As part of an appropriations bill passed in the Senate on Thursday, the program to ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act along the Platte River has been extended by 13 years.

Sens. Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner co-sponsored the bill, along with the senators from Wyoming and Nebraska. In the House of Representatives, all members from the three states signed on to the corresponding legislation.

In a statement, Bennet and Gardner praised the collaborative approach to preserving endangered species. “It’s a great example of how a partnership between federal, state, and local stakeholders can promote conservation, protect nature and prevent litigation,” Gardner added.

There are three components to the program. The first, pertaining to water, re-timed and improved water flows to reduce shortages. Strategic use of water flows also helped create nesting habitats for some birds. Approximately 5 million people depend on the water in the Platte River Basin, and the federal Endangered Species Act requires that water projects not threaten or adversely affect any protected habitats.

The second component, land use, seeks to manage 29,000 acres of habitat, primarily through land acquisition of meadows, channels and buffers.

Finally, the program has developed an adaptive management plan whose goals include the survival of four species, including whooping cranes and pallid sturgeons.

The program first came into existence on Jan. 1, 2007. The current legislation authorizes the federal government to spend $78 million on the program during its extension.