"The combined experience and skills John and Laura bring to these positions will ensure the continued success of the LCR MSCP as we move forward in the critical implementation phase," said Lorri Gray, Regional Director of Reclamation's Lower Colorado Region.

"John has a wealth of experience in natural resources management and wildlife biology and has been involved in conservation activities prior to and throughout the program's formulation and implementation," Gray added. "Laura too has been involved in the program since its inception and has played an integral role in its implementation, particularly with regard to interaction with the stakeholders and the program's Steering Committee."

Swett holds a B.S. degree from the University of Maine in wildlife management and an M.S. degree from the University of Massachusetts in forestry. He is a 25-year Federal employee, the last 16 of which have been with Reclamation.

Vecerina holds a B.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Davis, and a Masters of Public Administration from Arizona State University. She is a 26-year Federal employee, the last 20 of which have been with Reclamation.

Implemented in 2005, the LCR MSCP is a long-term, 50-year partnership of Federal and non-Federal stakeholders responding to the need to balance the use of lower Colorado River water resources and the conservation of native species and their habitats in compliance with the Endangered Species Act. It will protect 26 federal and state-listed candidate and sensitive species along the lower Colorado River, including birds, fish, small mammals, bats, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and plants. The LCR MSCP area extends more than 400 miles along the lower Colorado River from Lake Mead to the southernmost border with Mexico, and includes lakes Mead, Mohave, and Havasu, as well as the historic 100-year floodplain along the river's main stem.

Reclamation, in consultation and partnership with a Steering Committee composed of representatives from the 56 participating entities, is the primary implementing agency for the program.