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<br />" ", ! ' 1 <br />iJ J c.:. ';1';' <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />PREFACE <br /> <br />These Procedures were revised based on an evaluation of the "Interim <br />Procedures for Stocking of Nonnative Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River <br />Basin" (Interim Procedures) that were developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife <br />Service (Service) and the States of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming in March, <br />1994. <br /> <br />The Interim Procedures were implemented on a trial basis during the spring, <br />summer, and fall of 1994 by application to Lake Management Plans (i.e., <br />stocking proposals) that were developed for 12 ponds and reservoirs by the <br />Colorado Division of Wildlife. A Review Team composed of biologists from the <br />Service and the fish and wildlife agencies in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming <br />reviewed the Lake Management Plans, evaluated the Interim Procedures, and <br />considered comments that were solicited from the public in mid-December, 1994. <br />On January 31, 1995, the Regional Director, Region 6 - Denver CO, U.S. Fish <br />Fish and Wildlife Service and the Director of the Colorado Division of <br />Wildlife met and discussed further options to allow the stocking of <br />nonsa1monid, nonnative fishes in the 50-year floodplain. The proposed <br />conditions were distributed to participants on various Recovery Program <br />committees and to interested parties on March 6, 1995. On April 24-25, 1995, <br />three independent biologists (i.e., not employed by the agencies represented <br />on the Review Team) met with the Review Team to discuss the biological merits <br />of the proposed conditions. Their comments were also evaluated and <br />incorporated into the present draft Procedures. The major changes to the <br />Interim Procedures from these reviews were: <br /> <br />1. The tables were reorganized for clarity and completeness. <br /> <br />2. Only common names of fishes are used in the text. The families, <br />scientific names, and common names of these fishes are provided in <br />Appendix A (Robins 1991). <br /> <br />3. Proposals to stock new fish species in the Upper Basin will fo1iow the <br />guidelines in the American Fisheries Policy on "Introductions of Aquatic <br />Species" without modifications used in the Interim Procedures (Appendix <br />C) . <br /> <br />4. The 40-year floodplain was changed to the 50-year floodplain because <br />available information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency <br />includes the 10-year, 50-year, 100-year, and 500-year floodplains. <br /> <br />5. Stocking of nonnative fish species (excluding salmonids) within the 0 to <br />10-year floodplain in critical habitat of the endangered fishes is not <br />allowed. <br /> <br />6. Stocking of nonnative largemouth bass, bluegill, and black crappie is <br />allowed in the 10- to 50-year floodplain in critical habitat of the <br />endangered fishes in Colorado, provided that conditions specified in <br />these Procedures are implemented in their entirety. <br /> <br />The Recovery Program for Endangered Fishes in the Upper Colorado River Basin <br />is a joint effort of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of <br />Reclamation, Western Area Power Administration, States of Colorado, Utah, and <br />Wyoming, Upper Basin water users, and environmental organizations. <br /> <br />iii <br />