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002323 . . Colorado River EndanlJered Soecies The Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Steering Committee meeting scheduled for February 23" was canceled, However, several subcommittees have continued to meet. The conservation opportunity areas analysis, hydrologic evaluations and conservation strategies reports are scheduled for completion by the end of April. In addition, the Alternatives Development team will be meeting from March 14 through March 16 to develop conservation alternatives for the program to comply with NEPA, The next Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for March 23"' in Las Vegas. As discussed previously, several environmental organizations have filed two 60-Day Notices of Intent to sue Reclamation and other federal agencies regarding the effects of Reclamation's operation of Hoover Dam on the Virgin River southwestern willow flycatcher population and its operations of Hoover Dam on the Lower Colorado River, including flows to Mexico above the 1944 Treaty obligations, It is our understanding that, to date, the federal agencies have not responded to the 60-Day Notices, However, informal discussions between some of the Six Agency Counsels and the Solicitors office indicate that a lawsuit is expected to be filed, perhaps within the next sixty days, Counsels representing the Six Agencies and the Attorney General's office are continuing to meet by conference call regarding the issue, The "White Papers" regarding issues raised in these lawsuits are currently being drafted and reviewed, When either or both of the lawsuits are filed. California, and probably the other six Basin states, are expected to become formally involved in the case, California's Attorney Generals Office has indicated that ifit is expected to represent California, a formal request must be submined from the Board, I have included in the Board folder a proposed resolution for the Board's consideration requesting California's Attorney General to represent the Board in this matter. Also included in the Board folder is a letter and news release from the US Fish and Wildlife Service stating that it has been petitioned to list the yellow-billed cuckoo as endangered. The Service has issued a "Ninety-day Finding" (comment period) beginning February 17,2000, to determine if the bird warrants listing, If the Service determines that the bird warrants listing, the Servicewil\ prepare a 12-month finding regarding listing of the yellow-billed cuckoo, The yellow-billed cuckoo is already listed as endangered by the California Fish and Game Commission, The bird is found along the Lower Colorado River, and will be covered by the LCR MSCP, WESTERN WATER PLANNING Glen Canyon Adaptive M,magement The Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Technical Workgroup (AMWG) met on March I" and 20' to review and refine the management objectives for the program, The refined management objectives will be provided to the AM WG ad hoc Goals Committee for consideration and subsequently sent to the full AMWG for consideration at its July meeting, Reclamation notified the AMWG at its January 2000 meeting that consideration of The Glen Canyon Dam Temperature Control Device was being deferred until the spring of200 I in order to allow more time to fully consider the environmental issue, 5