Victor Fazio: “first of all let me say how much I appreciate the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) and want him to know that in the…”

“first of all let me say how much I appreciate the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) and want him to know that in the future when people come to me and ask how we are going to accomplish this or that, I am going to simply refer them to him, because I know his interest in the region personally and in our State generally will motivate him to take up any unfulfilled task. I do appreciate him very much. Mr. Chairman, I wanted to simply for the record indicate that the committee has taken no position on Animas-La Plata this year. The money in the bill was the administration's budget request to fund ongoing activities of the Romer-Schoettler process, which is the Governor and Lieutenant Governor trying to find a solution to this problem at Animas-La Plata. Included in that request of the administration is funding for data collection, analysis of endangered species issues and other environmental, cultural and hydrological issues. It is obviously our understanding that the Colorado delegation is pursuing this project through the normal authorization process. The proposed project has been reduced from a price tag that was originally about $750 million to currently an estimate of around $250 million. The proposal by environmental groups to give the Utes a cash settlement has been rejected by both the Tribal Council of the Ute and the Mountain Ute Nations.”