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March 2010 Update
This Monthly Update is a summary of the major activities I have been involved with over the last month.
Nicollet Island Coalition (NIC)
o NIC Report – The coalition continued to promote the Big Price – Little Benefit report on NESP at the Corps Reform
Network annual meeting and at several other meetings in Washington DC. We provided a copy to Senator Harkin’s staff,
meet with two members of Senator Feingold’s staff and provided them each a report and met with three members of the
Office of Management and Budget and provided them a report as well.
The report is available for downloading at http://iwla.org/bigprice. We will continue to promote the report to the media,
other non-profits, the public, and the appropriate Congressional committees and members.
o NIC Organization – I began organizing the NIC annual meeting to be held in Chicago on 5-25-10 and 5-26-10.
Concurrently, I have been locating potential new state-level members from the UMR states that may attend, as well as
inviting at least one organization that has not participated for a few years. Prairie Rivers Network is a current state-level
member from Illinois. Potential new members from Wisconsin and Missouri have been contacted and invited to the
meeting. The general agenda items for the meeting will be to review the events and activities related to the NIC NESP
report and determining what the focus of NIC will be during the next year.
IWLA Chapter Interface: There was no direct chapter interface activity during March.
o I currently have no presentations scheduled and am looking for chapters or other organizations that may be
interested in an UMR presentation. If any of you are aware chapters or organizations that may be interested, please contact
me.
Other Meetings/Events Attended
o From 03-13-10 through 3-16-10 I attended the Corps Reform Network (CRN) annual meeting held this year in
Washington DC. The CRN is a network of about 180 organizations whose mission is “to ensure our government's water
resource laws, policies, projects and permits protect and restore our rivers, wetlands and coasts.” About 70 people from
various non-governmental organizations from across the U.S. attended the meeting as well as experts speaking on the
proposed changes to the federal water resources projects Principles and Guidelines, management of floodplains, and the
Clean Water Restoration Act. I had the opportunity to make a short presentation to the attendees on the NIC Big Price –
Little Benefit report. The keynote speaker for the meeting was Assistant Secretary of the Army – Civil Works, Jo-Ellen
Darcy, who we provided copies of the NIC report.
o On 3-24-10 I attended the initial meeting of the State of Illinois’ Mississippi River Coordinating Council held at
Hampton, IL near the Quad Cities. Illinois DNR Director Marc Miller is chairing the meetings until a Lt. Governor is elected in
November. The meeting agenda included introductions of the council members, a discussion of the council’s procedures
and policies, and two presentations providing background for the members. The meeting was attended by about dozen or
so people beside the council members. The next meeting will be held in Springfield during May.
o On 3-25-10 I attended the annual Quad Cities Nuclear Power Plant Steering Committee meeting at the power plant
near Cordova, IL. The meeting agenda was exactly the same as in 2009 with presentations on aquaculture research,
stocking assessment, fish monitoring, drum population and impingement monitoring at the plant intake.
Navigation & Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP)
o As has been the case since 2001 the White House included no funding for NESP in their FY 2011 budget. Neither the
House nor the Senate had provided an adjustment to the White House budget through March.
o There has been no apparent progress on addressing the inadequate revenue issue with the Inland Waterways Trust
Fund, which is required by law to provide 50 percent of the cost of new construction and rehabilitation of existing
infrastructure for inland waterways projects. The Inland Waterways Users Board has offered a plan to increase revenue that
is dependent primarily upon increasing the cost share burden of taxpayers rather than the barge industry. It is expected
that a new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) will be required to change the IWTF revenue methodology but it is
uncertain whether there will be a WRDA in 2010.
o The NIC NESP Report recommends that NESP be de-authorized (officially canceled) for various reasons but primarily
due to the lack of economic justification for the seven new locks. Further, the report recommends that the ecosystem
restoration components and the funding for these components be formally transferred to EMP. Again, a new Water
Resources Development Act will be required to make these changes.
Environmental Management Program (EMP)
o The White House included $21 million funding for EMP in their budget for FY 2011. Neither the House nor the Senate
had provided an adjustment to the White House budget through March.
Brad Walker
UMR Coordinator
Izaak Walton League of America
1937 Washington St., #15
Davenport, IA 52804
(563) 209-0522
This Monthly Update is a summary of the major activities I have been involved with over the last month.
Nicollet Island Coalition (NIC)
o NIC Report – The coalition continued to promote the Big Price – Little Benefit report on NESP at the Corps Reform
Network annual meeting and at several other meetings in Washington DC. We provided a copy to Senator Harkin’s staff,
meet with two members of Senator Feingold’s staff and provided them each a report and met with three members of the
Office of Management and Budget and provided them a report as well.
The report is available for downloading at http://iwla.org/bigprice. We will continue to promote the report to the media,
other non-profits, the public, and the appropriate Congressional committees and members.
o NIC Organization – I began organizing the NIC annual meeting to be held in Chicago on 5-25-10 and 5-26-10.
Concurrently, I have been locating potential new state-level members from the UMR states that may attend, as well as
inviting at least one organization that has not participated for a few years. Prairie Rivers Network is a current state-level
member from Illinois. Potential new members from Wisconsin and Missouri have been contacted and invited to the
meeting. The general agenda items for the meeting will be to review the events and activities related to the NIC NESP
report and determining what the focus of NIC will be during the next year.
IWLA Chapter Interface: There was no direct chapter interface activity during March.
o I currently have no presentations scheduled and am looking for chapters or other organizations that may be
interested in an UMR presentation. If any of you are aware chapters or organizations that may be interested, please contact
me.
Other Meetings/Events Attended
o From 03-13-10 through 3-16-10 I attended the Corps Reform Network (CRN) annual meeting held this year in
Washington DC. The CRN is a network of about 180 organizations whose mission is “to ensure our government's water
resource laws, policies, projects and permits protect and restore our rivers, wetlands and coasts.” About 70 people from
various non-governmental organizations from across the U.S. attended the meeting as well as experts speaking on the
proposed changes to the federal water resources projects Principles and Guidelines, management of floodplains, and the
Clean Water Restoration Act. I had the opportunity to make a short presentation to the attendees on the NIC Big Price –
Little Benefit report. The keynote speaker for the meeting was Assistant Secretary of the Army – Civil Works, Jo-Ellen
Darcy, who we provided copies of the NIC report.
o On 3-24-10 I attended the initial meeting of the State of Illinois’ Mississippi River Coordinating Council held at
Hampton, IL near the Quad Cities. Illinois DNR Director Marc Miller is chairing the meetings until a Lt. Governor is elected in
November. The meeting agenda included introductions of the council members, a discussion of the council’s procedures
and policies, and two presentations providing background for the members. The meeting was attended by about dozen or
so people beside the council members. The next meeting will be held in Springfield during May.
o On 3-25-10 I attended the annual Quad Cities Nuclear Power Plant Steering Committee meeting at the power plant
near Cordova, IL. The meeting agenda was exactly the same as in 2009 with presentations on aquaculture research,
stocking assessment, fish monitoring, drum population and impingement monitoring at the plant intake.
Navigation & Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP)
o As has been the case since 2001 the White House included no funding for NESP in their FY 2011 budget. Neither the
House nor the Senate had provided an adjustment to the White House budget through March.
o There has been no apparent progress on addressing the inadequate revenue issue with the Inland Waterways Trust
Fund, which is required by law to provide 50 percent of the cost of new construction and rehabilitation of existing
infrastructure for inland waterways projects. The Inland Waterways Users Board has offered a plan to increase revenue that
is dependent primarily upon increasing the cost share burden of taxpayers rather than the barge industry. It is expected
that a new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) will be required to change the IWTF revenue methodology but it is
uncertain whether there will be a WRDA in 2010.
o The NIC NESP Report recommends that NESP be de-authorized (officially canceled) for various reasons but primarily
due to the lack of economic justification for the seven new locks. Further, the report recommends that the ecosystem
restoration components and the funding for these components be formally transferred to EMP. Again, a new Water
Resources Development Act will be required to make these changes.
Environmental Management Program (EMP)
o The White House included $21 million funding for EMP in their budget for FY 2011. Neither the House nor the Senate
had provided an adjustment to the White House budget through March.
Brad Walker
UMR Coordinator
Izaak Walton League of America
1937 Washington St., #15
Davenport, IA 52804
(563) 209-0522