Sent by Debbie Neustadt
from a memo prepared by Mark Beorkrem

The primary habitat restoration program for the Upper
Mississippi River  is facing steep budget cuts. There is
an effort in the Senate to fix this. Calls are needed to
Senators. Senators telephone numbers are listed below
sample message for Senators.

Dear Senator:
We urge you to support the Graham amendment to the
Omnibus Appropriations Bill for FY 2003 to increase
funding for the Environmental Management Program
(EMP) for the Upper Mississippi River by $3 million.
This amendment would increase funding for the EMP
by reducing Maintenance funding  for Apalachicola River,
but would preserve sufficient maintenance funding to
operate the Apalachiola's dams and navigation channel.
As you know, funding for the EMP, the primary habitat
restoration program for the Upper Mississippi River,
is facing steep budget cuts, from $20 million to
$12.2 million for FY 2003. The Corps requested and
the House appropriated $12.2 million for FY 2003,
and the Senate appropriated $15 million for FY 2003.
Similar cuts are expected for FY 2004. The Congress
recently increased the authorized funding ceiling for EMP
to $33.2 million a year, but annual funding has not
topped $21 million. Unless funding levels increase,
habitat will continue to be lost faster than habitat can
be restored by EMP. Funding cuts may also reduce
the number of scientists monitoring the health of the
Upper Mississippi River by 40 percent and result
in the loss of three field stations where scientific data
is collected. We urge you to support the Graham
amendment to increase funding to restore the Upper
Mississippi River.

Iowa
Senator Charles Grassley  202-224-3744  fax 202-224-6020
Senator Tom Harkin  202-224-3254  fax 202-224-9369

Illinois
Senator Peter Fitzgerald 202-224-2854  fax 202-228-1372
Senator Dick Durbin 202-224-2152  fax 202-228-0400

Minnesota
Senator Norm Coleman 202-224-5641  fax 202-224-1152
Senator Mark Dayton 202-224-3244   fax 202-228-2186

Wisconsin
Senator Russ Feingold   202-224-5323  fax 202-224-2725
Senator Herbert Kohl    202-224-5653  fax 202-224-9787

Missouri
Senator Christopher Bond  202-224-5721  fax 202-224-8149
Senator Jim Talent  202-224-6154  fax 202-228-1518
 

Mark lists his number to contact if  question contact me
217-526-4480

or Scott Faber, Environmental Defense at
202-387-3500 x3315.
 
 
 
 
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