BOARD02169

• Board Meeting Date: 5/24/1999
• Description: Endangered Fish Recovery, ISF Water Rights Applications - 15-Mile Reach and Yampa - Status Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

SCOTT MCiNNIS
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March 27, 1998

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Congressman Ralph Regula
Chair, Subcommittee on Interior
B308 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

526P1NESTrlen
SUITE III
CLENWOOO SPRINGS. CO llWl
\9101928...0631
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Dear Chairman Regula:

. We are writing to request your support and assistance in
insuring continued funding for the Recovery Implementation
Program for Endangered Fish Species of the Upper Colorado River
Basin ("Recovery Program"). This multi-state, multi-agency
Recovery Program is being implemented in the Upper Colorado River
Basin with the objective of recovering four endangered fish
species while water development proceeds in compliance with the
Endangered Species Act of 1973. This Fiscal Year 1999 funding
will ensure that federal cost sharing funds are provided to the
Recovery Program. We support the following requests:

1. That the Subcommittee support the appropriation of $636,000 of
resource management funds to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) to meet its funding commitment to the Recovery
Program. This is the amount requested in the President's FY 99
budget proposal and is approximately the same amount requested
in previous years.

2. That language b~ included in the Subco~~ittee's Fiscal Year
1999 appropriations legislation to indicate that $200,000 of
Section 6 funds should be allocated to the Recovery Program
before the FWS formula for allocating funds among its Regions
is applied. The ESA Section 6 budget for all 73 listed
species in FWS Region 6 is expected to be $429,000 in Fiscal
Year 1999. Dedicating $200,000, or nearly one-half of the
Region's entire Section 6 budget, to four endangered Colorado
River fish will adversely and significantly impact state
recovery programs for the other listed species in FWS Region
6. Our requested language will insure continued funding for
the Recovery Program, but not at the expense of other high
priority recovery efforts in Region 6. In Fiscal Years 1992,
1993, and 1994, the Subcommittee earmarked $200,000 pursuant
to Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act for the Recovery
Program.

3. That language be included in the Subcommittee's Fiscal Year
1999 appropriations legislation prohibiting the FWS from
charging more than 3 percent overhead on moneys transferred
from the Bureau of Reclamation for the Upper Colorado River