BOARD02469

• Board Meeting Date: 7/18/2005
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Upper Colorado and San Juan Basin Endangered Fish Recovery Implementation
Programs Reauthorization Act Introduced: Representative Barbara Cubin introduced
the Upper Colorado and San Juan Basin Endangered Fish Recovery Implementation
Programs Reauthorization Act of 2005 in the U.S. House of Representatives on June 30.
The bill has 12 original co-sponsors (Reps. Wilson, Beauprez, Matheson, Udall (CO),
Udall (NM), Salazar, Cannon, Bishop, DeGette, Musgrave, Pearce, and Tancredo).

In the near future, each of the non-federal Program participants will be asked to submit
letters supporting the legislation and requesting that a hearing be scheduled so that this
legislation may be enacted quickly.

On the Senate side, progress is being made in garnering co-sponsorship among the
participating states' Senators and it is anticipated that the bill will be introduced in a
matter of days.

Reclamation Names New Manager for Albuquerque Area Office: On June 21
Reclamation named Connie L. Rupp as the new manager of the Albuquerque Area
Office. Rupp will be responsible for Reclamation programs in the Rio Grande, Pecos
River, and Canadian River Basins and will supervise six field offices in portions of
Colorado, New Mexico, and west Texas. Reclamation's projects also serve 19 Native
American pueblos and three tribes.

Rupp will succeed current Area Manager Jack Garner upon his retirement at the end of
the year. She will join the Albuquerque Area Office later this year.

Interior Secretary Norton Names Patrick Leahy as Acting Director of USGS: On
June 13 Interior Secretary Gale Norton named Dr. P. Patrick Leahy as acting director of
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Leahy will take over from Dr. Charles G. Groat,
who has announced his resignation, effective on June 17 to accept an appointment at the
University of Texas at Austin. A permanent replacement for USGS director must be
nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Leahy is currently the associate director for Geology of the USGS. He has responsibility
for federal Earth-science programs, which include worldwide earthquake hazards
monitoring and research, geologic mapping of land and seafloor resources, volcano and
landslide hazards, and assessments of energy and mineral resources. He also is
responsible for all USGS international activities.

US Mayors Hold Annual Conference in Chicago; Consumer Group Urges Public
Support of Water to be Priority in Coming Year: On June 13, as the U.S. Conference
of Mayors (USCM) gathered in Chicago for its annual meeting, the consumer group
"Public Citizen" urged the organization to strengthen its commitment to protecting
municipal water systems with public oversight and accountability, and not to hand
control of the systems to private water companies.

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