BAUCUS URGES
ARMY CORPS TO FINISH PLAN FOR UPPER YELLOWSTONE
Senator
Says, “The Foot Dragging Must End”
(Washington,
D.C.) – Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus is urging the Army Corps
of Engineers to do what’s right for the Paradise Valley and complete the
Special Area Management Plan for the upper Yellowstone River.
Baucus
is a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public – the panel that
has jurisdiction over the Water Resources Development Act. In the 1999
WRDA, Baucus inserted a study, which called for taking a comprehensive
look at managing the river. The study that was authorized in 1999 has
still not been completed.
“This
is simply not acceptable,” Baucus said. “This river is one of the
most beautiful places on earth and the Corps needs to live up to it’s
commitment, so we can make sure future generations get a chance to see it
and fish along its banks.”
Baucus
is insisting on a project management plan within 30 days. The senator
said the management plan must include any necessary shifts in financial
and human resources that may be necessary to complete the final
environmental assessment and Special Area Management Plan by the end of
fiscal year 2008.
In a
letter to the Assistant Secretary of the Army, John Paul Woodley, Baucus
said;
“The
Corps’ foot dragging and excuses must end. The Special Area
Management Project must be moved from a discussed priority to a completed
policy. The State of Montana’s Upper Yellowstone River Task Force
completed its studies and issued recommendations in 2003. It is
high time the Corps did its part.”
The
Yellowstone River is a vital part of Montana’s economy and
heritage. Thousands of Montanans rely on the river to irrigate
their fields and provide clean drinking water. The river also provides
world class fishing and sustains good paying jobs and a multimillion
dollar tourism industry.
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