BOARD01476

• Board Meeting Date: 3/16/2004
• Description: ISF Section - Final Report to the Board re: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison National Forests - Pathfinder Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

United States
Department of
Agricnlture

Forest
Service

RECEIVED
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Grand Mesa, 2250 Highway 50
Unco~pahgMllllllWaterCOl1selVlltion BoardDe~ta, CO 81416
Gunmson VOIce: 970-874-6600
National Forests TOO: 970-874-6660

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File Code: 3000-3
Date: April 30, 2004

Dan Merriman
Colorado Water Conservation Board
1313 Sherman St. Room 721
Denver, CO 80203

Dear Dan,

I have received the Pathfinder Project Steering Committee Report. Completion of this report
addressing strategies for Instream Flow management on National Forest System lands is an
excellent template for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests to
consider as part of its Forest Plan revision.

I wish to personally thank you for the time and effort you have put into this collaborative
process. I recognize a great deal of understanding, cooperation, and compromise was required
by the Steering Committee to develop this report.

As a Committee member, in a group possessing and representing divergent opinions and beliefs,
you are to be commended for your ability to work towards this common goal. The product of
this work represents a fresh look at how the Forest Service can work cooperatively with a wide
array of the stakeholders having diverse interests in how water resources are managed on the
GMUG National Forests.

As the Forest Supervisor, I am committing the GMUG National Forest staff and Ranger Districts
to the concepts of cooperation and coordination outlined in your Report. It is our intent to
incorporate the Pathfinder Proj ect process and strategies for instream flow management into our
Forest Plan revision. The results of your efforts will provide proposals for the Plan revision that
I believe will be the foundation to future Forest Service decisions regarding instream flow
protection. The Forest Plan revision process will ensure continued public and stakeholder input
on water resource management issues.

It is my firm belief that your Report, which embodies the collective wisdom of the Steering
Committee, represents a fair balance of public perspectives on how water resources on our
National Forest System lands should be managed in the future. It is my hope this effort will have
more far-reaching influence and will serve as a template for other National Forests.

@l

Caring for the Land and Serving People

Printed on Recycled Paper

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