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<br />~01751 <br />uu <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />AND EQUITABLE SETTLEMENT OF THE TRIBES' CLAIMS. THE HALLMARKS <br />OF THIS SETTLEMENT ARE WET WATER FOR THE TRIBES, NOT JUST PAPER <br />WATER RIGHTS, PROVIDED IN A MANNER THAT DOES NOT HARM THE <br />NON-INDIAN ECONOMY, <br /> <br />I CANNOT OVER-EMPHASIZE THE EXTRAORDINARILY GOOD WORKING <br />RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INDIANS AND NON-INDIANS IN SOUTHWESTERN <br />COLORADO, AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE RESULTS OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS, <br />SUCH SETTLEMENTS ARE, UNFORTUNATELY, THE EXCEPTION RATHER THAN <br />THE RULE. <br /> <br />I HOPE YOU SHARE OUR SENSE OF URGENCY IN SEEING THIS <br />SETTLEMENT THROUGH TO FRUITION. THE UNITED STATES' TRUSTEE <br />OBLIGATIONS TO THE TRIBES MUST BE FULFILLED, THIS SETTLEMENT <br />MAKES THAT POSSIBLE. <br /> <br />AS YOU CONSIDER THIS SETTLEMENT AND THE REQUIRED <br />IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION, I WOULD EMPHASIZE TO YOU THAT EACH <br />INDIAN RESERVED WATER RIGHTS SITUATION IS UNIQUE. THE FACTUAL, <br />ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING A SETTLEMENT <br />WILL VARY FROM TRIBE TO TRIBE AND STATE TO STATE, IF CONGRESS <br />IS TO ENCOURAGE NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENTS, RATHER THAN YEARS OF <br />EXPENSIVE AND DIVISIVE LITIGATION, THEN IT SHOULD ENDORSE THE <br />PRINCIPLE THAT NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENTS WILL BE TREATED ON A <br />CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. <br /> <br />-3- <br /> <br />. <br />