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<br />200/ ADJ7S0RrCOl'.\'CIL REPORT <br /> <br />c> <br />~. <br />1"\", <br /> <br />The USBR and the Salinity Control Program have recently completed a demonstration project in <br />which the value of both salinity and selenium control were analyzed It may be helpful if experts <br />from the USGS, the BLM and the USFWS attempt to better understand the geochemistry and the <br />processes by which the Mancos Shale loads salinity and selenium into the hydrologic system. This <br />knowledge could assist future efforts to control areas where maximum benefits can be obtained for <br />both selenium and salinity control. <br /> <br />-j <br /> <br />The Council requests a written report responding to the recommendations herein by t\1ay 1, 1001. <br /> <br />l.Zs. Department of Agriculture (USDA) <br /> <br />The Council appreciates the funds that the USDA makes available for salinity control. The Council <br />recognizes that there is a great deal of competition for funding under the Environmental Quality <br />Incentives Program (EQIP) but continues to be concerned that the current funding is not adequate. <br />The USDA projects are very cost effective and with additional funding additional salt reduction <br />could be realized. The Council is again recommending a $12 million funding level. This funding <br />recommendation is necessary to move forward with the Plan of Implementation contained in the <br />1999 Re~'iew, Water Quality Standards for Salinity, Colorado River System, June 1999. The Council <br />is encouraged by the ongoing discussions relating to the reauthorization of the fann bill and will <br />continue tosuppon additional funding for Colorado River Basin Salinity Control. The Council notes <br />that significant state cost sharing funds are available and the expenditure of these funds, by federal <br />13\'\1. must wait for federal appropriations <br /> <br />The Council. the Salinity Forum and the Basin States have been diligent in urging Congress to <br />appropriate the full $200 million for the nationwide EQIP program. It has been noted that when the <br />overall funding is reduced by the Congress, as it has been in the past to $174 million, the Salinity <br />Program takes a proponionate cut in funding and this reduced funding adds to the shortfall in <br />accomplishments by the USDA in the salinity program. USDA management has suggested that the <br />program proponents should urge the Congress to appropriate the full S200 million to shore up the <br />funding for salinity control With the strong urging of the proponents (and many others nationwide), <br />the Congress did appropriate the full S200 million for FY 01. Recently it has come to light that the <br />SecretaI')' has been given some discretion to redirect a ponion of the appropriated funds to other <br />programs and informally we have been told that some of the FY 02 appropriation will be spent on <br />other programs If this is in fact the case, the Council requests the Department provide a full <br /> <br />7 <br /> <br />COLORADO RIFER BAS/S SAll.\1TJ"CO.\7ROL ADI1S0R}' COl.'SClL <br />