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SStl1 USDA United Stat~ ?>- Departmenl of Agncu:turc Naru~Resources Con~el"\'.u.lOr. SCr'''lce PO 8012890 Washington. DC 2001] ':> 1-' C'-> C, MAY 10 11lO11 .~ Mr. Gordon \V . Fassett Chairman, Colorado River Basin Salmity Control Advisory Counl.:i1 Herschler Building. 4 Floor East 122 \Vest 25th Street Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 n,r -. .' ~'"'5 Dear Mr. Fassett: Thank you for your letters of April 17,2000. to Secretary Glickman and Chief Reed, regarding a copy of the Advisory Council's 1999 Annual RCfXlrt on the Colorado River Basin Salinity Cr.!lC0: (CRWiC, ~lrogf"m. y,j....:: h:t'tr ha::> ber;, ;-t'l~Ilt;l! k' Ii..: ;-'.a[ur,ii rZt.,o~::.....:.~ C l.'ll,:;cn':Jlion Service (NRCS) for response. We realize that funding to date for the CRBSe activities through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQ!P) has been below the annual requested amount ofS 12 million. The fiscal year (FY) 2000 national demand for EQIP funds is approx:imately 3 to I (funding requests [0 actual funds available). The lack of funding for salinity control activities in FY 2000, as in FY 1999, was greatly exacerbated by the fact that NRCS received only SI74 million for EQIP. This is a decrease ofS26 million from the FY 19% funding level of5200 million. However, NRCS did allocate over S5.1 milliun1" the CRBSe program in FY 2000 from the S 174 millior. FQIP budget. The President's budget for FY 2000 is requesting an increa'ie in EQIP funding 10 $325 million. If this am{'lunt is appropriated for EQIP for FY 2001. it would pen11Jt NRCS to increase funding for Colorado River Salinity activities. NRCS is pleased with the effective leveraging of funds through the Basin ~tates cost.share program. This leveraging: of funds from the Basin States cos:-share program. in conjunction with EQIP, has and will continue to b'Teatly increa...e the rate of implementation of salinity control practices in the Basin. NRCS is willing to work with the \\'ork Group to obtain their input on a fiscal year basis for identifying how EQIP funds may be most etTectively spent in the Basin. Colorado River Salinity is a National Priority Area. NRCS appreciates the Advisory Council's consistent support in helping to achieve this designation of the Colorado River Basin. NRCS is pleased to r~port that a Basm Salinity Coordinator was hired in April 2000, and will begin work in this role on July 3, 2000. The coordinator will physically be located in the Rureau of Reclamation space in Salt Lake City. Utah. Additional1y, NRCS is pleased with the Forum's consistent support to reestablish this positIOn and their willingness to cosr-share in ihe coordinator's position. The Nl.%uraJ Resoun:a Conservalion Scn-icc (NRCS), formerly the: Soil Consertlbon Savitt, is In agency orU.c nr..............., "r"..........Ito"... .-..- -."'------,. ..