Dear Activist, The comment period for administration's Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) and guidance that would limit the jurisdictional scope of the Clean Water Act is April 16th. If you have not yet sent a written comment and wish to, now is the time. The Sierra Club will be submitting an official comment on behalf of the entire organization. However, activists and local chapters and groups who wish to voice their opposition to this unprecedented threat to the Clean Water Act, may do so, as well. If you and your group or chapter are interested in sending in detailed comments to the EPA (focusing on how this threat will impact your state), we now have a new tool which will assist you in the process- a template designed to provide you with substantive comment points and provide a framework for your comments, is now available. The template was designed by our friends at the Clean Water Network. Please email or call me to receive a copy of the template. Also, even if you do not wish to use the template, please let me know if you plan to submit detailed comments specific to your state so that I can connect activists from the same state in order to make your task easier. Your comments are the strongest tool we have to raise the awareness of this threat to Congress members and media. ALL WATERS WILL BE AFFECTED! The waters that could be left unprotected by this rulemaking include creeks, streams, natural ponds, and those waterways that are dry for part of the year or that are too small or rocky to use for boating. It may also apply to many types of wetlands, such as bogs, marshes, prairie potholes, sloughs, and mudflats. Another category of vulnerable waters is man-made conveyances that connect to waterways - canals, culverts, and maybe even pipes. If the administration succeeds, an estimated 60% of stream miles and more than 20% of wetlands in the United States could be polluted, filled, or destroyed without a federal permit. Thank you! Ananda D. Hirsch Sierra Club Program Assistant Environmental Quality Program Phone: (202) 675-6693 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]