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<br />in the vicinity of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute reservations (this concept was origina11y <br /> <br /> <br />proposed by the Southern Ute Grassroots Organization for the Southern Ute Reservation, and the <br /> <br /> <br />text of SUGO's proposal is attached as Appendix 1) and (2) the use or purchase of water available <br /> <br /> <br />now and in the future in existing projects or through expansion of selected existing projects <br /> <br /> <br />and\or delivery systems. The two parts of the proposal are properly understood as <br /> <br /> <br />complementary, rather than separate elements. As explained later in this proposal, there are a <br /> <br />number of possible combinations of these elements which could be assembled to meet the <br /> <br /> <br />settlement obligation to the Tribes. <br /> <br /> <br />Although the primary objective of the alternative is to meet the sett1ement obligation to <br /> <br /> <br />the Tribes, we also address the return of the Navajo Nation's water rights to it, and alternative <br /> <br /> <br />means of satisfying municipal and industrial needs for Colorado and New Mexico communities. <br /> <br /> <br />We note at the outset that our alternative is, as Lieutenant Governor Gail SchoettIer <br /> <br /> <br />requested, conceptual in nature, and therefore subject to change, refinement, and elaboration. <br /> <br />We also note that this alternative was developed under significant time and resource constraints. <br /> <br />Those Department of Interior personnel who provided technical assistance over the past few <br />weeks operated under the same time constraints, and we wish to express our sincere appreciation <br />for their efforts. Further study and effort will be necessary to fully develop the ideas in this <br />alternative. <br />By yoking Indian water claims to a project that could not be built, the Ute Indian Water <br />Rights Settlement Agreement set the stage for the incredibly divisive and destructive decade of <br />conflict that has followed. We do not seek to dictate to the Ute Tribes where their best interests <br />lie, and we recognize that they are sovereign entities which must approve any solution. The need <br /> <br />2 <br />