The Senate is poised to take action on a landmark Water Resources
Development Act - the first since 2000 and the first since Hurricane
Katrina showed the world the deplorable state of water US policy,
management and development.

IT'S UP TO YOU to call the Senate on June 19 and tell them that we must
do better. More water projects that destroy wetlands that protect people
and property from storms, for development proposals based on discredited
engineering and economic practices must come to an end. Congress must
reform US water policy, starting by reforming the Corps of Engineers.

Mark your calendars and spread the word to others in your
organizations. Join thousands of advocates for healthy water and Corps
reform by calling your Senator on June 19th. 

Tell your Senator:

- US water policy and the Corps of Engineers must be modernized,
reformed and held accountable.
- Support the Feingold, McCain amendments to the Water Resources
Development Act.
- The Inhofe/Bond versions of the amendments WILL NOT bring true reform
to the Corps. Support Feingold and McCain.

Senators Feingold and McCain will offer amendments to require the Corps
to submit costly or controversial projects to be reviewed by an
independent panel of experts in science, transportation. Another
Feingold/McCain amendment will require an independent panel to identify
the top priority flood control, navigation and restoration projects. The
list of priority projects would be given to Congress to guide funding
decisions. 

Inhofe and Bond will offer their own versions of independent review and
prioritization amendments as a diversion. The Inhofe/Bond versions will
not create a review process that is truly independent and will not
establish a prioritization scheme based on objective science and
economic criteria.

With your support, and help from your members, allies and supporters,
we can send a loud and clear message to the Senate that they must
support amendments to the Water Resources Development Act that will help
fix the fundamental problems at the Corps. 

Here's how you can help:

1) Call your Senator on June 19. Ask to speak to the Legislative
Assistant who handles environmental issues. If you don't know your
Senator's phone number, call the Capitol Switchboard. (202-224-3121).

2) Tell them to support amendments to the Water Resources Development
Act to be offered by Senators Feingold and McCain. Tell them the reform
provisions in S. 728 including new language negotiated last month are a
good start but falls short. 

3) Tell them that true independent review is needed to check the
Corps's work. And tell them that Congress must stop funding projects
that make little economic sense or trash our environment. Tell them to
fund only those projects that are truly the highest priority.

4) Ask the staff person how their boss intends to vote and then relay
the information to us.

5) Pass this message on to your members, your Board of Directors and
any list serves you may be on.

On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina plowed through southern Louisiana.
More than 1500 people died and a great American city was destroyed.
Today, we know that the damage was made worse by the lack of a national
water resource policy and shoddy engineering. Current policies put ports
and economic development ahead of people and natural ecosystems that can
buffer storm damage. Numerous reports have concluded that the Corps
failed in New Orleans. Even the Chief of Engineers admitted recently
that "we('ve) had a catastrophic failure."

Thank you. With your support, we can ensure that we learn from our
mistakes and fix some of the problems revealed by Hurricane Katrina.

-- 

  ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>
Deborah Neustadt
Des Moines, IA
Sierra Club
Water Committee, Chair
Wildlife and Endangered Species Committee, Member
Iowa Chapter, Executive Committee Member, Political Chair

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