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<br />002Gn6 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Also at the meeting, many participants expressed significant concern about the <br />proposed International Boundary and Water COmnllssion's proposal to rectify the <br />channel and restore the floodway capacity in the Limitrophe. This project could remove <br />much of the existing native cottonwood-willow riparian habitat that covers several <br />thousand acres in the riverine corridor below Morelos Dam. I have included a copy of <br />the meeting notes for your information. Board staff will continue to monitor this process <br />and provide reports and updates. <br /> <br />USFWS Guidance Regarding LCR MSCP Conservation Activity Implementation on LCR <br />National Wildlife RefUges <br /> <br />As you may recall, there has been ample discussion over the past few years <br />regarding the ability of the LCR MSCP participants to restore and maintain native <br />aquatic, wetland, and riparian habitats on Lower Colorado River National Wildlife <br />Refuge lands, with the LCR MSCP participants receiving mitigation "credits" or benefits <br />commensurate with those activities. The USFWS Regional Director, in a letter dated <br />May 3, 2004, has formally responded to this issue and provided guidance for the <br />Program. Generally, the USFWS supports the concept of habitat restoration and species <br />conservation on the refuges lands, as it is compatible with the primary purposes of the <br />refuges. As potential LCR MSCP conservation projects are identified on refuge lands, <br />the USFWS commits to work with the LCR MSCP participants to develop detailed plans <br />that meet both the goals of the LCR MSCP and continue to be compatible with the refuge <br />management plan. Those conservation projects and activities that are identified as high <br />priority projects on refuge lands, as well as meeting the overall goals of the LCR MSCP, <br />would be eligible to receive mitigation credit. Included in the Board folder is a copy of <br />the letter for your information. <br /> <br />USFWS Guidance Regarding Designation of Critical Habitat <br /> <br />On April 28, 2004, the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Wildlife and Parks, <br />Mr. Craig Manson, issued a memorandum to the Director of the USFWS that provided <br />specific guidance associated with the designation of critical habitat pursuant to Section 4 <br />of the ESA. In the memorandum, the Assistant Secretary recognizes the potential social <br />and economic impacts associated with the designation of critical habitat. Consequently, <br />the memorandum recommends that "...critical habitat designations must be no greater <br />than the habitat identified as essential to the conservation of the species." <br /> <br />The memorandum also identified several important points worth noting, including <br />the following: <br /> <br />I. Habitat, as that term is used in conservation biology, is indispensable to the <br />continued existence of the species, but critical habitat designations are only a <br />small elements of our nation's conservation strategy, and arguably the most <br />costly; <br /> <br />9 <br />