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<br />Long-term funding legislation for the <br />Upper Colorado River and <br />San Juan River recovery programs <br /> <br />The success of the Recovery Program depends on obtaining sufficient funds to implement <br />recovery activities identified in the Recovery Action Plan. The Federal portion of the <br />remainirlg capital costs for implementing the Upper Colorado and San Juan River recovery <br />programs is estimated at $46 million, plus $17 million from the states and another $17 million <br />from power users. The funding is needed to complete a variety of capital projects, which <br />include building fish ladders, acquiring water, constructing hatchery facilities, and acquiring <br />and restoring floodplain habitats used by endangered fish. <br /> <br />In October 1994, the Recovery Program's Implementation Committee formed an ad hoc <br />'committee to develop a long-term funding strategy for the Recovery Program. The San Juan <br />River Recovery Program also was invited to participate in the discussions because of both <br />programs' linkage to the Colorado River Storage Project revenues, a funding source for these <br />programs. Participants in the discussions have included the states of Colorado, New Mexico, <br />Utah, and Wyoming; water, power, and environmental groups; several Indian tribes; the Fish <br />and Wildlife Service; Bureau of Reclamation; Western Area Power Administration; and <br />Bureau of Indian Affairs. In addition, staff from the House Resources Committee and the <br />Utah and Colorado Congressional delegations have been involved in several of the <br />committee's meetings. <br /> <br />In 1996, a bill was drafted to provide specific authorization for the Upper Colorado River and <br />San Juan River recovery programs through the years 2003 and 2007, respectively. Since that <br />time several program participants have been involved in discussions to resolve issues on how <br />Endangered Species Act section 7 consultations will be conducted and to identify funding <br />sources and funding mechanisms, cost ceilings for the program, and cost-sharing by program <br />participants. Major issues on the funding authorization recently have been resolved among <br />participants. The bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate (S. 1749) on March 12, 1998, and in <br />the House of Representatives (HR 3669) on April 1, 1998, but was not enacted into law. It <br />is expected to be re-introduced to Congress in spring 1999. <br /> <br /> <br />Photo courtesy of Colorado Historical Society <br />At the turn of the century, anglers prized the Colorado pikeminnow. which was common throughout <br />the Colorado River basin. <br /> <br />12 <br />