No. 304, May 21, 2002
********************************** CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Biodiversity Activist No. 304 May 21, 2002 www.biologicaldiversity.org **********************************
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: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/activist/sanpedro.html
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