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Appendix ill The Endangered Species Act and the Colorado Squawtlsh a reasonable and prudent alternative must be within the consulting agency's authority to implement, consistent with the project's intended purpose, and economically and technologically feasible. Exemptions Under the Endangered Species Act The consulting agency can seek an exemption from the act's protective provisions from the Endangered Species Committee.5 If such an exemption is granted, the agency can proceed with the proposed project despite any jeopardy it may pose to an endangered species. In deciding whether to grant an exemption, the Endangered Species Committee is authorized to consider information unrelated to the jeopardy of a species. This information may include the benefits of a project, its regional and national importance, and the public interest. The Committee weighs this information against the continued viability of the species and may detennine, for example, that the public benefits of a proposed project, such as a dam, outweigh the risks it poses to an endangered species. The Colorado Squawfish The Service has detennined that the Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius) is an endangered species. In the past, individuals in the species have been known to grow to nearly 6 feet in length and weigh more than 80 pounds. It evolved as the main predator in the Colorado River system, of which the San Juan River is a part. Figure m.l shows a Colorado squawfish. 5Members of this Committee are the Secretaries of the Interior, the Anny, and Agriculture; the Chainnan of the Council of Economic Advisors; the administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and a representative from each affected state, Page 16 GAOIBCED-OO-I Anlmao-La Plata Projeet