BOARD01709

• Board Meeting Date: 5/3/1985
• Description: Agenda, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

Mr. David Getches
Page Five

We urge you to place this topic on the Committee's agenda for its
next meeting.

3. Principles for ~ Lonq-Ranqe Conservation Plan

Beyond addressing the immediate concerns of gathering and
evaluating scientific data on the river's endangered fishes, and
examining alternative strategies for section 7 consultations, the
Coordinating Committee is looking to development of a long-term, ,
comprehensive program for conserving and recovering these species.)'
We believe that expeditious development and implementation of
such a plan is critically important, since it seems to be the
consensus of biological experts that we have not even arrested
the species' decline, and since the Fish and Wildlife Service
continues to issue biological opinions that authorize further _
degradation of essential habitat. In support of this effort to
develop a long-term plan for protection of the river's endangered
fishes, we have identified certain fundamental principles that
should be included in a conservation plan.

The first priority of any conservation plan under the Endan-
gered Species Act must be the cons~rvation of endangered species
and the natural ecosystems upon which they depend. Second, it is
essential to bear in mind that while development of the Colorado
River is constrained by the need to conserve endangered species,
other values must also be considered in developing a conservation
program under the Act. For example, the riverine habitat is
heavily used by raptors such as the endangered bald eagle and by
other water dependent birds like the blue heron. Protection of
these species, and other values that are integrally dependent
upon maintenance of the riverine ecosystem in its natural state,
is important to our or n' , nd our members as well as to
the public at large.~hus, development of a p an
ro eC'lon ot the river's endangered fishes must also recognize
the importance of preserving the natural ecosystem, especially
ecologically sensitive sections of the river.

." ..J Third, the conservation-plan"'must-;-a-t-a-mInimurn," ensuJO.e that:---)
)no species is rendered extinc~~fllan must be suffic- '.
~ently dynamic that ~t would not impede development of measures \
that would be needed to protect any species that miqht be listed ~'
I in the fu_t\!E-=..Fsuch an act~on is purely speculative at this
time, but that merely points out the need to retain flexibility
to respond if the Secretary of the Interior lists other species
that are dependent upon the Colorado River for their existence.

~..J Fifth, while
the extinction of
.b' about th

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the plan's basic objective must be to prevent ~
listed species, it must .1sO-..he..d.esigned to /
cover of the s ecies. While it may not be

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