This Settlement Act represents a compromise and a guarantee of future allocations that costly litigation could never achieve.

We feel that although the Administration might not yet be fully satisfied with these settlements, we firmly believe that these settlements... represent our best and exhaustive effort to reach compromises.

These settlements will protect water resources, advance the implementation of effective water management, and ensure future access to water resources for all residents located in the areas of northern New Mexico encompassed by these settlements.

The United States owes not only a federal trust obligation to these pueblos to protect the water rights of the Acequias and their members.

I just don't want us to forget, Madame Chair, that we are talking about people here and families.

It would be a very unfortunate outcome if those people were told 'no, you cannot connect--this is a Pueblo-only system.'

Mr. Lujan. Commissioner Montoya, could you touch upon the last series of questions there?

Thank you very much, Madame Chair and Ranking Member McClintock.

Thank you very much, Mr. Martinez.

I hope that we can get some assurance, maybe from the Bureau, that they would be willing to meet with some of the parties to be able to resolve some of the issues that it sounds like we are closer to than not today.

Is it clear, or would you agree with the statement that the Administration understands the importance of the settlements between New Mexico and the tribes as it relates to the limitations of water resources in both cases?