The National Marine Fisheries Service is conducting the first in a series of Recovery Planning Workshops on July 17, 2006 in Santa Cruz, California. The workshops are designed as a round-table discussion where information exchange and dialog contributes to the development of Federal recovery plans for salmon and steelhead. An afternoon and evening session are planned to accommodate schedules (e.g., work, daycare, etc.) and provide a greater opportunity for the public to attend.

This first workshop will focus on Central California Coast coho salmon and includes a general overview of: - The Federal recovery planning process - Timeline for NMFS recovery plan development - Current understanding of coho salmon populations and their habitat - Threats identified in original listing documents
Following the overview, workshop participants will separate into smaller facilitated discussion groups to generate more in-depth dialog on threats to coho populations and habitat, which is information required for the draft recovery plans. This information will also be used in future workshops over the next few months to inform recovery criteria and recovery actions that reduce or eliminate these threats.

If you are unable to attend the July 17, 2006 workshop in Santa Cruz, additional threats-focused workshops will be held in the near future.
Workshop attendance is free, but registration is required due to space limitations. On-line registration is available at www.abag.ca.gov/abag/salmon/recoveryworkshops/. For those without internet access, please fill out and FAX or mail the following form to: FAX: (707) 578-3435; mailing address: NMFS, c/o Charlotte Ambrose, 777 Sonoma Ave., Room 325, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
If you have additional questions, please contact Charlotte Ambrose at Charlotte.A.Ambrose@noaa.gov or at (707) 575-6068.

NMFS' Central California Coast Coho Salmon Recovery Workshop Registration Name:_______________________________ Affiliation_________________________ Address_________________________________ City___________________________ State/Zip Code________________ Phone____________________________________ Email Address___________________________________________

 

Save Cache Creek!

LETTERS NEEDED IN SUPPORT OF AB 1328 –

THE CACHE CREEK WILD & SCENIC RIVER BILL!

Assemblymember Patty Berg (D-Eureka) and the Assembly Natural Resources Committee need to hear from you today urging them to vote “yes” on AB 1328, a bill introduced by Assemblymember Lois Wolk (D-Davis) adding portions of Cache Creek and its North Fork to the California Wild & Scenic Rivers System.

AB 1328 will designate 31 miles of the creek in Lake, Colusa, and Yolo counties as Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers. This will permanently protect the creek and its extraordinary scenic, recreational, cultural, wildlife, and geological values from new dams and water diversions.

State designation will maintain current public lands and water resources management of the creek, while enhancing outdoor recreation and the local tourism-based economy. The bill specifically allows for abatement of mercury pollution and management of non-native vegetation. It will not affect private property rights or the operation of existing water projects or water rights.

AB 1328 enjoys diverse support from the Yolo County Supervisors and West Sacramento and Davis City Councils, a growing list of local businesses, academics, and scientists, as well as more than fifty local, state, and national conservation and recreation organizations.

Representing Lake County in the State Legislature, Assemblymember Berg has not yet taken a position on AB 1328. She needs to hear from her constituents (individuals and organizations) today, urging her to vote “yes” on the bill.

In addition, the Assembly Natural Resources Committee is holding a hearing on AB 1328 on April 11, 2005. A letter from your organization endorsing AB 1328 to the Committee by Wednesday, April 6 will ensure that your organization will be noted as a supporter in the Committee Report.

Separate hard copy letters mailed or faxed to Assemblymember Berg and the Committee are best (unfortunately, many legislators still ignore email). Feel free to use and/or modify the attached sample letters. Mail or fax your letters today to:

The Honorable Patty Berg
California State Assembly
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 319-2101

The Honorable Loni Hancock
Chair, Assembly Natural Resources Committee
1029 N Street, Room 164
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 319-2196

The Assembly Natural Resources Committee does not accept email letters. If email is the only way for you to contact Assemblymember Berg, you can email your letter to assemblymember.berg@assembly.ca.gov.

Please email copies of your letters to Assemblymember Berg and the Assembly Natural Resources Committee to cachecreek@wildmail.com. For more information concerning this bill, visit www.friendsoftheriver.org or contact Steve Evans at (916) 442-3155 x221, email: sevans@friendsoftheriver.org

Please write today!

SAMPLE LETTER TO ASSEMBLYMEMBER BERG

(Date)

The Honorable Patty Berg
California State Assembly
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: AB 1328 (Wolk) – SUPPORT

Dear Assemblymember Berg:

I am writing to ask your endorsement of Assemblymember Lois Wolk’s bill to protect Cache Creek as a state wild, scenic, and recreational river (AB 1328.)

This bill will permanently protect portions of upper Cache Creek and the North Fork of Cache Creek, and their extraordinary scenic, recreational, cultural, wildlife, and geological values. State designation will maintain current public lands and water resources management of the creek, while enhancing outdoor recreation and the local tourism-based economy.

State designation will not affect private property rights or the operation of existing water projects or water rights. It will also allow for abatement of mercury pollution and management of non-native vegetation, as well as encourage collaborative multi-stakeholder management of the creek.

AB 1328 enjoys diverse support from the Yolo County Supervisors and West Sacramento and Davis City Councils, a growing list of local businesses, academics, and scientists, as well as more than fifty local, state, and national conservation and recreation organizations.

Please share with me your position concerning this important bill. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

(Type your name/address here.)

SAMPLE LETTER TO THE ASSEMBLY NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

(Date)

The Honorable Loni Hancock
Chair, Assembly Natural Resources Committee
1029 N Street, Room 164
Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: AB 1328 (Wolk) – SUPPORT

Dear Chairperson Hancock and Committee Members:

Please vote “yes” on Assemblymember Lois Wolk’s bill to protect Cache Creek as a state wild, scenic, and recreational river (AB 1328.)

This bill will permanently protect portions of upper Cache Creek and the North Fork of Cache Creek, and their extraordinary scenic, recreational, cultural, wildlife, and geological values. State designation will maintain current public lands and water resources management of the creek, while enhancing outdoor recreation and the local tourism-based economy.

State designation will not affect private property rights or the operation of existing water projects or water rights. It will also allow for abatement of mercury pollution and management of non-native vegetation, as well as encourage collaborative multi-stakeholder management of the creek.

AB 1328 enjoys diverse support from the Yolo County Supervisors and West Sacramento and Davis City Councils, a growing list of local businesses, academics, and scientists, as well as more than fifty local, state, and national conservation and recreation organizations.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

(Your Name, Organization Affiliation, Address)

-- Steve Devoto
1835 Westlake Drive
Kelseyville, CA 95451
707-279-8308
707-349-4431(cell)

"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." -- Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

For many of us, one of the most important reasons we boat is to enjoy the beauty and solitude of nature. While we may love going to a local play spot and taking turns surfing a great hole, we also crave the serenity of more remote wilderness. And nothing spoils a wilderness experience like a trashed-out campsite or rude behavior by another boater. Each of us is obligated to do all he or she can to keep natural recreation areas pristine and as unaffected as possible by our presence - for others, as well as for ourselves.

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics ( www.lnt.org), a non-profit education and advocacy organization, offers seven principles for "Leave No Trace" enjoyment of the outdoors: 1. Plan ahead and prepare; 2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces; 3. Dispose of waste properly; 4. Leave what you find; 5. Minimize campfire impacts; 6. Respect wildlife; and 7. Be considerate of other visitors. Plan Ahead. Careful planning is essential for minimizing your impact on the environment when boating in the wilderness. If you're going into an area where permits are required, study the info supplied by the permitting agency - it will usually highlight important requirements for that area. As a general rule, you'll need to bring a camp stove, a firepan, equipment for washing dishes and straining dishwater, and receptacles for carrying out human waste and trash.

Be a Low-Impact Camper. As boaters, our travel on the water leaves no trace - our major impact occurs once we land. Hike only on designated trails. Choose established campsites that are big enough for your group, and avoid moving tent sites into unimpacted areas. Camp on beaches, sandbars, or other non-vegetated areas below the high water line if established campsites aren't available. Since the kitchen area gets the most use, be sure to locate it in a low-impact (or highly used) area. Consider using a kitchen floor tarp to catch drops and spills. Strain dishwater, put the scraps in your trash, and broadcast the dishwater above the high water mark. To minimize campfire impacts, use a firepan, and either bring your own wood or use driftwood. Be careful to avoid starting a wildfire, and pack out your ashes. Minimizing food packaging helps simplify trash carry-out. Plan to recycle as much trash as possible, especially aluminum and plastic beverage containers.

"Waste Not" in the Wrong Places. Pack out your human waste using one of the many good systems available. A coffee can, small paper bags, and some deodorizer can be used for a daytime toilet; this waste can then be added to that in the regular toilet when you get to camp. And don't forget to pick up your dog's solid waste and pack it out, too! Regulations for depositing urine vary depending on the area; the usual rule in higher-volume waters and arid areas is to urinate in the water or on wet sand. Be sure to check out local regulations or accepted practices.

After brushing your teeth, dilute the rinse water to avoid leaving "seagull droppings". Each day before leaving camp, have someone from your party police the entire campsite. Make a special effort to collect and dispose of "micro-trash", like small bits of plastic and paper, and leave each site cleaner than you found it.

Mind Your Manners. It's really nice when we've got the Great Outdoors to ourselves, but our favorite forms of recreation have now gotten so popular that we're often sharing the water with others. A Golden Rule of boating etiquette is simply to do unto others as you would want them to do to you. Discuss campsite selection with other parties you encounter. If you stay near another group, be aware of the noise level in your camp. While it may be fun for you to bring your dog along, others in your party may not be so tickled, so be sure to control your pet. On rivers that you share with power boaters, give them room to pass you in the flat stretches, and let them through rapids first if they're already committed to a line.

Generally, space along a river is considered public domain only up to the high-water mark; remember to respect the private property you're boating through. Landowners appreciate this, and they're much more likely to be friendly to the next group of boaters.

Don't Feed the Animals. Show your respect for the wildlife you encounter by observing them from a distance. Don't feed animals; keep food and garbage in secure containers and stored away from prowling critters, especially at night.

In short: Leave What You Find. Take Nothing but Photographs; Leave Nothing but Footprints.

Help Protect Wildlife in the Lower Colorado River

A century ago, the Colorado was a free flowing river with wide fluctuations in water levels. In the spring, melting snows and storms would increase the river flows dramatically. These flows would inundate large portions of the broad valleys, moving the river channel and creating sloughs, oxbows and other features, but by fall the river would become a mere trickle. A wide variety of fish and bird species adapted specifically to this harsh and dynamic environment.

The construction of dams, the filling of reservoirs, the introduction of exotic plants, changes in the river channel and the loss of seasonal flooding have drastically changed the Colorado, resulting in a much different ecosystem. These changes threaten the existence of several fish and wildlife species. Among these species are three native Colorado River fish, two of which have already disappeared from the lower Colorado (Colorado pikeminnow and humpback chub) and the razorback sucker continues to disappear from the river. This area is also crucial for migratory birds that use the river delta as a stop along the Pacific Flyway and to wintering waterfowl.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Please take a moment and visit alert #328 on the DEN action center at http://www.denaction.org. Send a FREE fax to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Reclamation letting them know how important the Multi-Species Conservation Program (MSCP) is for the lower Colorado River in Arizona, Nevada, and California. The comment period ends August 18, so please send your fax TODAY.
Sincerely,

Kara Gillon
Water Counsel
Defenders of Wildlife

Save the Russian River - No Low-Flow Committee

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release Contact: Steve Fogle, Chairperson (707) 869-9000

steve@russianriver.com

SCWA Seeks Immediate

Cut in Russian River Flow

The Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) has filed a petition for "Temporary Urgent Change" with the California Division of Water Rights, asking to reduce the flow in the Russian River immediately. Filed on June 28 and signed by SCWA General Manager Randy Poole, the petition asks that water year 2004 be classified a "dry year" under "Decision 1610," the existing law governing river flow. Urgency petitions can be granted by the state as quickly as 10 days from the date of filing.

A letter by Poole accompanying the petition claims that current conditions are similar to those of 2002 when levels of Lake Mendocino became "dangerously low" and caused "serious risks to water supplies and listed Russian River salmonids fishery resources, particularly adult Chinook salmon, and severely impaired recreation on Lake Mendocino."

The petition also had letters from the federal National Marine Fisheries Service and the California Department of Fish and Game attached to it. The two letters, which use almost identical language and seem written by the same person, support the idea of immediate flow reduction because it will ostensibly protect endangered fish.

Both letters include the language, "Even though 2004 is a normal year under the Decision 1610 criteria, we believe that the Agency's proposal to operate to the dry-year requirements during the remainder of 2004 is appropriate…" In other words 2004 is not a "dry year" under existing law, a prerequisite for lowering river flow, but the letter-writers are urging the Sate Division of Water Right to reduce flow anyway.

In our view this petition is seriously flawed in many respects:

It asks the Division of Water Rights to go against the plain language of Decision 1610.

It ignores the recent county-funded study by Prunuske Chatham concluding that flow reduction will not only kill endangered fish, it will pose significant health risks for people on the lower river by depleting ground-water supplies and inviting disease-carrying mosquitoes.

The SCWA faces problems supplying water to urban customers this summer, but has not begun conservation programs. The SCWA apparently considers irrigation of urban decorative landscaping, a major summer use of SCWA water, more important than the health and welfare of the residents of the lower river and the survival of endangered fish species.

It places the importance of Lake Mendocino recreation above the health and welfare of lower river residents.

According to Supervisor Mike Reilly, authority to file the petition was requested by Randy Poole during a closed session of the Board of Supervisors, who are also the SCWA Board of Directors. Authority was granted by a four-to-one vote, Reilly being the only dissenter.

The Brown Act requires that all meetings of public bodies be open to the public, and that all action and discussion items be listed in an agenda published in advance of the meeting. The law states that an agency may meet in private but only to discuss personnel issues, confidential contract matters, or confidential aspects of pending litigation. The Agenda for the June 29 meeting of the Board of Supervisors/SCWA Board of Directors made no mention of the petition

Prepared July 1, 2004

 

Help Save the Klamath River From Marna Powell (6/24/04)

Hi everyone,
the scoping session on Tuesday had a great standing room only turnout. It ran way past the 9pm time frame because about 60 people wanted to give oral testimony. I got my two cents in at 10:15. There is still time to send written comment and email comments. I urge all river users to please make some comment. Even just sending your name and address with the words "Remove the dams, don't relicense." provides some form of comment. Best would be if you have any hard facts and dollar figures ("quantifiable data") regarding the value of dam removal in terms of commercial fishing, tourism, sport fishing, environmental issues, quality of life, etc. It would be good to hear from fishing and rafting outfitters. There was a great turnout on the part of local tribes and commercial fishermen. I think I'm one of the few who actually stressed the business of recreation and tourism. Every little bit helps so please send your comments.

By the way, Patty Berg and Mike Thompson had their people there. Ronnie Pelligrini was there. Keep these folks in mind at election times. If I missed anyone, forgive me. I tried to sit through the whole night.

If you send written documentation, they require the original plus 8 (eight) copies.
Mail written testimony to:
Magalie R. Salas
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First St NE
Washington DC 20426

You may also file comment on line: www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp

For more info go to www.ferc.gov

The following is an email I was sent by Tim at the NEC prior to the scoping session. Thought it might be helpful for anyone sending comments...

Hello, These are my draft talking points for tomorrow's FERC hearing on the mid-Klamath dams...if there's anything obvious that is missing or other suggestions that you think should be incorporated please let me know ASAP--Thank you...

If you come to the hearings at the Red Lion Inn in Eureka [1929 Fourth Street], 1--4 p.m. agencies, 7--9 p.m. general public, the NEC will have a "hospitality suite" across the hall from the FERC hearing where people can gather to meet and greet, put out their relevant environmental information and/or pick up related environmental information. Call me, Tim McKay, 707-822-6918, if you'd like more information about that.

Talking points RE: relicensing PacifiCorps mid-Klamath River Dams...

Starting with at Klamath Falls and working downward, Link River, Keno, J.C. Boyle, Copco 1 & 2 and, finally, Iron Gate are dams being re-evaluated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee (FERC). Licenses are issued for a fifty year term, so in theory, a hard look is required by FERC to assure that the conditions they operate under meet contemporary standards.

The dam building is part of series of actions over the last century that have increasingly exacerbated chronic problems with the aquatic ecosystem in the Klamath~Trinity River, which once supported one of the biggest annual salmon runs on the West Coast.

In the upper Klamath Basin draining vast wetland areas and converting them to marginal agricultural areas, transferring water in and out of the basin, unsophisticated irrigation practices, poorly controlled pesticide and fertilizer use, and upslope logging and road building all have reinforced the impacts on salmon and steelhead.

The dams have blocked the runs of salmon that once ran up in to Oregon into the headwaters of the upper Klamath River, and many miles of spawning habitat is now either under too much water or just unavailable because it is blocked.

Before the dams were built the river was dominated by spring-run Chinook salmon, but runs of salmon and steelhead were coming and going to the Pacific Ocean year-round, including those of cold water species like summer steelhead and coho salmon. Today the fisheries have dropped sharply, fall-run Chinook are supplemented by hatcheries, Coho salmon are on the list of threatened species and the summer steelhead are rare.

Some economic studies suggest that the value of a restored salmon fishery in the basin would have billions of dollars in annual benefits. In real terms the costs of the declining fisheries have been born by Native American tribes, commercial and sport fishers, and the boat yards, tackle and gear providers, grocers, innkeepers, local governments, that provide services to them.

FERC must fully evaluate the effects of the mid-Klamath dams on these important and essentially solar powered fisheries in the environmental review EIS process required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We are asking FERC to address these points specifically:

1) The Klamath~Trinity River system has several Indian tribes that have a right to a share of the annual run of fish. The treaties mean more the simply the right to dip the net and bring it up empty. There is a federal trust obligation to assure healthy runs of fish. How do the dams affect these treaty obligations?

2) Several stretches of the Klamath~Trinity River are included in both the state and federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act because of their "outstanding fisheries," the law further states that managing agencies must conduct their activities in a manner that protects the values for which river segments were included in the WSR system. How will FERC decisions regarding relicensing affect the fisheries values of downstream WSR segments?

3) A fish hatchery was built as "mitigation" for the 1964 construction of the Iron Gate dam [the last of the six]. Please address in the EIS a) whether or not the fish hatchery has ever met its required objectives, b) what the hatchery's effects on the basin's wild runs of salmonids, lamprey, sturgeon and other fish species have been?

4) Federal Power Act Amendments of 1996 require that fish passage be made available by dams and impoundments. How will the FERC meet this requirement for the mid-Klamath dams?

5) Increasingly, diseases and parasites are becoming a problem for the salmonids in the mid and lower Klamath River. How do the mid-Klamath dams and impoundments help or hinder these diseases and parasites?

6) The California Energy Commission has stated that the 150--160 MW of power produced by the PacifiCorp dams is a minor amount in the overall scheme of power supply to its 1.5 million customers. What amount of energy conservation would be required to achieve savings of 150--160 MW of electricity [ie. one florescent bulb per customer, two?)?

7) The FERC must present, evaluate and discuss an EIS alternative that envisions removing all or part of the mid-Klamath dams. In the economic evaluation of dam removal, please discuss the number of jobs associated with structural removal and associated river restoration.

8) In recent years several agencies have adopted "environmental justice" policies to guide their thinking on whether or not environmental impacts are unfairly being allocated into communities of poverty or color. What are the FERC's policies on "environmental justice," and how are the environmental impacts of the mid-Klamath dams allocated?

9) How do the mid-Klamath dams relate to the federal Clean Water Act? The dams a point source for pollution in the lower river?

This all that I've come up with so far. Please use these as you will. NEC will have a comments workshop, for people wishing to send written comments to FERC, on Friday July 9 from 7 'til 9 p.m. and on Saturday July 10 from 2 'til 4 p.m. at the Northcoast Environmental Center, 575 H Street, Arcata, CA.

Tim McKay, executive director, (707) 822-6918 (w), 677-3172 (h) Northcoast Environmental Center
575 H Street
Arcata CA 95521
www.yournec.org

The following links are to articles I found interesting. They're not directly related to boating or river conservaiton, but in that they deal with possible future directions for a more environmental friendly transportation system I think they're worth reading. And it also happens to be a pet interest of mine. The Webmaster.

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen vs. Hybrids and Biofuels

Time To Think Big

 

Russian River Flow Reduction Meeting

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey will be the keynote speaker at an educational forum on the flow reduction proposal for the Russian River in the Guerneville Vets Building, Thursday, January 22, at 5:00.
The evening will begin with informational tables set up to help educate attendees on this complex issue.
At 6:00, Congresswoman Woolsey will speak, followed by a panel of experts, who will educate and answer questions from the audience. The panel will be moderated by Mike Reilly and will include representatives from River Keepers, Friends of the Russian River, Sonoma County Water Agency, NOAA Fisheries, and the Russian River Chamber of Commerce.
Discussion topics will include the health of the river, our drinking water, fish and game, recreation, property values, and our economic future.
For more information call 869-9000.

May 4, 2003 - Threat to River Access in Oregon

If you raft in Oregon, you may want to take action on the referenced proposed legislation, explained below, that will literally close down access to or use of the rivers on both public and private land. I lived in Oregon for three years and many river property owners would love to stop rafters from even being on the rivers, let alone get access. This statement is based on conversations I had with property owners when I worked in real estate in Grants Pass, Medford, and surrounding areas.
For detailed information, go to www.defeat-sb293.org/. However, a brief synopsis is below.
Senate Bill 293 began as a compromise between recreational river users and river front land owners, but amendments to the bill will, among other things:
1) close sections of rivers to recreational use when any kind of club or camp--however trivial--exists or is created (by anyone, any time) along a river,
2) create a "management plan" on one river that excludes or limits recreational use and then that plan can be superimposed on other Oregon rivers without any input from recreational river users,
3) set aside past navigability rulings and prohibit any further navigability studies.
If this bill is to be defeated, people need to contact Oregon state legislators via letters and phone calls. Contact info may be found at www.leg.state.or.us/senate/members.htm. Your letter or e-mail should be titled: No on SB293-6. Please take a minute to voice your opinion to Oregon legislators and to indicate to them how much money you spend in Oregon that will be forfeited if they pass this legislation.
Flo Samuels, Contractor
SEI CMM and ISO 9001:2000 Implementation and Conversion Support Process Mapping, Procedure Development Measurable Objectives, Metrics, Effectiveness Evaluation Criteria
flosamuels@msn.com , 650-274-9385 (cell)

 

February 15, 2003

Subject: DEN (Defenders of Wildlife) Alert: Help Stop Threats to National Forests and the
Endangered Species Act


DEN Alert:
Help Stop Threats to National Forests and the Endangered Species Act

In a flurry of weekend activity, legislative attacks on the Endangered Species Act and Alaska's rainforest have gone from bad to worse. As the sweeping 2003 federal budget bill is negotiated in a House-Senate conference committee, attempts are being made to add new anti-environmental provisions that threaten our national forests, especially Alaska's Tongass and Chugach National Forests as well as endangered species that inhabit the Missouri River.

These anti-environmental provisions would:
1) Exempt Alaska's Tongass and Chugach National Forests from the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which bans road-building in some of our last remaining untouched woodlands. These places are the nation's first- and second-largest national forests and the most intact, remaining coastal temperate rainforest on earth. The budget provisions also include the approval to implement the Tongass Timber Reform Act, which would require that the Forest Service offer timber sales in national forests to meet market demand, regardless of damage to wildlife habitat and other forest resources. Allowing road building and logging in these forests would destroy valuable habitat that supports some of the world's last great populations of grizzly bears, wolves, eagles, and wild salmon

2) Fundamentally alter the ways the Forest Service does business by giving it broad new authority to pay for an array of activities, including timber-cutting, by trading trees for services. Such a broad new practice would open the door to unlimited abuses by giving local Forest Service bureaucrats and timber company officials unprecedented and unwarranted authority to manage public forests as they see fit.

3) Override the Endangered Species Act by prohibiting the Army Corps of Engineers from changing water level management practices on the Missouri River. The natural rise of the river in the spring is needed for the protection of vital nesting habitat for the piping plover and least tern, two federally protected bird species. The river's rise in the spring also acts as a reproduction cue to the recovering pallid sturgeon, also known as the Dinosaur fish. In addition, the spring rise would help flood plain farmers to drain their fields and encourage healthy crop production.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please call or send a free fax to your representative or senator today and urge them to remove these anti-environmental provisions on the budget bill. Final negotiations on the bill will happen this week, so please make your call today. Thanks for supporting

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to the web, simply click on the link below which will take you to the DEN Action Center web site:
"http://www.denaction.org"

MAKE A PHONE CALL:
Please call your representative or senator at the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. When connected, ask to speak to the office of your representative or senator who sits on the final budget negotiation team. Once you are connected to the office, ask to speak with the staff member that handles budget issues. Once you do speak with someone or are put into voice mail, here are some suggested talking points (also will be incorporated into sample letter):
* As a supporter of the environment and your constituent, I urge you to work to remove any anti-environmental language from the final 2003 budget bill.

* Specifically, I urge my representative/senator to remove the provisions that would exempt Alaska's Tongass and Chugach National Forests from protection under the Roadless Conservation Rule. I also urge the removal of language that would mandate damaging cuts of logging in the Tongass National Forest. It is inconceivable that our legislators would allow our nation's largest intact temperate rainforests to be damaged by road building and logging. Not only that, but species such as the grizzly bear, wolves, eagles and wild salmon that rely on the Tongass and Chugach for habitat also need to be protected.

* Secondly, I urge you to oppose language that would give the Forest Service broad new authority to trade trees for activities on Forest Service lands.

* Lastly, I also ask you to vigorously oppose the provision that would prohibit the Army Corps of Engineers from changing water level management practices on the Missouri River. The natural rise of the river in the spring is needed for the protection of vital nesting habitat for the piping plover and least tern, two federally protected bird species. The natural rise also helps floodplain farmers to drain their fields and encourage healthy crop production.
* Thank you for considering my comments.
___________________________________________________________

(DENlines is a biweekly publication of Defenders of Wildlife, a \ leading national conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat and known for its effective leadership on saving endangered species such as brown bears and gray wolves. Defenders advocates new approaches to wildlife conservation that protect species before they become endangered. Founded in 1947, Defenders is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with more than 480,000 members and supporters.)

Defenders of Wildlife
1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20005
"http://www.defenders.org"
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Copyright (c) 2003 by Defenders of Wildlife