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<br />....\.jntroduced." Woodard said. "We would. welcome thi~
<br />.' ,.: By JOAN LOWV committee's.Inquh'iks of Iheadministrati<ID in this
<br />....,.:.: Rocky Mountain News Wash.I~. gton Bureau reganl. W!'"h'lve been'at a loss in getting a ~esponse to.
<br />. ..:.::. the bill." . ,.", .. , .. .
<br />',; WASHINGTON - The Department of the Interior Supporters of the project said privately they be-
<br />.,' yesterday continued to wlthhold its support from' lieve .the objections arc based in parton the leasing
<br />.::?)'\ .legislation needed to enact a cost-sharing agreement question.' During negotiations . on the cost-shari~g
<br />to. build the. $500'million Animas-La Plata water agreement. which was signed in December..the Interl-
<br />. :... project in southwestern Colorado and settle Indian or Department insisted that the triMs .be allowed to
<br />.:,.::. \YAt~Ulghts claims,. . ... lease water to out-of'state users. altllough the tribes
<br />.',k, At a House water'illldPower,sullcommittee hearing would need a state and federal exemptIon
<br />'. :'.'.. ..' on the legislation. deputy interior secretary Wayne.If the: tribes were able to .sell watel:' otit, of state.
<br />Marchant testified that the department supports the their ability to repay the federal g.6vernment for a
<br />project but has reservations about the language of a portion of the cost of the project would be improved.
<br />.. >:. bill to enact its cost-sharing agreement. However.,the issue. of out-of-state leasing is colitro-
<br />. ...,.'. ,...\...."r'.. Marchant was vague about the objections to the versial. especially because water users in California,
<br />bill. although he did mention the issue of whether the Arizona and Nevada don't want to have to pay in the
<br />two tribes involved - the Ute Mountain Utes and the future for water that now flows to them for free.
<br />.".,. Southern Utes - would be able to lease water from
<br />. . ....:' . the project to out-of-state users.
<br />... ,il,. "Without doubt. tlle single .most controversial as-
<br />)!:;:;.. pect of this bill is Indian water leasing." Marchant
<br />said. "There is no guarantee - either in the .(cost-
<br />sharing) agreement or in the legislation ~ that the
<br />..< :'. tribes would be able to lease out of state. but neither
<br />. ....:.. would ther~be a prohibition,"
<br />.,... Rep. Ben Nighthorse Campbell.D-Colo.. who repre-
<br />. .:./ sents the West Slope. tried to pin Marchant down oil
<br />.i':. the language the administration wants in the bill and
<br />>: why.he hasn't responded to written requests from
<br />. members of the Colorado and New Mexico delega-
<br />.:" tions as far back as June asking for their objectfbns.
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<br />MARCHANT ACKNOWLEDGED the departlnent
<br />had been "tardy." but said that none of the objections
<br />was "insurmountable in my view.," He suggested the
<br />two sides meet to discuss the issue.. ..
<br />Colorado Gov, Roy Romer and Attorney General
<br />. Duane Woodard who testified at the hearing com-
<br />plained that the administration has ignored their re-
<br />peated attempts to discuss tlle issue. .
<br />:..".: "The departments have never articulated in writ-
<br />ing any rational basis for their objections to the bill as
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<br />SUPPORTERS OF the project said they fear that
<br />opposition to the leasing from powerful California
<br />congressmen could kill the bill. .
<br />The Animas-La Plata water project has been
<br />sought for decades by the Indian tribes and others as
<br />solution to the problem of Indian water rights.
<br />When the two tribes were moved onto reservations
<br />by the federal government in the last century. they
<br />were awarded certain water rights.
<br />However. the tribes never had the economic re-
<br />. sources. to develop those rights. and much of the
<br />water was subsequently put to rise by communities.
<br />busInesses and farmers in the region. .
<br />The tribes have sinCe gone to court to claim the
<br />. water that is used by others. Attorneys on .both sides.
<br />including Woodard. believe the law is on the .side of
<br />the tribes. If a court turned possession of that water
<br />over to the Indians. it could wreak economic havoc ,n
<br />the region, they said.
<br />The tribes, both of which still truck water onto
<br />their reservations and complain of serious health
<br />problems resulting from that, have agreed to put
<br />litigation on hold if they can get the government to
<br />build a water. project.. .
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