Laserfiche WebLink
<br />JUL-11-97 13,24 FROH'H.B.S.S. <br /> <br />10,970 247 8827 <br /> <br />PAGE 5/27 <br /> <br />, <br />< <br /> <br />t- <br />M <br />C\J <br /> <br />c <br /> <br />News Release <br />For Immediate Release <br />July 8, 1997 <br /> <br />For iDformatioD contact: <br />Christine A!bogast <br />(303) 841-8400 <br /> <br />Ute Tribes, Water Officials, Congressional Delegations <br />Announce" Animas-La Plata Reconciliation Plan'" <br /> <br />W ASHlNGTON, DC, July S; 1997 - Native American ttiballeaders mci meU1bers of the <br /> <br />Colorado and New Mexico congn:ssional de1Trions announced a major ~ifi,..,.rion of the <br /> <br />Anin:Ias-La Plata project today. The revised plan is designed to reduce the project's COSIS and <br /> <br />environmental i""P""" while pn:serviDg the commitme:at to resolving water rights claims by the <br /> <br />two tribes. <br /> <br />The modified plan - known'as theAnimas-La Plata Reconciliation Plan - is """I :...~ 10 <br />save more than $400 million from the origioaI. d~ The revised plan emerged :from talks that <br />wen: org=i7l!'!d by Colorado Governor Roy Romer and Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt <br />last October to find a common ground bet'\l.-.on the projects propoDelJlS and its critics. <br /> <br />The initial plan was t"srim>d'ed at $744 million and the reconciliation plan comes in lit <br />$257 million plus state and local cost sbariDg of$33 million, a n:duction of nearly twlrthirds. <br />The savings are primarily achieved by sbelviDg the expansive Urigation facilities for non-T....n2TI <br />fimnets and nmchers. This also eJimn.- the impact of the project on water quality, according <br />to the New Mexico Ill.t-~ ofEnviromneDl <br /> <br />The tribal leaders said their ptoposallives up to the spirit of the 1988 Colorado Ute <br />Indian Wau:r Rigbts Settlement Act, guarann:eing that two-thirds of the water 'Will be allu.Aed <br />exclusively to the Ute lIibes. Four communities in southwestem Colorado and northwestern <br />New Mexico will use the ""I........, The lIibes said they would aa:ept the new plan as fall <br />settleme:nt of their WlttC' rights ('boim" <br /> <br />John Ecbohawk, e;<;cc:utivc din:ctor of the Native American RigbIs Ftmd (NARF), <br />introdaced the downsized p....j.ect saying. '"Faihzn: to respond to this ,1'.....,b"le effort to <br />eu.........mise would fora: the tribes aDd the gov-nmeul: imo costly litigatioIl. The fedaal <br />govemme:nt c::aunot possibly ignore this Degotiared ~L.ml!!rlt ifit is to fDltill its trUSt <br />responsibility." NARF is "'Wl,wtItly neg<'ri~ water rights claims far several other uibes.. <br /> <br />-more- <br /> <br />-,.'.: <br />