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<br /> <br />, <br /> <br />002677 <br /> <br /> <br />III.i10PRINCIPLES RELATED TO THE PROCEDURES ,; " '~,\' ..,; t 1" ,"., <br /> <br />. .," <br /> <br />1. The Procedures are intended to meet the spirit of the Recovery <br />Program: <br /> <br />'0 <br /> <br />The goa 1 of the Recovery Program is to recover the four <br />endangered Colorado River fishes by establishing. naturally <br />self-sustaining populations and protecting the habitat upon <br />which they depend. The Procedures are intended to support this <br />goal while allowing, nonnative fish stocking for recreational <br />fishing and private aquaculture. provided that such stocking is <br />compatible with recovery of the endangered Colorado River <br />fishes. <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />Implementation of these Procedures will contribute to <br />fulfilling the intent for the Recovery Program to serve as the <br />"reasonable and prudent alternative" for certain types of water <br />development in the Upper Basin (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service <br />1996) . <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />The Recovery Program directs that "stocking of nonnative <br />species will be confined to areas where the absence of <br />potential conflict with rare or endangered species can be <br />demonstrated. " <br /> <br />The Procedures provide guidance for stocking of nonnative <br />fishes in the Upper Basin that is consistent with recovery <br />efforts for the endangered Colorado River fishes. They are <br />intended as a way to integrate recreational fishery management <br />with ongoing recovery efforts for the endangered fishes. <br /> <br />2. These Procedures will be implemented by a Cooperative Agreement <br />between the Service and State fish and wildlife agencies in <br />Colorado. Utah. and Wyoming. . The roles and responsibilities of <br />each agency will be clearly described in the Cooperative Agreement. <br /> <br />3. Both the Service and the States have statutory responsibilities <br />which cannot be abrogated. The States have the responsibility for <br />managing fish and wildlife resources that includes threatened and <br />endangered species occurring within their boundaries. The Service <br />has certain legislated responsibilities for conserving fish and <br />wildlife resources through administration of the Endangered Species <br />Act. including enforcement of section 9 "take" violations. <br /> <br />4. The Service's participation in the stocking procedures will require <br />that an Intra-Service section 7 consultation be completed. Berming <br />and stocking within the 100-year floodplain may result in an <br />adverse modification of critical habitat. These procedures attempt <br />to minimize the adverse modification of critical habitat. The <br />section 7 consultation will be completed prior to signing of the <br />Cooperative Agreement. <br /> <br />3 <br />