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<br />I. WILDLIFE MITIGATION: <br /> <br />For 1990 mitigation has kept pace with upland and wetland habitat <br />losses. It appears that this trend may not continue. The priority <br />system was not implemented in 1990 as the planning staff completed CRSC <br />contracts on individuals expressing an interest in the Salinity Program <br />prior to project implementation. Some of the contracts for 1991 fall <br />into the same category. Those contracts have been on small acreages with <br />habitat losses easily replaced and producers willing to mitigate. The <br />new contracts being developed off the priority list are on large <br />operating units including extensive acreages of potentially impacted <br />irrigation-induced wetland habitat. The high cost of installing some of <br />the planned irrigation systems and the large habitat losses are reducing <br />our ability to achieve adequate mitigation. Many operators increased <br />their chances of being funded early by checking off (on the sign-up <br />sheet) that they are willing to develop or enhance wetland and upland <br />habitat when they never intended to in the first place. . <br /> <br />J. CONCLUSIONS <br /> <br />The terrain, the soils and the irrigation history of the area has <br />contributed dramatically to the development of extensive wetland acreage <br />in a once zeric basin. The average contracted farm within the McElmo <br />unit contains greater than 2 acres of wetland habitat. Voluntary <br />mitigation with relatively low value replacement wetlands (such as ponds) <br />on a farm by farm basis is not going to keep up with anticipated wetland <br />losses. Until we reach those producers (on the planning list) with the <br />habitat resources and a sincere desire to develop land for wildlife these <br />losses will continue. The possibility also exists that these individuals <br />may give up on the program while waiting. <br /> <br />Enhancement of existing wetlands appears to be our best alternative <br />for achieving gains in wetland values while reducing salinity, but the <br />constraints placed on our mitigation efforts by the Environmental <br />Protection Agency (EPA) have limited our ability to achieve positive <br />results. If we are restricted to one (1) acre shallow water developments <br />our chances of reaching replacement goals will be further reduced. <br /> <br />001973 <br />