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<br />~nittd ~tQtt.5 ~rnatt <br /> <br />March 30, 1998 <br /> <br />The Honorable Slade Gorton <br />Subcommittee on Interior <br />Senate Committee on Appropriations <br />Washington, D.C. 20Sl0 <br /> <br />Dear Senator Gorton: <br /> <br />We are writing to request your support and assistance in <br />ensuring continued funding for the Recovery Implementation <br />Program for Endangered Fish Species of the Upper Colorado River <br />Basin ("Recovery Program"). This multi-state, multi-agency <br />Recovery Program is being implemented in the Upper Colorado River <br />Basin with the objective of recovering four endangered,fish <br />species while water development proceeds in compliance with the <br />Endangered Species Act of 1973. We support the following <br />reque$ts_.for---PY' 99:. <br /> <br />1. $636,000 of resource management ,funds for the U.S. Fish and <br />Wildlife Service (FWS) to meet its funding commitment to the <br />Recovery Program. This is the amount requested in the <br />President's FY 99 budget proposal and is approximately the <br />same amount requested in previous years. <br /> <br />2. $200,000 of Section 6 funds to be allocated to the Recovery <br />Program before th~ FWS formula for allocating funds among its <br />Regions is applied. The Endangered Species Act Section 6 <br />budget for all 73 listed species in FWS Region 6 is expected <br />to be $429,000 in Fiscal Year 1999. Dedicating $200,000, or <br />nearly one-half of the Region's entire Section 6 budget, to <br />four endangered Colorado River fish will adversely and <br />significantly impact state recovery programs for the other <br />listed species in FWS Region 6. Our requested language will <br />ensure continued funding for the Recovery Program, but not at <br />the expense of other high priority recovery efforts in Region <br />6. In Fiscal Years 1992, 1993, and 1994, the Subcommittee <br />earmarked $200,000 pursuant to Section 6 of the Endangered <br />. , <br />Species Act for the Recovery Program. <br /> <br />3. Language prohibiting the FWS from charging more than 3 <br />percent overhead on funds transferred from the Bureau of <br />Reclamation for the Upper Colorado River Recovery <br />Implementation Program. A prohibition on FWS charging <br />