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<br />JUL-ll-S7 13.24 FROM'M.B.S.S. <br /> <br />10,970 247 ee2? <br /> <br />PAGE 5/27 <br /> <br />I <br />i.- <br />i' <br />i <br /> <br />News Release <br />For lmInedi.ate Release <br />July 8, 1997 <br /> <br />For iDformatioD CODtact: <br />Cbristine Albogast <br />(303) 841-8400 <br /> <br />Ute Tribes, Water Officials, Congressional Delegations <br />Annonnce "Animas-La Plata Reconciliation Plan" <br /> <br />WASHINGTON, DC. July S; 1997 - Native American triballeadeIs and members of the <br /> <br />Colorado and New MexiCXl congressional delegations announced a major mnnm""tion of the <br /> <br />,An;mlK-La Plata project today_ The revised plan is designed to reduce the project's costs and <br /> <br />environmenW imp'"'' while preserviDg the <:ommilment to resolving water rights claims by the <br /> <br />two tribes. <br /> <br />The modified plan - koown'as theAnbruzs-Lo Plota Reconciliation Plan - is ~l :.....-1 to <br />save more than S400 million from the origiDal tl-ig7> The revised plan emerged from talks that <br />were org>mi?P.rf by Colorado Govanor Roy Romer and Secre!ary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt <br />last October to find a common ground ~........ the project's proponenlS and its critics. <br /> <br />The initial plan was estimated at $744 million and the rec;onciliation plan comes in at <br />$257 million plus Slale and local cost sbariDg of$33 million, a reduction of nearly tw~tbirds.. <br />The savings are primarily achieved by sbelviug the expansive irrigation Dcilities for DOn-l..m.... <br />farmers and nmcheIs.. This also ..!imm_ the impact of the project on water quatity. accoMiDg <br />to the New Mexico Depc..tw..u1 ofEnviromncDt. <br /> <br />The tribal leaders said their proposal lives up to the spirit of the 1988 Colorado Ute <br />IDdian Water Rights Settlement Act, guarann:eing that ~tbirds of the water will be all~ <br />exclusively to the Ute tribes. Four commUDilies in southwestem Colorado and northwestern <br />New Mexico will use tbe ""I......... The tribes said they would accept the new plan as fall <br />settlemmt of their water rights "him" <br /> <br />John Echohawk, o;ecatiVl: direaor of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF). <br />i.ntroduc=d the d.oWIlSized !"ojeGt saying. "Faihm: to respond to 1his .~lable effort to <br />cuwp.....r.uise wotzld force the tribes aDcl1he govemmCDt into costly litigation. The fedaal <br />govemment camlOt possibly ignore this Jlegotiated .".".J...m.- if it is to fulfill its trust <br />responsibility,," NARF is ........,utly ~..n.,g water right-; claims far seveI2l other tribes.. <br /> <br />-mon- <br />