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<br />1 <br /> <br />presentation about the Joint Water Users Reallocation Recommendation is planned for the <br />January 2005 CWCB meeting. It is hoped that the CWCB Members will then endorse this <br />recommendation and have CWCB staff members forward it on to the Corps for consideration. <br /> <br />South Platte Forum: On Oct. 27-28 the 15th South Platte Forum was held. CWCB staff member <br />Rick Brown, among others, spoke at the forum about the Statewide Water Supply Initiative. <br /> <br />Rio Grande Basin <br /> <br />Southwest Willow Flycatcher Critical Habitat Designation: On Oct. 12 the US Fish and Wildlife <br />Service gave noiice of its proposal to designate critical habitat tor the southwestern willow flycatcher <br />throughout six of the seven Colorado River Basin States. Comments are being solicited and are due by <br />Dec. 13 [Fed. Reg" Vol. 69, No. 196, page 60706]. <br />[htIP:/ /a25 7 . g.akamaitech.netl7 /257 /2422/06i un20041800/ edocket.access. goo. gOY /2004/odf/04- <br />22394.odfl <br /> <br />The only habitat proposed in Colorado is in the San Luis Valley, however it constitutes the single <br />largest area of private lands [59,036 acres] proposed for inclusion, and a large segment ofthe Rio <br />Grande in Colorado. Quoting from the notice: <br /> <br />"The areas proposed for designation as critical habitat will require some level of management and/or <br />protection to address the current and future threats to southwestern willow flycatchers and maintain the <br />primary constituent elements essential to its conservation in order to ensure the overall conservation of <br />the species. The designation of critical habitat does not imply that lands outside of critical habitat do <br />not play an important role in the conservation of the flycatcher. Federal activities that may affect those <br />unprotected areas (such as groundwater pumping, developments, watershed condition, etc.) outside of <br />critical habitat are still subject to review under section 7 ofthe Act if they may affect the flycatcher. <br />The prohibitions of section 9 (e.g., hann, harass, capture) also continue to apply both inside and <br />outside of designated critical habitat." <br /> <br />Proposed Critical Habitat Designation <br /> <br />Weare proposing stream segments in 21 Management Units found in 5 Recovery Units as critical <br />habitat for the southwestern willow flycatcher. These stream segments occur in southern CA, southern <br />NY, Southwestern UT, AZ, NM, and south-central CO. The critical habitat areas described below <br />constitute our best assessment at this time of the areas essential for the conservation of the <br />southwestern willow flycatcher. In order to help further understand the location ofthese proposed <br />stream segments, as well as those areas being excluded from this proposed designation, please see the <br />associated maps found within this proposed rule or examine them at http:// arizonaes.fWs.gov. <br /> <br />The 5 Recovery Units and associated stream segments are: <br /> <br />. Coastal California Recovery Unit... <br />. Basin and Mohave Recovery Unit in California ... <br />· Lower Colorado Recovery Unit-Nevada, California/Arizona border, Arizona. Utah ... <br />. Gila Recovery Unit in Arizona and NewMexico ... <br />· Rio Grande Recovery Unit in NewMexico and Colorado: [San Luis Valley Management Unit- <br />Conejos River, Rio Grande, CO.; Upper Rio Grande Management Unit-Coyote Creek, Rio <br />Grande, Upper Rio Grande del Rancho, NM.; Middle Rio Grande Management Unit-Rio <br />Grande, NM. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />24 <br />