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<br />,001144 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />'-" ;;:,' ~', ~ <br /> <br />The major change between the authorized mitigation and <br />enhancement plans and the newly proposed 'ones is the <br />substitution of the Russell Lakes Waterfowl Management Area for <br />the originally proposed Mishak National Wildlife Refuge. A <br />comparision of these two is presented in the attached January <br />5, 1982, letter from the U,S, Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau), <br />Note that less land and water is needed for the Russell Lakes <br />proposal, <br /> <br />I am advised that the new mitigation plan is acceptable to <br />the Bureau, the U.S, Fish and wildlife Service, the Colorado <br />Oivision of Wildlife, and local interests. Furthermore, I am <br />advised that there is strong local support for the enhancement <br />plan, Finally, it is my understanding that the Rio Grande <br />Water Conservation District is amenable to the new plans. <br /> <br />Cost Allocations <br /> <br />There are two components of non-federal costs for the <br />Closed Basin Project: <br /> <br />(1) The authorizing legislation specifies that any <br />state-owned lands needed for the project shall be <br />provided at no cost to the United States, and <br /> <br />(2) The Federal Water Project Recreation Act (P,L, 89-72) <br />requires that one-half of the cost of recreation <br />enhancement features and one-fourth of the cost of <br />f ish and wildli fe enhancement features be assumed by <br />non-federal interests. <br /> <br />In addition, annual operation and maintenance costs for <br />enhancement features are a non-federal obligation. In <br />contrast, both the cost of constructing and operating <br />mitigation features are non-reimbursable. <br /> <br />The state-owned lands needed for the project are held by <br />the state Board of Land Commissioners, By statute, those lands <br />must be purchased from that Board. The estimated cost of these <br />lands is as follows: <br /> <br />Project Facilities (1632 acres) <br />Enhancement Facilities (100 acres) <br /> <br />$163,200 <br />15,000 <br />178,200 <br /> <br />+ 25% <br /> <br />44,550 <br /> <br />Total (1732 acres) <br /> <br />$222,750 <br /> <br />With respect to enhancement features, the Bureau has <br />allocated the cost of these features between recreation and <br />fish and wildlife as detailed in the attachment entitled <br />"Allocation of Costs of Enhancement Features." As can be seen, <br />the reimbursable cost for recreation features is estimated to <br /> <br />-2- <br />