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<br />~ <br /> <br />l <br /> <br />Final Report <br /> <br />April 2004 <br /> <br />Further, the Steering Committee's work is consistent with portions of the recent <br />Discretionary Review Decision (March 21, 2003) by Deputy Under Secretary of the <br />Department of Agriculture, David P. Tenny, on Water Resources Management and <br />Special Use Authorizations (www.GMUGoathfinder.org/Tennvrnemo)that states that <br />"water uses on National Forest System lands should be managed through cooperation <br />with states, other federal agencies, Tribal govenunents, holders of valid water rights and <br />the interested public, rather than through unilateral regulatory action by the Forest <br />Service." <br /> <br />Steering Committee Conclusions <br /> <br />The Values, Goals and Objectives, and Implementation sections and the associated tables <br />in this report provide the rationale, process, and intent of the Pathfinder Project Steering <br />Committee's instream flow management strategies. <br /> <br />The Steering Committee seeks to have the Forest Service carefully consider and evaluate <br />their proposed goals, objectives, and strategies to provide instream flow protection on <br />National Forest lands and that the concept of tiered application of management actions or <br />strategies (tools) be integral in any Forest Service plan for managing water uses on the <br />GMUG National Forests. The Steering Committee's assessment of Goals and <br />Objectives for instream flow protection provides the Forest Service with a framework for <br />its Forest Plan Revision that seeks to achieve resource protection and provide for <br />multiple-use and protection of water resources on NFS lands based on the issues and <br />concerns expressed by stakeholders and the general public. The implementation <br />strategies favoring cooperation and coordination are integral to the Steering Committee's <br />vision for instream'flow protection and constitute the heart of what the Committee feels is <br />necessary to successfully accomplish the goals and objectives. <br /> <br />The Pathfinder Project Steering Committee recognizes that ultimately the Forest Plan will <br />define the implementation procedures for these tools or other strategies to meet GMUG <br />National Forest instream flow needs, but the Pathfinder Project goals, objectives, and <br />strategies provide the Forest Service with a reasonable management approach for <br />instream flow protection that should be considered in the Forest Plan revision. <br /> <br />- 13 - <br />