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<br />, <br /> <br />. <br />'"' (\ 17 '37 <br />\)v <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE ROY ROMER <br />GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br />Before the <br /> <br />SELECT COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS <br /> <br />and the <br /> <br />WATER AND POWER SUBCOMMITTEE <br />COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES <br />UNITED STATES SENATE <br /> <br />Concerning <br /> <br />S. 1415 <br />THE COLORADO UTE INDIAN WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT ACT OF 1987 <br /> <br />Washington. D.C. <br />December 3. 1987 <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />The Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Final Settlement <br />Agreement ("Agreement") of December 10. 1986. was entered into <br />by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. Ute Mountain Ute Indian <br />Tribe. United States. State of Colorado. and ten other entities <br />representing water users in southwestern Colorado. It is the <br />cUlmination of two years of intensive negotiations by the <br />signatories thereto. <br /> <br />The reserved water rights claims of the two Tribes would <br />have disrupted the established economy of the non~Indian water <br />users in southwestern Colorado had they been litigated. <br />Instead. we have achieved through compromise and accommodation <br />a lasting and equitable settlement of the Tribes' claims which <br />does not harm non-Indian interests. <br /> <br />I cannot emphasize to you enough the extraordinary working <br />relationships between Indian and non-Indian neighbors in <br />southwestern Colorado. There is a strong community of interest <br />among all of our citizens which is exemplified by the results <br />of these negotiations. By any standard. an historic agreement <br />has been achieved. <br /> <br />As you consider this settlement and the required <br />implementing legislation. I would emphasize the unique nature <br />of each Indian reserved water rights situation. It is <br />important to recognize that the factual. economic. and social <br />circumstances surrounding a settlement will vary from Tribe to <br />Tribe and state to state. If Congress is to encourage <br />negotiated settlements rather than years of expensive and <br /> <br />4687E <br /> <br />~ j. <br />- ".,,: <br />'._. <br />