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WEEKLY NEWS 1: New Wildlife Habitat in Southwest U.S.

Plants and animals in areas of Arizona, Nevada, and California will have a larger habitat due to a new conservation program.

Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton signed an agreement Tuesday with state representatives to create 8,100 acres of new riparian, marsh, and backwater habitat for plants and animals along the Colorado River.

The Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program will protect 6 endangered species and provide a habitat for many others over the next 50 years. The area is also critical because 20 million people in Arizona, Nevada, and California are supplied with water from the Colorado River, as well as electricity generated by power plants along its banks.

“As we look at water issues across the West, endangered species are often a key factor in determining how water is managed,” Norton said.

The federal government made the area a critical habitat for four endangered fish species in 1994, forcing all government agencies to obtain permission before working on power or water plants along the river. Officials hope the program will create a balance between nature and human interests.

“It allows plants, animals, and people to better coexist,” Norton said.

Low water levels have harmed the Colorado River Basin’s native species. Officials plan to plant a variety of trees and other vegetation along the river to restore the surrounding environment.

Critics say that the plan, which will cost $620 million, only adds more species to an environment that is not healthy enough to support them. Jennifer Pitt, a scientist with the non-profit group Environmental Defense, called the program “a zoo approach rather than a river-based approach."

--Written by Saundra Latham

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