ACTION: ASSIST FARMERS IN SAVING WATER AND WILDLIFE

February 6, 2002

We encourage you to take action by March 7, 2002

Help Farmers Save Water and Wildlife

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Action Network from Environmental Defense.

finding the ways that work

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Nearly 40,000 of you have already taken action supporting

a strong conservation oriented Farm Bill. Now, more

help is needed. This time, a key program to help reduce

water conflicts between farmers and wildlife is under

attack by a few Senators. You can help farmers conserve

water and protect endangered fish and other wildlife.

In addition to providing $4.4 billion a year for conservation

programs run by the US Department of Agriculture, the

Senate Farm Bill includes a new voluntary program to

allow the transfer of water rights on 1.1 million acres

of land to help endangered fish.

The new Water Conservation Program will make available

enough enough water for freshwater wildlife during

dry months and help increase flows during historic

times of seasonal high water. The program would provide

flexibility in these water transfers to help reduce

and mitigate farmer/fish conflicts in drought years

while providing enough water for farmers to use on

their crops.

Freshwater creatures are North America's most endangered

species, vanishing five times faster than mammals or

birds and as quickly as tropical rainforest species.

Inadequate stream flow is among the leading threats

to endangered fish because low summer flows reduce

dissolved oxygen levels, increase water temperatures,

and limit access to food and spawning habitat. The

absence of rising spring flows -- which triggers spawning

and helps fish migration -- is also a major threat.

To learn more about conservation and agriculture, visit

If you have additional questions, contact Suzy Friedman

at: <A HREF= " http:// " >sfriedman@... </A>

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