From Jane Clark Calls are needed today to Senator Harkin to block a rider Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) is planning to introduce that would exempt the current operations of the Master Manual for the Missouri River from Endangered Species obligations. Senator Harkin needs to hear today that you oppose the expected rider. Below are some key talking points and attached is a letter you can fax, e-mail, or use as a script when calling Harkin's office. The general number for Harkin's DC office is 202-224-3254. You can ask to speak to Richard Bender who is the staff person for Harkin that handles this issue. Or if you prefer, you can fax Harkin at 202-224-9369, or e-mail him at [log in to unmask] Key talking points: * Iowa is missing out on a huge economic windfall from recreation and tourism because the river is managed as a drainage ditch instead of a healthy river. * We can make flow changes, make the river healthier, and keep corn and soybeans production strong in the floodplain. We'll still be able to navigate on the Missouri River in the spring and fall, and we'll help Mississippi River barge traffic. Sample letter or talking points Dear Senator Harkin: I/We strongly oppose any effort to block long-awaited Missouri River dam reforms and override the Endangered Species Act by attaching an anti-environmental rider to the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill for FY 2003. Please support strong conservation and a strong economy in Iowa by opposing these efforts and supporting restoration of this most important Iowa natural resource. Flow changes necessary for the species will also support improved recreational resources, increase the value of federal power generated by the system, and improve navigation in the Mississippi River system. The value of improvements to the Mississippi River system alone exceeds the $7 million value of the Missouri River barge traffic, according to the Corps of Engineers. The National Academy of Sciences endorsed the need for dam reforms and flow changes earlier this year based on the ecosystem needs, but also noted that the change in operations "may be justifiable solely on the grounds that it represents an economic improvement on current mainstem dam operations." The Corps' current regime of maintaining constant flow in the Missouri River threatens the continued existence of the endangered interior least tern, threatened piping plover, and endangered pallid sturgeon, according to river scientists. Dam operations affect these species by interfering with the creation of sandbars, by reducing the availability of slow-moving shallow water, and by eliminating a key reproductive trigger for sturgeon and other native fish. Higher spring dam releases would create sandbars that serve as important nesting habitat for the endangered interior least tern and the threatened piping plover and act as a reproductive cue for sturgeon, paddlefish, and other big river species. Low summer flows would ensure that terns and plover nests on sandbars remain dry during the nesting season and provide shallow, slow-flowing habitat for recently spawned fish to feed and conserve energy. More than 60 other species - virtually the entire native ecosystem - will continue to decline if dam reforms are blocked, according to scientists. Dam reforms will significantly boost recreation and not interfere with traditional uses of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The flood impacts of dam reforms "are considered insignificant," according to the Corps, because dam reforms will provide 99 percent of the flood control benefits provided by current dam operations. Higher flows would only be allowed during normal water years, when flooding is not an issue. Dam reforms would also continue full service to Missouri River barges during the spring and fall - when more than 80 percent of farm-related cargo is shipped by barge - and would also improve navigation on the Mississippi River. Power rates for ordinary consumers would drop by 3 to 5 cents per month. A restored Missouri River is the right thing for Iowa. We can continue to support strong agricultural production in the Missouri River floodplain while at the same time making the Missouri River a destination for thousands of hunters, anglers, boaters, hikers, campers, and others that want to enjoy the river. This will provide a tremendous economic boost for cities like Sioux City, Council Bluffs, and Hamburg. I/We urge you to oppose any amendments to the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill for FY 2003 that would block these necessary Missouri River dam reforms and that would prevent Iowans from enjoying this great river in our backyard. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]