Common use of Importance Clause in Contracts

Importance. The Green River system supports wild populations of humpback chub and Colorado pikeminnow and historically supported populations of bonytail and razorback sucker. Colorado pikeminnow abundance in the Green River has declined over the past decade, but wild spawning and recruitment are still occurring. Humpback chub are found in Desolation and Gray Canyons in the Green River; populations are apparently stable and continuing to reproduce and recruit in this location. Razorback sucker became functionally extirpated in the Green River in the late 1990’s, but have been reestablished through augmentation stocking. Spawning aggregations are now found in the middle and lower Green river. Collections of wild produced larval razorback have been on the increase in the Middle Green since 2007; wild produced Age 1+ juveniles were collected in the lower Green and Colorado rivers in 2013 and in the middle Green River in 2015. Bonytail are stocked in large numbers in the Green River, but are not surviving at high rates, although wild bonytail reproduction was confirmed in middle Green River wetlands (Stewart Lake and Xxxxxxx Bottom) in 2015 and 2016. The importance of the Green River to the endangered fishes has been established in Recovery Program planning. The Colorado Squawfish [Pikeminnow] Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1991) listed the Green River as the highest priority area for recovery of the species, and the recovery goals (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2002c) consider the Green River subbasin as the center of the Upper Basin Colorado pikeminnow metapopulation. Habitat in Desolation and Gray canyons supports a self- sustaining humpback chub population, and the last known riverine concentration of wild bonytail was in the Green River within Dinosaur National Monument (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a, 1990b, 2002a, 2002b). Recovery plans for humpback chub (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a) and bonytail (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990b) identified the Green River in Desolation and Gray canyons and in Dinosaur National Monument as important to recovery. Until recently, the Green River supported the last known riverine concentration of wild razorback sucker (Xxxxxxx and Xxxx 1989; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998, 2002d).

Importance. The Green River system supports wild populations of humpback chub and Colorado pikeminnow pikeminnow, and historically supported populations of bonytail and stocked razorback sucker. Colorado pikeminnow abundance in the The Green River has declined over the past decade, but historically supported wild spawning and recruitment are still occurring. Humpback chub are found in Desolation and Gray Canyons in the Green River; populations are apparently stable and continuing to reproduce and recruit in this location. Razorback sucker became functionally extirpated in the Green River in the late 1990’s, but have been reestablished through augmentation stocking. Spawning aggregations are now found in the middle and lower Green river. Collections of wild produced larval razorback have been on the increase in the Middle Green since 2007; wild produced Age 1+ juveniles were collected in the lower Green and Colorado rivers in 2013 and in the middle Green River in 2015. Bonytail are stocked in large numbers in the Green River, but are not surviving at high rates, although wild bonytail reproduction was confirmed in middle Green River wetlands (Stewart Lake and Xxxxxxx Bottom) in 2015 and 2016. The importance of the Green River to the endangered fishes has been established in Recovery Program planningall four species. The Colorado Squawfish [Pikeminnow] Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1991) listed the Green River as the highest priority area for recovery of the species, and the recovery goals (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2002c) consider the Green River subbasin as the center of the Upper Basin upper basin Colorado pikeminnow metapopulation. Habitat Colorado pikeminnow adult abundance in the Green River has declined over the past two decades. Although wild spawning and recruitment are still occurring, recruitment rates have been low since the mid 1990’s, and lambda has been below one since 2000, indicating the population is likely to continue to decline unless recruitment can outpace adult mortality (Xxxxxx 2018). Humpback chub are spawning and recruiting in Desolation and Gray canyons supports a self- sustaining in the Green River. This species has not been stocked in the Green or Colorado rivers; however, stocking is being considered for the Yampa and Green rivers in Dinosaur National Monument in. The recovery goals for humpback chub population, (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2002a) identify the Green River in Desolation and Gray canyons and in Dinosaur National Monument as important to recovery. The last known riverine concentration of wild bonytail was in the Green River within Dinosaur National Monument (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a, 1990b, 2002a, 2002b). Recovery plans for humpback chub (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a) and bonytail (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990b) identified Bonytail are stocked in large numbers in the Green River in Desolation and Gray canyons and in Dinosaur National Monument as important to recoveryseveral tributaries in the basin but are not surviving at high rates. Until recentlyWild bonytail reproduction has been confirmed in middle Green River wetlands (Stewart Lake and Xxxxxxx Bottom) in 2015, the 2016, 2017 and 2019, prompting stocking into wetland habitats beginning in 2017. The Green River supported the last known riverine concentration of wild razorback sucker in the upper basin in the 1990s (Xxxxxxx and Xxxx 1989; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998, 2002d). Razorback sucker became functionally extirpated in the Green River in the late 1990’s, but have been reestablished through stocking. Stocked adults are accumulating and spawning aggregations are now found in the middle and lower Green river. Collections of wild produced larval razorback sucker have been on the increase in the middle Green River since 2007; wild produced age 1+ juveniles were collected in the lower Green and Colorado rivers in 2013, 2018, and 2019 and in floodplains off the middle Green River every year since 2013. In 2020, antennas set in known spawning locations detected two wild 6 year-old razorback sucker originally found Stewart Lake. This finding documents he first confirmed recruitment of razorback sucker to the adult life stage since the species was functionally extirpated from the upper basin.

Importance. The Green River system supports wild populations of humpback chub and Colorado pikeminnow and historically supported populations of bonytail and razorback sucker. Colorado pikeminnow adult abundance in the Green River has declined over the past decade, but . Although wild spawning and recruitment are still occurring, recruitment rates have been low since the mid 1990’s, and lambda has been below one since 2000, indicating the population is likely to continue to decline unless recruitment can be increased (Xxxxxx draft 2018). Humpback chub are found spawning and recruiting in Desolation and Gray Canyons canyons in the Green River; populations are apparently stable and continuing to reproduce and recruit in this location. Razorback sucker became functionally extirpated in the Green River in the late 1990’s, but have been reestablished through augmentation stocking. Spawning Stocked adults are accumulating and spawning aggregations are now found in the middle and lower Green river. Collections of wild produced larval razorback have been on the increase in the Middle Green since 2007; wild produced Age 1+ juveniles were collected in the lower Green and Colorado rivers in 2013 and in the middle Green River in 2015. Bonytail are stocked in large numbers in the Green River, but are not surviving at high rates, although wild . Wild bonytail reproduction was confirmed in middle Green River wetlands (Stewart Lake and Xxxxxxx Bottom) in 2015 and 2016, prompting stocking into wetland habitats beginning in 2017. The importance of the Green River to the endangered fishes has been established in Recovery Program planning. The Colorado Squawfish [Pikeminnow] Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1991) listed the Green River as the highest priority area for recovery of the species, and the recovery goals (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2002c) consider the Green River subbasin as the center of the Upper Basin Colorado pikeminnow metapopulation. Habitat in Desolation and Gray canyons supports a self- sustaining humpback chub population, and the last known riverine concentration of wild bonytail was in the Green River within Dinosaur National Monument (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a, 1990b, 2002a, 2002b). Recovery plans for humpback chub (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a) and bonytail (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990b) identified the Green River in Desolation and Gray canyons and in Dinosaur National Monument as important to recovery. Until recently, the Green River supported the last known riverine concentration of wild razorback sucker (Xxxxxxx and Xxxx 1989; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998, 2002d).

Importance. The Green River system supports wild populations of humpback chub and Colorado pikeminnow pikeminnow, and historically supported populations of bonytail and stocked razorback sucker. The Green River historically supported wild populations of all four species. Colorado pikeminnow adult abundance in the Green River has declined over the past decade, but . Although wild spawning and recruitment are still occurring, recruitment rates have been low since the mid 1990’s, and lambda has been below one since 2000, indicating the population is likely to continue to decline unless recruitment can be increased (Xxxxxx 2018). Humpback chub are found spawning and recruiting in Desolation and Gray Canyons canyons in the Green River; populations are apparently stable and continuing to reproduce and recruit in this location. Razorback sucker became functionally extirpated in the Green River in the late 1990’s, but have been reestablished through augmentation stocking. Spawning Stocked adults are accumulating and spawning aggregations are now found in the middle and lower Green river. Collections of wild produced larval razorback sucker have been on the increase in the Middle middle Green River since 2007; wild produced Age age 1+ juveniles were collected in the lower Green and Colorado rivers in 2013 and 2018 and in floodplains off the middle Green River in 2015every year since 2013. Bonytail are stocked in large numbers in the Green RiverRiver and in several tributaries in the basin, but are not surviving at high rates, although wild . Wild bonytail reproduction was has been confirmed in middle Green River wetlands (Stewart Lake and Xxxxxxx Bottom) in 2015 2015, 2016, and 20162017 prompting stocking into wetland habitats beginning in 2017. The importance of the Green River to the endangered fishes has been established in Recovery Program planning. The Colorado Squawfish [Pikeminnow] Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1991) listed the Green River as the highest priority area for recovery of the species, and the recovery goals (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2002c) consider the Green River subbasin as the center of the Upper Basin Colorado pikeminnow metapopulation. Habitat in Desolation and Gray canyons supports a self- sustaining humpback chub population, and the last known riverine concentration of wild bonytail was in the Green River within Dinosaur National Monument (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a, 1990b, 2002a, 2002b). Recovery plans for humpback chub (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a) and bonytail (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990b) identified the Green River in Desolation and Gray canyons and in Dinosaur National Monument as important to recovery. Until recently, the The Green River supported the last known riverine concentration of wild razorback sucker in the upper basin in the 1990s (Xxxxxxx and Xxxx 1989; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998, 2002d).