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NFC: Fw: Urge the Army Corps of Engineers to Reform Dam Operations To Save Endangered Species

Last November, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a Final 
Biological Opinion on the Corps of Engineers' Missouri River dam 
operations.  That opinion concluded that if the Corps does not reform 
dam operations to include higher flows in the spring and lower flows 
in the summer, three Missouri River species will likely go extinct.

The Corps issued a Draft Implementation Plan for that biological 
opinion in December, indicating how they intend to implement the Fish 
and Wildlife Service's recommendations.  Unfortunately, in that draft 
plan, the Corps failed to commit to making changes to dam operations, 
in particular higher releases of water in the spring and lower 
releases in the fall.  This suggests the Corps will continue to 
violate the Endangered Species Act and may very well not choose to 
reform dam operations when it releases a new preferred alternative 
for the Missouri River Master Water Control Manual ("Master Manual") 
this May.

The public comment period on the Draft Implementation Plan ends this 
Friday, February 16th.  We need your help to make sure that as the 
Corps finalizes the implementation plan, it includes the dam peration 
changes suggested by the Fish and Wildlife Service.  Make your voice 
heard for Missouri River endangered species by sending the e-mail 
below to Mike George, implementation plan project leader for the 
Corps of Engineers.

The Missouri River needs your help right away!

To email Mike George, Project Manager, Omaha Distric, U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, visit www.americanrivers.org/takeaction and click 
on "Urge the Corps of Engineers to Reform Dam Operations to Save 
Endangered Species."