Great report, Peggy! Thanks for going and representing Sierra Club. I will second Peggy's suggestion that you send your own comments to the Corps by the 28th. The e-mail address for sending comments is [log in to unmask] If you would like ideas for comments, please contact me at [log in to unmask] Thanks for your efforts to help restore the Missouri River. Jane Clark ACTION NEEDED ON THE MISSOURI RIVER Please act by February 28th The following action item and background material was prepared by Izaak Walton League. Recently, Sierra Club members should have received a postcard regarding the Missouri River. Please sign and mail your postcard as soon as possible and then visit the website below to make additional comments. The final comment period is open until February 28. ***WHAT YOU CAN DO*** Commenting is easy. Simply click on the following link: http://www.SaveTheMissouri.org You will be directed to a website created by American Rivers in partnership with the Izaak Walton League of America and numerous other conservation organizations. This site offers a pre-drafted letter that you can send as-is or modify as you choose. This action, which will only take you a few minutes, can help change the future for one of America's most important rivers. Our goal is to reach a total of 50,000 comments by February 28th. With your help, we can reach this goal, one conservationist at a time. Background The Missouri River is an important cultural, ecological, and historic resource in the Upper Midwest, providing recreational opportunities, critical habitats, and important economic benefits. For the past several decades, the management of the river, a responsibility of the US Army Corps of Engineers, has been weighed heavily toward economic interests at the expense of recreational users and the river's ecology. Now, we have the opportunity to change things, and you can help by investing just a few minutes of your time. Natural rivers typically benefit from the annual cycle of rise and fall that accompanies the seasons. The Missouri, however, is carefully managed for relatively stable flows, disrupting these natural cycles. As a result, important habitats like islands, natural backwaters and sandbars are declining. Several species that depend on these habitats, like the pallid sturgeon and the least tern, are endangered. The Missouri is managed in this way primarily to accommodate a small amount of barge traffic. According to years of study by both the Corps and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the barge industry would be disrupted very little, and perhaps even benefit from, a management scheme that mimics natural flow conditions in the river. This alternative is known as the "flexible flow" alternative. Unfortunately, powerful political forces have allied against the flexible flow alternative. Citing adverse consequences for barges and increased flood damage to riverfront properties, they demand that conditions remain as they are, condemning the river ecology to continued decline. The Corps is currently seeking comments on Missouri River management. YOUR COMMENTS CAN HELP DETERMINE WHICH OPTION THE CORPS SELECTS AND HELP PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF THE MISSOURI RIVER. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]