[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 130 (Thursday, July 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 41709]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16986]



[[Page 41709]]

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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.

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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]
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