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Wednesday, May 22, 2002
San Pedro River Campaign
We need help with this one folks. I Just got this in the mail:
URGENT: YOUR CALL NEEDED TODAY TO SAVE THE SAN PEDRO
RIVER!
Representative Jim Kolbe (R) has successfully attached
a rider to the House Emergency Appropriations bill
in the Senate that will exempt the Department of Defense
(DoD) and Ft. Huachuca from responsibility for water
conservation measures under U.S. environmental law.
The continued expansion of Fort Huachuca is the single
greatest contributor to the deadly overdraft of water
from the San Pedro river, and baseflows have declined
67% since the 1940's.
The DoD acknowledges responsibility for 34,500 employees
who are dependant on groundwater pumping, thus drying
up the river by intercepting water that ordinarily
would provide the river's stream flow.
Recently, a Federal Judge ruled that the massive expansion
of Fort Huachuca is dewatering the San Pedro River
and jeopardizing the existence of endangered species.
This hard-fought judicial victory will become meaningless
if the rider is approved. The 400-plus animal and bird
species that rely upon the river, including the Huachuca
water umbel, Southwestern willow flycatcher, and thousands
of migratory birds, beavers, and many other species
will be threatened. Local efforts for meaningful river
conservation solutions without court order have proven
futile.
IF THE SENATE APPROVES THIS RIDER, THE SAN PEDRO WILL
DRY UP
The San Pedro river in some areas already has base
flows that are close to zero. There will be no recourse
to save the river if the rider passes Senate approval
and this law becomes permanent.
This decision will be made soon, so *please* call both
Senator Kyl and Senator McCain today, and ask them
NOT to support Kolbe's San Pedro river-killing rider.
A personal phone call before the decision is made is
the most effective way to stop the rider.
(Calls to Washington DC offices are most effective)
Senator Kyl: *Washington DC:(202) 224-4521*; Phoenix:(602)840-1891;
Tucson:(520)575-8633.
Senator McCain: *Washington DC:(202) 224-2235*; Phoenix:(602)952-2410;
Tucson:(520)670-6334.
BACKGROUND:
The San Pedro River is truly one of our environmental
crown jewels. It is one of the last naturally functioning
desert river ecosystems in the United States, and among
the earth's most biologically diverse and important
ecosystems. It supports 400 species of birds (nearly
half of the U.S. total), 100 species of butterflies,
83 species of mammals and 47 species of amphibians
and reptiles.
It has the highest diversity of vertebrate species
in the inland U.S. and the second highest diversity
of land-mammals in the world. It was designated the
first "globally important bird area" by the American
Bird Conservancy and one of the northern hemisphere's
eight "last great places" by The Nature Conservancy.
In 1988 Congress recognized the unparalleled value
of the San Pedro, designating 45 miles of it as the
nation's first Riparian National Conservation Area.
For more information call Dr. Robin Silver at: (602)
246-4170 or rsilver@biologicaldiversity.org, or Daniel
Patterson at: (520) 623-5252, ext.306
San Pedro River website
Visit the web address below and tell your friends about
this important issue:
Spread the word!
Bill |
5/22/2002 01:21:00 AM |
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