HOUSE FARM BILL RIDER WOULD DESTROY AQUATIC PROTECTIONS
Fisheries and Conservation News from the Pacific
Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations and the
Insititute for Fisheries Resources
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This action alert is forwarded from some of our allies fighting the Farm
Bill efforts to dilute protections for aquatic resources. PCFFA and many
other fisheries organizations (both sport and commercial) oppose this
rider. Urgent action is needed. -- The Editor
ACTION ALERT
(forwarded from GreenLines)
Please Contact Your Representative and Senators to Oppose the Brown
Water Amendment on the Farm Bill
Help Protect Trout, Salmon and other Wildlife
Senator Hank Brown (R-Colo) has introduced a "rider" onto the Farm Bill
S.1541 which would be devastating for fish and other wildlife. The
measure would take away federal agency authority to regulate the amount
of water diverted from rivers on public lands. The Farm Bill is now in
Conference Committee. We urge you to contact your legislators to ask
them to put pressure on the Conferees to remove Sen. Brown's rider,
Amendment No. 3443 to S. 1541.
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSPERSON IMMEDIATELY, and ask them to
tell the Farm Bill Conferees to STRIKE the Brown Water Amendment
from the Bill. Tell them that if the Brown amendment stays in the bill,
they should vote against it on the floor BY SUPPORTING A MOTION TO
RECOMMIT AND RECONSIDER this one provision.
You can reach your Senators and Representatives at the U.S. Capitol
switchboard, 202-224-3121.
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BACKGROUND
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Without federal protection of stream flows, only weak state laws would
prevail. This would result in dewatering of streams, and destruction of
habitats for trout, salmon, and other wildlife dependent upon those
waterways. Hydropower dams and water supply projects could divert large
sections of rivers, without providing "bypass" flows to keep the streams
healthy. The survival of many fish populations depends upon your
action.
The loss of the Forest Service and BLM authority to protect these water
flows undermines species protection laws. It would take away the Forest
Service's ability to carry out its duties under the Endangered Species
Act in National Forests. It would also be impossible to comply with
habitat protection provisions of the National Forest Management Act,
since the only legal mechanism to preserve stream flows would be taken
away.
This amendment has had no hearings, oversight, or meaningful debate.
Its effects would be catastrophic. We urge everyone to take action, but
in particular we hope that constituents of the following list would
respond. These moderate Republicans could be the deciding influence in
getting this rider removed.
House Republican Moderates
Bass (R-2/NH)
Bereuter (R-1/NE)
Boehlert (R-23/NY)
Castle (R-At Large/DE)
Davis (R-11/VA)
Diaz-Balart (R-21/FL)
Ehlers (R-3/MI)
Erlich (R-2/MD)
English (R-21/PA)
Fawell (R-13/IL)
Foley (R-16/FL)
Forbes (R-1/NY)
Fox (R-13/PA)
Franks (R-5/CT)
Franks (R-7/NJ)
Gilchrest (R-1/MD)
Gillmor (R-5/OH)
Gilman (R-20/NY)
Goss (R-14/FL)
Greenwood (R-8/PA)
Gunderson (R-3/WI)
Hoke (R-10/OH)
Horn (R-38/CA)
Houghton (R-38/CA)
Johnson (R-6/CT)
Kelly (R-19/NY)
Klug (R-2/WI)
LaTourette (R-19/OH)
Lazio (R-2/NY)
Leach (R-1/IA)
LoBiondo (R-2/NJ)
Longley (R-1/ME)
Martini (R-8/NJ)
Meyers (R-3/KS)
Morella (R-8/MD)
Porter (R-10/IL)
Quinn (R-30/NY)
Ramstad (R-3/MN)
Regula (R-16/OH)
Ros-Lehtinen (R-18/FL)
Roukema (R-5/NJ)
Sanford (R-1/SC)
Saxton (R-3/NJ)
Shaw (R-22/FL)
Shays (R-4/CT)
Smith (R-4/NJ)
Torkildsen (R-6/MA)
Upton (R-6/MI)
Weldon (R-7/PA)
White (R-1/WA)
Wolf (R-10/VA)
Young (R-10/FL)
Zimmer (R-12-NJ)
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END OF ALERT
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