri River Commission was that they were ordered by the: Secretary <br />of the Interior to hold these hearings. Since half of their pay comes <br />from the federal government,: they felt that: they must obey. : <br /> <br />, - , <br />We have been advised that at least. one member of one of these task: <br />forces will also be present at each hearing. So we anticipate that <br />there will:be at least two people. conducting the hearing. <br /> <br />~ <br />MR.. STAPLETON: DO':You intend to speak? <br /> <br />, ' <br />MR.. SPARKS: I do not intend to:testify at. these hearings~ I have, <br />discussed this matter with Mr. Sherman, and he has discussed it with <br />the Governor. The Governor will make a statement..' He will inform the <br />hearing officer that-the State of Colorado'intends to submit a lengthy <br />statement for the record prior to the close of the Washington hearings, <br />which I believe is August 20 or-thereabouts. <br /> <br />MR.. STAPLETON: ': So that , in effect, will be - the sum and substance of <br />Colorado ':s presentation': officially at these hearings? <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />,MR.. SPARKS: Right. <br /> <br />MR.. STAPLETON:~ What are some of the other entities going to do? I <br />pres'lJ!Ile, with a hundred and four witnesses, we have many Colorado ~ <br />participants. <br /> <br />-8;' <br />