| Upper Mississippi River Basin Task Force |
HistoryThe Upper Mississippi River Basin Task Force was created in 1998 to disseminate information and coordinate legislative efforts on areas of agreement for the benefit of the river basin. The Task Force annually champions the Environmental Management Program (EMP) and supports the newly developed Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program, both administered by the Army Corps of Engineers and authorized by the Water Resources Development Acts of 1986 and 2007 respectively. The Upper Mississippi River Basin Task Force is a bipartisan group of members of the U.S. House of Representatives from the seven basin states -Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wisconsin - who coordinate Congressional efforts to promote the restoration and vitality of the Upper Mississippi River and its communities. The Task Force promotes the health and well-being of the region’s natural resources by organizing educational briefings, formulating joint responses to emergencies, coordinating legislative efforts, tracking legislation and the appropriations process, and promoting other initiatives. The Task Force identifies and coordinates efforts on issues of importance to the nearly 30 million people who rely on the Upper Mississippi River’s waters. The Institute provides research and policy analysis to the Upper Mississippi River Basin Task Force. Co-chairs and Members of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Task Force are:
*note - the task force is currently recruiting new Republican co-chairs LettersUpper Mississippi River Basin Task Force's letter in support of funding for the Environmental Management Program (EMP) and the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) in Fiscal Year 2009 BriefingsThe Future of the Upper Mississippi River: Navigation and RestorationFebruary 21, 2008, 2:00-3:30 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building Room 2253 The Environmental Management Program (EMP), a multi-agency program administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, has been the centerpiece of ecosystem restoration activities in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The program has enjoyed broad bipartisan support from Congress since it was established through the 1986 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). With the passage of WRDA 2007, the Army Corps of Engineers is also now authorized to begin implementing the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program for the Upper Mississippi River. This new dual-purpose authority will integrate restoration of the river’s important habitats with long-overdue modernization of the Mississippi River and Illinois River’s navigation system. These improvements are designed to reduce commercial barge traffic delays, thereby reducing farmers’ and other shippers’ transportation costs. Experts from the Army Corps of Engineers, Waterways Council, and the nongovernmental organization community participated in the program and answered questions about how to build on the success of the EMP with the new Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program authorization. Speakers included:
Water Quality and the Mississippi River: Challenges and Opportunities for ActionOctober 25, 2007, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building Room 2253 An October 2007 National Research Council report, Mississippi River Quality and the Clean Water Act, makes clear that, “The EPA has failed to use its mandatory and discretionary authorities under the Clean Water Act to ensure adequate interstate coordination and federal oversight of state water quality activities along the Mississippi River.” The report declares, “as a result of limited interstate coordination, the Mississippi River is an ‘orphan’,” from a water quality perspective. Leaders from the Environmental Law and Policy Center, Iowa Environmental Council, Kentucky Waterways Alliance, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Gulf Restoration Network, Missouri Coalition for the Environment, and Midwest Environmental Advocates were present to discuss water quality issues from a variety of angles, and opportunities to reduce all types of pollution entering the river. Speakers included:
Restoring the Upper Mississippi and Illinois RiversMarch 23, 2004, Rayburn House Office Building Room 2253
The briefing featured discussions of the environmental restoration plans for the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state partners, and conservation interests. The session focused on the draft recommendations for environmental restoration improvements that have been developed through the Corps' Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway System Navigation Study. By way of introduction, the briefing provided an overview of the ecologically diverse and economically valuable habitat and fish and wildlife populations of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, as well as the various pressures and threats they currently face. Speakers highlighted examples of successful restoration efforts on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers that could be built upon and extended through the proposed large-scale restoration initiative. Speakers included:
Click here to review the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Proposal Overview Low-Cost Alternatives for Improving Transportation Efficiencies on the Mississippi and Illinois RiversDecember 15, 2003, Room HC-6 of the Capitol Building A panel of experts discussed recent developments with the Restructured Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway System Navigation Study. Speakers examined assumptions and costs associated with several alternatives for reducing transportation delays on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. Speakers included:
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