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<br />001564 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />PURSUANT TO THE INDIAN NON-INTERCOURSE ACT. <br />THIS LEGISLATION WILL BENEFIT THE CITIZENS OF COLORADO AND <br />NEW MEXICO, INDIAN AND NON-INDIAN. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS BILL <br />IMPLEMENTS THE HISTORIC OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENT OF THE FEDERAL <br />GOVERm1ENT TO THE INDIAN TRIBES AND THE COffi1ITMENT MADE TO ALL <br />THE CITIZENS OF SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. <br />I WANT TO STRESS THAT THIS LEGISLATION IS WANTED, INDEED <br />CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL, BY THE TWO TRIBES. BOTH TRIBAL CHAIRMEN <br />ARE WITH US TODAY TO TELL THEIR OWN STORY OF THE IMPORTANCE OF <br />THIS SETTLEMENT/LEGISLATION. THESE TRIBES HAVE COURAGEOUSLY <br />AND REASONABLY PERSISTED IN THEIR EFFORTS TO OBTAIN WHAT IS <br />RIGHTFULLY THEIRS. THE DECEMBER SETTLEMENT AND THIS LEGISLATION <br />PROVIDE TO THEM REAL WATER, NOT JUST PAPER WATER RIGHTS. <br />BRIEFLY, THE SETTLEMENT/LEGISLATION SETTLES THE LONGSTANDING <br />WATER RIGHTS CLAIMS, QUANTIFIES INDIAN AND NON-INDIAN RIGHTS <br />AFFECTING WATER USE IN COLORADO, AND SETS FORTH THE SOURCE OF <br />WATER TO SATISFY THEM. THOSE RIGHTS ARE ALLOCATED OUT OF <br />EXISTING WATER SOURCES AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUT OF FUTURE WATER <br />TO BE MADE AVAILABLE FROM THE NEARLY-COMPLETED DOLORES PROJECT, <br />(COLORADO), AND THE AUTHORIZED, BUT AS YET UNCONSTRUCTED, ANIMAS- <br />LA PLATA PROJECT (COLORADO-NEW MEXICO). WATER FROM THE PROJECTS <br />WILL BE USED BY BOTH INDIANS AND NON-INDIANS FOR ECONOMIC <br />DEVELOPMENT, DOMESTIC, MUNICIPAL, INDUSTRIAL, AND AGRICULTURAL <br />PURPOSES IN COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO. <br /> <br />PAYMENT FOR THE ANIMAS-LA PLATA PROJECT COMPONENT OF THE <br /> <br />SETTLEMENT/LEGISLATION WILL BE SHARED, AS REQUIRED BY LAW, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />I <br />