Jump to main content.

Final Report and Recommendations of the Working Group on the Endangered Species Act and Indian Water Rights

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 


[Federal Register: July 6, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 130)]
[Notices]
[Page 41709]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06jy00-109]

[[Page 41709]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary


Final Report and Recommendations of the Working Group on the
Endangered Species Act and Indian Water Rights

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior is making available to the
public and seeking comments on the Final Report and Recommendations of
the Working Group on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Indian Water
Rights. This Working Group of five agency employees within the
Department was appointed in 1997 to look at implementation of the ESA
in relation to the exercise of Indian water rights in the West.

DATES: Comments on the Final Report and Recommendations should be
submitted by October 4, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted to S. Elizabeth Birnbaum,
Special Assistant to the Solicitor, U.S. Department of the Interior,
1849 C Street, NW, Room 6352, Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S. Elizabeth Birnbaum at (202) 208-
4423 or Timothy A. Vollmann at (505) 346-2700.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1997 the Secretary of the Interior asked
the Department's Solicitor to put together a Working Group, chaired by
Southwest Regional Solicitor Tim Vollmann, to examine the issue of the
implementation of the ESA in relation to the exercise of Indian water
rights in the West, and evaluate the process and criteria for the
development of environmental baselines pursuant to section 7 of the ESA
and existing regulations. The Working Group was also asked to prepare a
case study of this issue in the upper Colorado River Basin. Beginning
in August 1999, a draft of the Working Group's Report and
Recommendations and the draft case study were released to Indian
tribes, state officials, and members of the public, and comments were
solicited. The Working Group has now completed its Final Report and
Recommendations and submitted them to the Secretary.
    The Department is seeking public comment on this Final Report and
Recommendations. The case study on the upper Colorado River Basin is an
appendix to the Report. A 90-day period is established for the
transmittal of written comments to the above address. No action will be
taken to implement any of the Recommendations of the Working Group
until all comments have been received and analyzed.
    Copies of the Final Report and Recommendations are being mailed to
western Indian tribes, State Attorneys General, and the heads of
western State water resource departments, in addition to all persons
who submitted written comments on the Working Group's draft Report and
Recommendations. Additional copies may be requested from S. Elizabeth
Birnbaum, Special Assistant to the Solicitor, U.S. Department of the
Interior, 1849 C Street, NW, Room 6352, Washington, DC 20240. These
documents have also been made available on the U.S. Department of the
Interior website at http://www.doi.gov/feature/es_wr/index1.html.

John D. Leshy,
Solicitor.
[FR Doc. 00-16986 Filed 7-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-10-M

 
 

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.