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<br />Congressional Support For
<br />The Recovery Program
<br />
<br />ll1e success of the Recovery Program depends, among
<br />olher Ihings, upon full funding for the program, Severaloflhe
<br />participallls have worked closely with the U,S, Congress 10
<br />ensure that these li.lllding commitments are met.
<br />
<br />ll1e program"s budget depends on two sources: an annual
<br />budget of $2,J million, conlributed by program participants,
<br />anu a Congressional 81lpropriution of $10 million for water
<br />rights acquisition. These two sources give the program the
<br />ability 10 oblain water righls and make other investmems that
<br />are key to the recovery of the rare fishes.
<br />
<br />In 1987. initial work with Congress was aimed at securing
<br />that $10 million commitment The appropriation request re-
<br />ceived unanimous support from the Congressional delegations
<br />of Ihe tlnee pal1icipaling slales of Colorado, Wyoming and
<br />Utah, demonslrating a unique bipartisan and regional unilY,
<br />
<br />During several fast-paced Rnd I)l}metim~ tense tr;ps to
<br />Washing.ton, representRtives of the program met with Con-
<br />gressional committee staff and members of Congress to pres-
<br />ent the program and request Congressional funding. To nlake
<br />malters more difficull, the request was in direct competition
<br />with waler project and mitigation funding for other imponam
<br />projects,
<br />
<br />After e." impressive effort by ourdelegatiolls in Fiscal Year
<br />1988, Congre" passed n $1 million appropriation for the
<br />program, Accompanying reporllangnage spoke highly of the
<br />pm~ram and I~id Ollt Congressional requirements for obtain-
<br />ing I!le lell1Rinh~g fundi'lg.
<br />
<br />Most importantly, Congress indicated that they would con-
<br />sider providing addilional fnnds when aCI"al waler rights
<br />purchnses were arranged and broughl to Congress, Under this
<br />arrangem<nl. Ihe program has been working diligelllly 10
<br />identify water right acquisilion priori lies, define flow needs of
<br />the fishes and idenlify critical water righls that should be
<br />purchased, All signs indicate that fuwre requests for appro-
<br />prialions will De granted,
<br />
<br />After R two-year absence, members of the program returned
<br />to Congress in 1989 wilh a Iwofold agenda: to inform key
<br />contaclS of our progress ro date and to ensure that llle FWS
<br />receives the funding necessary to meet their alUmal budget
<br />cOlllmillllent to the program.
<br />
<br />ParticipAnts asked Ihat Congress restore $200,000 of the
<br />Section 6 funding and add $124,000 to the Fish and Wildlife
<br />Service's base funding lor the program, These requests were
<br />made to ensure that the FWS could meet their annual budget
<br />conllllhmenl, which is $624,000 in Fiscal Year 199U.
<br />
<br />Mee'lings with Congressional contacts were highly success-
<br />ful. l1,e appropriation was supported by Senalors GArn.
<br />Halch, WAilop. Simpson. Armstrong and Wirth, The entire
<br />Colnrado House delegation submitted a joint leller in support
<br />of the appropriation, Leners of snpport were snbmined by the
<br />Gove1'llUfS of Colorado. Utah and Wyoming. the Coloratlo
<br />Water Congress. Wyoming Water Development Association,
<br />Utah Waler Users Association, Colorado Wildlife FederAtion
<br />and Environmemal Defense Fund, While tinal budget deci-
<br />
<br />sions have not been made. the Senare Rnd House Appropria-
<br />tion Subcoll1mittee on Interior and Related Agencies recently
<br />approved the funding package, and an signs poim to Ihe
<br />ultimale slIccess of these requests.--LdUne Mathews Ex:ecu-
<br />five Oirector's Office Colorado Department of Natural Re-
<br />
<br />~Ollrce!\
<br />
<br />The Recovery Program: Two
<br />Views
<br />
<br />The structure of the Recovery Program is made up of
<br />groups and committees that oversee variuus aspects uf the
<br />efforl--the Management Group,lheTechnical Group, the im-
<br />plementation Commiuee.
<br />
<br />Tom Pitts of Loveland, Colorado, represents the Colorado
<br />WalerC'ongress. Utah Water Users Association anu Wyoming
<br />Water Development Association on these committees. Bob
<br />Weaver of Denver represents the environmental groups Ihol
<br />have been most active in rhe recovery program and Colorado
<br />River Basin issu~3 {the Environmental Defense Fund, ('010-
<br />rado Wildlife Federation, Wyoming Wildlife Federr.:iol1 and
<br />the National Audubon Society,
<br />
<br />We asked these men to give their varying views on the
<br />program and its importance:
<br />
<br />Tom Pills: 'What's important about the program, from my
<br />perspective, is thRt it provides a way of avoiding cOllnier
<br />between fUlure waler developmelll in the Upper Basin and'
<br />protection ofthe endangered fish, so that'Ne can proceed wilh
<br />waleI' development and protect Ihe fish,' .
<br />
<br />"Of course. future developln~llt "is im;.loI1anl to i11e grollps
<br />I represent. Bul we've made a COl1lll!i~lIlel1l to seeing these
<br />fish recovered and delisted within Ihe progmm's I~-year
<br />lime frame, and we are fully supporting every element of this
<br />pmgram--not only the Section 7 consultation approach. which
<br />alluws water development to proceed--but its impunam 10 us
<br />that this program succeed on the whole. ~
<br />
<br />'We Suppot1the program because we believe the only way
<br />to resolve this connict in the long term is to recover and delist
<br />the endangered species, What's unique about Ihis program is
<br />that it goes far beyond resolving conliicts, It is a proaclive
<br />program--a posilive approach Ihal should result in recovery
<br />and delisting. Its a very positive approach."
<br />
<br />Bob Weaver: 'The Recovery Program is especially unique
<br />because it concems water resources in the West. and water
<br />resources in the West is an area where there has rarely been a
<br />cooperalive effort or meeling of the minds of any son between
<br />conservationists and water developers. It's been an ex..trelnely
<br />comelllious area, to say the least. ~
<br />
<br />"I think there are a lot of interesting angles associaled with
<br />Ihis whole program. II really is a precedeom-seHing progmm
<br />in that the protection of instream flows for the fish has a lot of
<br />other bene filS associated wilh it. It forces us to do other kinds
<br />ofwalcr resource planning,to look at Colora<.lo RiverColllpact
<br />issues. and how we arc going to manage our compact enlille~
<br />ment while at the same lime accolllmodating environmental
<br />needs. That is a consideration. frankly. thai wAler-developers
<br />have never dealt with--and don't want 10 deal with now."
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