BOARD02415

• Board Meeting Date: 3/20/2000
• Description: Directors' Reports
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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goals, approved an amendment to the Section 7 agreement, gave conditional approval to RIPRAP
revisions (pending final Management Committee review), approved the draft FY 2001 Program .
Guidance, and approved the Management Committee's recommendation for a subgroup to
outline a mechanism, issues, and constraints for incorporating the states' capital funds into the
Recovery Program.

Rich Valdez briefed the Committee on the development of recovery goals. The Biology
Committee has reviewed the draft humpback chub report and a final draft will be issued Mar. 10.
The draft Colorado pikeminnow report will be issued Mar. 17, a draft razorback sucker report
Apr. 1, and a draft bonytail report Apr. 15.

DNR Executive Director Greg Walcher said Colorado has completed its own draft
recovery goals that will be discussed by the Biology Committee later this month. Walcher
emphasized his concern about delays. After some discussion, the Committee approved the
Management Committee's recommended process for finalizing and approving goals; however,
the Management Committee will accelerate it review ifpossible.

The Section 7 Agreement (Section III. 1 ) was amended to add a sentence regarding
Programmatic Biological Opinions:

"Activities and accomplishments under the RIP are intended to provide the reasonable
and prudent alternatives which avoid the likelihood of jeopardy to the continued existence
of the endangered Colorado River fishes (hereinafter the "reasonable and prudent .-
alternative") resulting from depletion impacts of new projects and all existing or past
impacts related to historic proj ects with the exception of the discharge by historic proj ects
of pollutants such as trace elements, heavy metals, and pesticides. However, where a
programmatic biological opinion applies, the appropriate provisions of such an
opinion will apply to future individual consultations."

Proposed changes to the RIPRAP included: including elements of the 15-Mile Reach
PBO, the draft Yampa Management Plan, and reasonable and prudent alternatives from the
Narrows consultation; including of development of a tributary management plan; and placing
some Gunnison River RIPRAP items on hold until the scope of the Gurmison Section 7
consultation is determined. The Implementation Committee agreed to the changes and gaye
conditional approval to the revisions, contingent upon the Management Committee's approval of
the final revisions.

7\10 Negotiations: A letter was sent to you regarding these matters on Dec. 21,1999.
Since then, the states met on Jan. 19 and on Feb. 22 to brief the Tribes on activities and to get an
update from California on its 4.4 plan. California has also provided a revised draft of its
proposed surplus and shortage criteria. Several environmental groups have joined together and
proposed surplus and shortage criteria for the Secretary's consideration. These were part ofthe
discussions at the Mar. 13 Upper Colorado Legal and Engineering Committee meeting. We will
provide you with additional information on the issues at your meeting. Future meetings on these .
issues are set for Mar. 16 and 22, and Apr. II:

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