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<br />002612 <br /> <br />Agreement <br /> <br />Section 7 Consultarion, Sufficient Progress, and Hisroric Projecrs <br /> <br />Recovery Implementarion Program for rhe Endangered Fish Species <br />in the Upper Colorado River Basin <br /> <br />October IS, 1993 <br />Revised March 8, 2000 <br /> <br />I. Background <br /> <br />The Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in rhe Upper <br />Colorado River Basin (RIP) is intended to go considerably beyond offserring water <br />deplerion impacts by providing for the full recovery of the four endangered fishes. The <br />RIP participants recognize that timely progress toward recovery in accordance with a well. <br />defined action plan is essential to the purposes of the RIP, including both the recovery of <br />the endangered fishes and providing for water development to proceed in compliance with <br />State law, Interstate Compacts, and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Recovery <br />activities which result in significant protection and improvement of the endangered fish <br />populations and their habitat need to receive high priority in future planning, budgeting, <br />and decision making. The RIP parricipants accept that certain positive population <br />responses to RIP initiatives are not likely to be measurable for many years due to the time <br />required for the endangered fishes to reach reproductive maturity, limited knowledge <br />about their life history and habitat requirements, sampling difficulties and limitarions, and <br />other factors. The RIP participants also recognize that further degradation of endangered <br />fish habitats and populations will make recovery increasingly difficult. <br /> <br />II. RIP Recovery Action Plan (RIPRAP) <br /> <br />The Recovery Action Plan (RIPRAP) identifies aerions currently believed to be required <br />to recover the endangered fishes in the most expeditious manner possible in the upper <br />basin. It has been developed using the best information available and the recovery goals <br />established for the four endangered fish species. By reference, the RIPRAP is incorporared <br />and considered parr of this agreement. The RIPRAP will be an adaptive management plan <br />because additional information, changing priorities, and the development of rhe Srares' <br />entitlement may require modifications to the RIPRAP. The RIPRAP will be reviewed <br />annually and modified or updated, if necessary, by September 30 of each year or prior to <br />adoption of the annual work plan, whichever comes first. The RIPRAP will serve as a <br />guide for all future planning, research, and recovery efforts, including rhe annual work. <br />planning and budget decision process. <br /> <br />The RIP is intended to provide the reasonable and prudent alternatives for projecrs <br />undergoing Section 7 consultarion in the upper baSin. While some recovery aerions In the <br />RIPRAP are expected to have more direct or immediate benefits for the endangered fishes <br />than others, all are considered necessary to accomplish the objectives of the RIP. <br /> <br />Appendix A - Section 7 Agreement <br /> <br />A.I <br />