WSP02490 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

~ ~, ~ ~~ \l ,SePtember11,1992 c;::A.P ~ t21- ~ \:i \. ~ Issue No. 956 __, WESTERN -!~~t IDl rn @ rn n w rn ,~ ln11 ~~~ STATES WATER "ARTMENTOF I !,~ RESOURCES TIJE WEEKLY NEWSLETIER OF TIJE WESTERN STATES WATER C editor - Tony Willardson Creekview Plaza, SUite A-201 I 942 East 7145 So. I Mic!vale. Utah 84047 I (801) 561-5300 I FAX (801) 255-9642 chairman - Dave Kennedy typist - Carrie Curvin WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL Native American Rights Fund (NARF)/WSWC Symposium Approximately 300 people gathered in Albuquerque September 1-3 to attend the second Symposium on the Settlement of Indian Reserved Water Rights Claims cosponsored by WSWC and NARF. Some A!20 individuals attended the 1991 symposium. The .992 meeting covered 2'/, days, with one afternoon spent at the Pueblo of Acoma at the annual Harvest Feast honoring the Pueblo's patron saint. The symposium was attended by numerous state, Indian, federal and local government officials, together with water users, interest group and industry representatives, and various other parties. A number of side-meetings were held by various groups whose members attended the symposium, The initial day was spent discussing the topics of preparing to negotiate and the negotiation process. Panels were comprised of state and tribal representatives, who made initial presentations, and 2-4 respondents representing a number of viewpoints. The first panel focused on gathering background information and the role of technicians in negotiations. Next came a discussion of identifying parties and issues and how negotiators act on behalf of larger groups, A highlight of the meeting was the luncheon speaker, Assistant Interior Secretary for Indian Affairs, Eddie F. Brown, He expressed the department's support for the negotiated settlement of Indian water right claims, and described the work of federal _negotiating teams, In the afternoon, a panel focused n improving communication in the negotiation ., rocess. There was also a presentation on what , Indian water right negotiators can learn from other dispute resolution techniques. The day concluded with a social gathering. executive director - Craig Bell On the second day of the symposium panels discussed administrative issues. First, a panel dealt with water right management in Indian country, including jurisdiction issues on checkerboarded reservations. This thoughtful and well-received group stressed the need for reaching water management decisions that efficiently and equitably protect all proprietary and governmental interests in water resources. Next came a panel on the off-reservation \l., sale and lease of reserved water rights, WhiCh~...) included a discussion of the potential for Colorado \.>- River Indian tribes to lease a portion of their wat ~ rights to water users in the Colorado River Basin. A spokesperson for the Colorado River Basin Tribes noted the tribes' intention to carry out such a arrangement without injury to other water ri t holders in the basin, On the final half-day of the symposium, a panel focused on getting bills through Congress. The obstacles to congressional approval of Indian water right settlements, and success stories of how such obstacles have been overcome, were described by a number of interesting speakers, Mike Clinton, formerly Assistant to the Under-Secretary of Interior and now with Bookman-Edmonston Engineering, provided the wrap-up for the meeting. In the next few weeks, Council staff will have available for symposium attendees (complementary) and others (for a small fee) an attendance list (wnh addresses and phone numbers) of all symposium participants and the wrap-up of the meeting prepared by Mr. Clinton. Audio cassettes will also be available, The summary of the 1991 symposium was published as a law review article by John Thorson entitled 'Proceedings of the Symposium on Settlement of Indian Water Rights Claims,' 22 ENVT'L L. 1009 (1992).