BOARD01164

• Board Meeting Date: 3/21/2006
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Nevada granted the US motion to dismiss Counts 1-4 and 7-8, and Defendant-Intervenor Central Arizona
Water Conservation District's ("CA WCD") Motion to Dismiss Counts I through 4 and 6 through 8 of the
subject case. Thus Count 5 of the Complaint was the only count not dismissed by the Court. Also on Feb .
8 an Order of the same Court calling for a March 3M status conference on the remaining issues dealing
with ESA and APA.

Landowners Say They'll Back Program That Protects Grouse, Others Disagree: In April, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will decide whether the Gunnison Sage Crouse deserves listing under
the Endangered Species Act, but those who support listing worry the agency might not base its decision
on scientific evidence. Some listing advocates hope that Fish and Wildlife won't make its decision on the
bird based on programs that might help the grouse survive in the future.

More than 100 landowners have expressed an interest in signing a Candidate Conservation Agreement
with Assurances in the last year. The program, which is approaching approval by the Fish and Wildlife
Service, would encourage landowners to preserve Gunnison sage grouse habitat to keep the chicken-sized
bird from being listed. Under the voluntary program, landowners would sign a 20-year contract with the
Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) to protect the grouse. The DOW would then write a plan and
make recommendations on what parts of the property would remain the same andwhat improvements
should be made. Improvements would not be at the property owner's expense.

Erin Robertson, a biologist with the Center for Native Ecosystems in Denver thinks that the conservation
agreements' goal is positive, but hopes the program's mere existence won't keep the Service from listing
the bird, citing concerns about the species needs. .

The Gunnison sage grouse has been listed as a "candidate species" under the Endangered Species Act
since 2000, but no formal decision on listing the bird as endangered for threatened has yet been made by
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A WW A Presents PubUc Omclals Summit: "Hurricane Katrina: The Stories, The Heroes, and New
Realities, The local public official's role in disaster planning, response, and recovery"l The American
Water Works Association will present this summit on April 23-24, 2005 in Mobile, Alabama. This public
officials-only national event is a unique and timely opportunity to hear first-hand from rescuers,
survivors, and water officials impacted by the hurricane in affected gulf coast states. Despite well-
documented early stumbling of emergency response authorities in response to the back-to-back
hurricanes, legions of rescuers from near and far hurried to aid battered communities. Included among the
responders were members of the water community; hear what they experienced and what they define now
as a new era in emergency response.

Registration is limited to elected and appointed local public officials only, to include: water/sewer board
commissioners, mayors and councilpersons. Staff members will not be able to attend. Contact Virginia
Thomas at 303-347-6203 or [e-mail]!: for more information.

Top Bush Environmental Advisor Speaks to Family Farm AlUance Conference: President Bush's
top environmental advisor delivered the keynote address to Western family farmers and ranchers gathered
at the 18th annual meeting and conference hosted by the Family Farm Alliance. James Connaughton,
Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), spoke via videoconference from
Washington, D.C. to the grassroots Alliance audience meeting in Las Vegas on Thursday, March 2.

The theme of the Alliance's annual conference was "Keeping the Family in Farming". The two-day event
- held March 2-3 at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino - featured irrigators and water policy experts

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