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<br />:;-. <br /> <br /># <br />, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Montezuma Vailey Journal -- Thur: <br /> <br />Project <br /> <br />Continued {rom Page lA <br /> <br />"I expect we'll knowwtthln 24 <br />hours what kind of action Is go- <br />Ing on to stop this," Colbert <br />said. "Ben (Nighthorse Camp- <br />bell, Colorado's Third Congres- <br />sional District Congressman) Is <br />talking to Gov. Romer now. <br />'The thing we've got to do now <br />Is get organized," he continued. <br />'This Is ridiculous. If this thing <br />goes through, It will put us back <br />to where we started a long time <br />ago." Colbert pointed out that <br />the Animas-la Plata Is on a time <br />schedule for completion and <br />that the Indians, the two states, <br />the water districts and the com- <br />munities could all withdraw If <br />that schedule Isn't met. <br />He said he believes that "cer- <br />tain enVironmentalist groups" <br />are putting on tremendous <br />. pressure to stop the Animas-La <br />Plata and added "they'll do any- <br />thing to stop It." <br />Fred Kroeger, president of <br />" the Southwestern Water Con- <br />servation District, told the Man- <br />tezwna Valley Journal yester- <br /> <br />day that Durango water attor- <br />ney Frank "Sam" Maynes, Ute <br />Mountain Ute attorney Dan Is- <br />raet, Southern Ute attorney <br />Scott McElroy and a couple of <br />officials from Farmlngton are In <br />Washington, D.C., meeungwlth <br />senators and representatives <br />who have Influence In such <br />committees as those InvolVIng <br />interior and enVironment. <br />"It's bureaucracy at Its <br />worst," said Kroeger, citing the <br />fact that the U.S. Fish and Wild- <br />Ufe Service a decade ago was <br />poisoning the waters of the San <br />Juan River In order to dispose of <br />"trash fish." <br />"We won't quit," Kroeger <br />stated. A delay of seven to 10 <br />years for a study as suggested <br />by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife <br />Service would be fatal (or the <br />Animas-la Plata. In fact, he <br />continued, there must be action <br />within the next one to two. <br />months. <br />"A terrible bUl" Is Kroeger's <br />description of the Endangered <br />Species Act, under which the <br />squawfish opinion was made. <br />In addition to the fact that the <br />service was trying to poison the <br />squawfish a decade ago, he <br />noted, now there Is a hatchery <br />which is raising new ones for the <br />San Juan River. <br /> <br />I. <br />