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<br />MR. SPARKS: We are about to enter. the 21st century. <br /> <br />MR. STAPLETON: <br />in this regard. <br /> <br />I take it then we don.' t have to have anything further <br />Is that right? <br /> <br />MR. KROEGER: Mr. Chairman, is there a possibility that one of our board <br />meetings might be scheduled where we could be on the ground and see this? I <br />I would very much like to see this. I'm sure the best season would be <br />the peach-picking season, but they would probably rather see us in the <br />middle of summer. <br /> <br />MR. GORMLEY: We would be happy to have you come to Grand Junction. <br /> <br />MR. SPARKS: May would be an ideal time. We will have a board meeting <br />in -May. That is when irrigation is going full blast. <br /> <br />MR. STAPLETON: Let's take one more agenda item before lunch. <br /> <br />We will have consideration of the Yamcolo Project. John, will you take <br />that? <br /> <br />MR. FETCHER: Yes, I will. And my report will be brief. <br /> <br />As you are probably aware, we have been working on this small project <br />for some 15 years, and it was only two years ago that this board <br />recommended funding. We received authorization for one million dollars <br />from'the legislature last year. In addition to that, we have gone to <br />the private bond markets to obtain the total funds needed to build the <br />project in the amount of $3,900,000, making a total project of $4,900,000. <br />We have the money in the bank, and we are ready to go to work, except <br />for what is known as a "404 permit." The 404 permit has been a diffi- <br />cult prOblem for the district. Thanks to help from Harris Sherman's <br />office and his help with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, we made a <br />trip out to Sacramento to confront the Corps of Engineers about two <br />weeks ago to see if we could pry the 404 permit loose. <br /> <br />The reason that we are having difficulties with it is that the Eederal <br />Fish and Wildlife Service has required, as a condition of the permit, <br />that the contracting agencies, namely, the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy <br />District, of which I am secretary, obtain lands equivalent to those <br />lands that are being flooded. This policy is a result of Presidential <br />Order Number 11,990. I'm not sure whether that number is the number of <br />Presidential Orders starting from President Washington or from President <br />Carter. (Laughter.) But, anyway, that is the number on this order-- <br />11,990. It states that wet lands must be preserved and protected. I <br />will read you one short paragraph: <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />"The term 'wet lands' means those areas that are inundated by surface <br />or ground water with a frequency sufficient to support and under <br />normal circumstances does or would support a prelevance of vegetative <br />or aquatic life that requires saturated or seasonally saturated soil <br />conditions for growth and reproductions. - Wet lands generally include <br />swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas, such as sloughs, pot holes, <br />wet meadows, river overflows, mud flats, and natural ponds." <br /> <br />-30- <br />