BOARD01284

• Board Meeting Date: 9/21/1998
• Description: Platte River Basin Issues - Status of Platte River Species Cooperative Agreement Implementation
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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TO.

C\\'CB ".kmbers

FRO\[

Doug Robotham

D,,\TE:

September 21. 1998

RE:

Status of Platte River Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement
Implementation

The memorandum is intended as a status report on on-going efforts to implement the Platte River
Basin Cooperative Agreement Relating to Endangered Species Habitats (Cooperative
Agreement), Though no action is sought at this time, my objective is to ensure your
understanding of this effort remains current in the event that any formal decision(s) is required in
the future,

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Introduction

On July 1, 1997, Governor Romer, Governor Nelson (N13), GOI'ernor Geringer (y>iY), and
Secretary of the Interior Babbitt signed tho Cooperative Agreemont. The Cooperative Agreement
describes a long-term habitat restoration program and commits the parties to a series of activities,
including a three yearNEPAcompliance process,.that pro\~de the foundation from which to
launch the program, The Cooperative Agreement also provides a predictable Endangered Species
Act compliance mechanism for water facilities in the Platte River basin while l\'EP A compliance
on the long-term program proceeds, Major Cooperative Agreement features and activities are
summarized briefly below,

L The Governance Committee: The Cooperative Agreement establishes an 10 member
governance structure consisting of one representative from each of the states, two representatives
from the federal government, three water user representatives, and two representatives from
environmental organizations, I am presently functioning as Colorado's representative to the
Governance Committee, Water users (urban and agricultural) in the South Platte Basin are
represented by Mr, Alan Berryman, Mr, Dan Luecke, Director of the Rocky Mountain Regional
Office of the Environmental Defense Fun,d based itl",Boulder, is one of the environmental
representatives, The Goverriance Committee haS lUred Mr, Dale Strickland, a principal with the
Cheyenne, Wyoming based private consulting firm WEST, Inc., as its Executive Director. Costs
for Mr. Strickland's services are split between the parties in accordance with the agreed upon
~fair share" cost share formula: 50% -- fedetBi government; 40% - Nebraska; 40% -- Colorado;
20% -- Wyoming. In FY 98-99, Colorado's share of costs associated with Mr, Strickland's

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