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agreement is a Recovery Implementation Program Recovery Action Plan (RIPRAP) which <br />identifies actions emrently believed to be required to recover the endangered fishes in the most <br />• expeditious manner. <br />On January 10, 2005, the Service issued a final programmatic biological opinion on the <br />Maaa~ement Plena for Endnrzger'ed Fishes in the Yampa Rimer Basin (this document is available <br />for viewing at the following interne[ address: http://www.rfi.fws.gov/cn'ip/yampaPBO.htm). <br />The Service has determined that projects that fit under the umbrella of the Yampa River PBO <br />would avoid the likelihood of jeopardy and/or adverse modification of critical habitat for <br />depletion impacts. The Yampa River PBO states that in order for actions to fall within the <br />umbrella of the PBO and rely on the RIPRAP to offset its depletion, the following criteria must <br />be met. <br />1. A Recovery Agreement must be offered and signed prior to conclusion of section 7 <br />consultation. <br />2. A fee to fund recovery actions will be submitted as described in the proposed action <br />for new depletion projects greater than 100 acre-feet/year. The 2007 fee is $17.24 per <br />acre-foot and is adjusted each year for inflation. <br />3. Reinitiation stipulations will be included in all individual consultations under the <br />umbrella of this programmatic. <br />4. The Service and project proponents will request that discretionary Federal conu'ol be <br />• retained for all consultations under this programmatic. <br />The Recovery Agreement was signed by the Service and the Water User. In the letter received <br />by the Service on February 2Q 2007, Rio Tinto Energy America notified the Service that <br />Colowyo Coal Company, L.P. has submitted aone-time contribution based on its share of the <br />costs of the Recovery Implementation Program, to fund recovery actions specified in the <br />Colorado River PBO. The Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement has agreed <br />to condition its approval documents to retain jurisdiction should section 7 consultation need to be <br />reinitiated. Therefore, the Service concludes that the subject project meets the criteria to rely on <br />the RIPRAP to offset depletion impacts and is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of <br />the species and is not likely Co destroy or adversely modify designated critical habitat. <br />REINITIATION NOTICE <br />This concludes formal consultation on the subject action. The Recovery Action Plan is an <br />adaptive management plan because additional information, changing priorities, and the <br />development of the States' entitlement may require modification of the Recovery Action Plan. <br />Therefore, the Recovery Action Plan is reviewed annually and updated and changed when <br />necessary and the required time frames include changes in timing approved by means of the <br />normal procedures of the Recovery Program, as explained in the description of the proposed <br />action. Every 2 years, for the life of the Recovery Program, the Service and Recovery Program <br />will review implementation of the Recovery Action Plan actions that are included in this <br />biological opinion [o determine timely compliance with applicable schedules. As provided in ~0 <br />CFR section 402.16. remiuauon of formal consultation is required for new projects where <br />