Hear your screen door Slam?

As they take away your Old Man (River)?

Canoe-Canoe! Kayak-Kayak! Paddle’s up! SUP? You too!

Paddlers, River-Rats, River Citizens, and other River-Lovers, please spread the news about a couple of public meetings today in East Prairie, MO, and tomorrow in Cairo, IL. We're about to lose 80,000 of floodway/wetlands in the Missouri Bootheel. This may be the only chance to speak up about it and get the EPA involved. The EPA would love to veto this project, but they need to hear your opposition. Together we could make a difference. Remember how “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot?” Well they’re about to pave paradise. Wake up before you hear your screen door slam as they “take away your old man…” (river)

Editorial

The proposed St. Johns and New Madrid Floodway Project would remove an 80,000 acre floodplain from the Lower Mississippi River in the Missouri Bootheel just below Cairo Illinois. This would result in a severe disruption of the natural processes of the Mississippi River by cutting and removing the main channel from its wetlands. There is only one reason to complete this project, and that is for increased dryland farming within the floodplain and the construction of more riverbank industrial sites like power plants, pulp mills or steel mills. Hey, we can find 80,000 acres elsewhere for farming and industry. But there is nowhere as significant to the health of our nation as the floodplain of its biggest river, the Mighty Mississippi! Paddlers on the Middle Mississippi, Lower Ohio, and Lower Mississippi Rivers should all attend one of two public meetings (first one tonight Tuesday, Aug 27th or tomorrow night Wednesday, Aug 28th) to voice your concern about YOUR river! If you can’t attend in person, make a phone call, send a letter or email. Keep reading below for contacts and more information.

St. Johns Bayou

and

New Madrid Floodway Project

Dear Paddlers, River-Rats, River Citizens, Naturalists, and other River-Lovers:

Please attend public hearings in East Prairie MO (Tues. Aug. 27) and Cairo IL (Wed. Aug. 28) to show your support for a healthy Mississippi River. The public meeting notice is attached.

WHY? Because the Corps of Engineers is asking for your input on a project called the St. Johns and New Madrid Floodway project. The defining component of this project is a new ¼ long, 60 ft. high levee that will sever the Mississippi River from an 80,000 acre floodplain in SE Missouri, eliminating critical fish and wildlife habitat, and putting a dozen river towns at increased flooding threat.

***For more information, please go to: www.nwf.org/newmadrid***

NEWS RELEASE

Army Corps of Engineers Contact:

Jim Pogue

901-544-4109/901-828-0152 james.t.pogue@usace.army.mil

Corps of Engineers schedules St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway Project public meetings

The Memphis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will hold two public meetings on the St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway Project on Aug. 27 and 28, 2013. Each meeting will be divided into two parts. The first part will be an open house session to share information. USACE officials will not make formal presentations during the public information session. Project information will be on display for viewing. USACE staff will also be on hand during the sessions to answer any questions. Following each open house, USACE staff will provide a project overview and attendees will have the opportunity to make statements regarding the Project. The public can also provide comments in writing anytime during the public review period. Comments are requested by Sept. 9, 2013.

The meetings are scheduled as follows:

Aug. 27, 2013

4:30 – 6:00 PM – Open House/Public Information Session 6:00 – 8:30 PM – Public Meeting

First Church of God

322 N Washington Street

East Prairie, Missouri 63845

Aug. 28, 2013

4:30 – 6:00 PM – Open House/Public Information Session 6:00 – 8:30 PM – Public Meeting

Cairo Junior/Senior High School

4201 Sycamore Street

Cairo, Illinois 62914

Information regarding public statements:

If individuals plan to make a statement during the public meetings, we request that they note this on their registration forms. We also request a black and white copy of statements be provided to the USACE staff as they enter the public hearing room. The copy of the statement should be signed by the individual and include their name, organization and full address. A response to your testimony will be provided in the Final Environmental Impact Statement. There will be a five minute limit on all statements during the public meetings to allow all participants an opportunity to speak.

Information regarding statements for the record: If attendees wish to make a statement for the record outside of the public meeting, written comments can be officially submitted to USACE staff any time during the open house or after the public meeting. A response to all testimony will be provided in the Final Environmental Impact Statement on the project.

The entire public meeting and any statements made for the record will be transcribed after the meeting and posted to the St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway Project web site.

Additional Comments: Additional comments can be submitted to the following address:

NEPA Coordinator: Mr. Joshua Koontz Upper Delta Environmental Compliance Branch 167 N. Main, Room B-202 Memphis, TN 38103-1894 Phone: (901) 544-3975

Fax:(901) 544-3955 joshua.m.koontz@usace.army.mil

Project Manager: Mr. Danny Ward Project Management Branch 167 N. Main, Room B-202 Memphis, TN 38103-1894 Phone: (901) 544-0709 Fax:(901) 544-3955 daniel.d.ward@usace.army.mil

Lower Mississippi River Dispatch

brought to you courtesy of the:

Lower Mississippi River Foundation

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