Implementing the Endangered Species Act on the Platte Basin Water Commons

Appendix D: Program Milestones; Appendix E: Adaptive Management Advisory Consulting Team

439 A p p e n d i x d Program Milestones Progress toward meeting the objectives for Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance will be measured in terms of the achievement of ten milestones during the first thirteen-year program increment. The Governance Committee is empowered to change these first-increment milestones (Platte River Recovery Program 2006: attachment 2). In summary form, they are: 1. The Pathfinder Modification Project will be operational and physically and legally capable of providing water to the program by no later than the end of year 4 of the first increment. 2. Colorado will complete construction of Tamarack 1 and commence full operations by the end of year 4 of the first increment. 3. The CNPPID and the NPPD will implement an environmental account for storage reservoirs in the Platte system in Nebraska, as provided in FERC licenses 1417 and 1835. 4. The Reconnaissance-Level Water Action Plan, as may be amended by the Governance Committee, will be implemented and capable of providing at least an average of 50,000 acre feet per year of shortage reduction to target flows, or for other program purposes, by no later than the end of the first increment . (Note: this is in addition to the 80,000 af/year negotiated by 1997.) 5. The Land Plan, as may be amended by the Governance Committee, will be implemented to protect and, where, appropriate, restore 10,000 acres of habitat by no later than the end of the first increment. A ppen dix d: pr oG r Am m il eSt on eS 440 6. The integrated monitoring and research plan, as may be amended by the Governance Committee, will be implemented beginning in year 1 of the program. 7. The Wyoming Depletions Plan, as may be amended with the approval of the Governance Committee, will be operated during the first increment of the program. 8. The Colorado Depletions Plan, as may be amended with the approval of the Governance Committee, will be operated during the first increment of the program. 9. The Nebraska Depletions Plan, as may be amended with the approval of the Governance Committee, will be operated during the first increment of the program. 10. The Federal Depletions Plan, as may be amended with the approval of the Governance Committee, will be operated during the first increment of the program. Interim steps and time frames for each milestone are specified (see Platte River Recovery Program 2006: attachment 2). 441 A p p e n d i x e Adaptive Management Advisory Consulting Team AuMenT, niCk. Member of the Florida Everglades Program Team for Adaptive Research and Management, with expertise in stream/river processes and limnology HAnnA, edwArd. President of DSS Management Consultants, Inc., of Pickering, Ontario, with expertise in forest management and the natural resources water sector kubly, dennis. Chief of the Adaptive Management Group in the Environmental Resources Division, Bureau of Reclamation, Salt Lake City, Utah MArMorek, dAvid. Aquatic ecologist with expertise in research design for adaptive management; employed by ESSA Technologies Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia McbAin, sCoTT. A private consultant with McBain and Trush, Inc., Arcata, California,withexpertiseingeomorphologyandfisheriesbiologyandexperience with the Trinity River (northern California) adaptive management program ...