Contact: Ernie Blazar 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Saturday, March 3, 2001

COLUMBIA - Senator Kit Bond today told those attending the annual meeting of the Missouri Levee and Drainage District Association that he would work closely with the new President to stop the Clinton Administration’s Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) plan to raise the Missouri and Mississippi river levels during the flood-prone spring in an unproven bid to help endangered pallid sturgeon breed. Through the campaign and since, Bond has had numerous discussions with officials at all levels.

“There’s a new sheriff in town policing the Missouri River. You’ll be pleased to know that the Bush administration has assured me they will not act on the half-baked FWS plan until they’ve had a chance to take a fresh look at the issue, based on science, when they have their new agency people up and running,” Bond said. Previously excluded representatives of the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Energy, and Justice will be represented during the review process.

Last year, Bond fought efforts to strip his protective “no flood” provision from the fiscal 2001 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Bond has included the provision in each of 5 years’ appropriations bills because it provides the only protection from a federally-planned flood of the Missouri River. Bond won the provision in the Senate, but was unable to muster enough votes to override President Clinton’s veto of the legislation.

Without the Bond provision in law, which would protect the Missouri River from federally-mandated flooding, the battleground shifts to defeating the Clinton FWS plan outright. Bond congratulated Governor Holden, the Department of Natural Resources, and all Missouri officials who, on a bipartisan basis, have stood strong against the Clinton-FWS plan. “Missouri officials have avoided in-state politics and political sniping because we all know that we will win only if we are united,” Bond said.

Following up on his long-standing commitment to protect Missouri River habitat for fish and wildlife, Bond announced that he would re-introduce legislation he introduced with former Senator Kerrey to authorize over $30 million per year for Missouri River habitat improvements. This legislation would also specifically prevent actions that adversely impact flood control, such as the Clinton FWS plan.