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" ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND . April 10, 1985 Mr. David Getches Executive Director Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street, Room 718 Denver, Colorado 80203 Re: Upper Colorado River Basin Coordinating Committee Dear Mr. Getches: In recent hearings before the House Subcommittee on Fish- eries, Wildlife Conservation and the Environment, the U.S. Depart- ment of the Interior recommended that the Endangered Species Act be reauthorized for four years without substantive amendments. The Department of Commerce made the same recommendation. And a number of local and national conservation organizations reco- mmended that the Act be reauthorized for five years. Thus, we ~ are hopeful that Congress will act quickly to reauthorize this vital piece of legislation. Nevertheless, despite the efforts of state and federal fish and wildlife agencies, the endangered fish species of the Colorado River basin continue to decline. It is abundantly clear that development and implementation of a comprehensive conservation plan is urgently needed if we are to avoid the extinction of these species, The Upper Colorado River Coordinating Committee could playa vital role in bringing all interested parties together to formulate a biologically responsible plan that reconciles protection of the natural habitat upon which these endangered fish species depend with future development of the basin's water resources. However, in observing the Committee's deliberations we have identified several issues that could seriously obstruct the search for such a solution. First, it appears that in examining the effects of additional depletions on flow regimes, the hydrology subcommittee failed to evaluate the effects of all d~pletions predicted in the completed and pending section 7 consultations. ~ ""'~ 140~ Arilp;lllOC Avenue Boulder. Colorado 80302 A 1303) 440.4901 OFF1U':S IS. ~E\V YOHK. r-o-V (National Headquarters); WASHINGTON. DC; BERKELEY. CA; RICHMOND. VA; BOULDER CO