[All] Fw: IJC Refers Water Levels Plan! Our Governments MUST Act!

Tue Jun 17 18:55:07 EDT 2014

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Save The River <Save_The_River at mail.vresp.com>
To: butterflybluelu at rogers.com 
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2014 6:32:39 PM
Subject: IJC Refers Water Levels Plan! Our Governments MUST Act!

      IJC Refers Water Levels Plan! Our Governments MUST Act! 
IJC Takes Historic Action on Water Levels; Plan 2014 referred to U.S. and Canadian Governments.

Tell the U.S. State Department and Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – No more delay, no more 1950’s water policy! Implement Plan 2014 Today!

Today the International Joint Commission has taken historic action by recommending Plan 2014 (details here). This one policy change, if approved by the U.S. and Canadian federal governments, will help reverse more than fifty years of environmental damage by restoring tens of thousands of acres of wetlands in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Failure to approve the Plan will mean continued damage to habitats and native fish and wildlife. Save The River needs your help letting our governments know that 1950’s water policy is not good enough for the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario!

We have put together information to help you voice your support for Plan 2014 including sample points you can make supporting the plan and contact information for the U.S. and Canadian federal governments.

Fifty years of human-regulated water levels have significantly altered the St. Lawrence River’s natural processes, damaging the environment by reducing habitat diversity, decimating populations of key native species, shortening our recreational boating season and harming our tourism-based economy.

After years of study and public input the IJC unanimously put forward a modern approach. Plan 2014 will achieve a balance of benefits for all interests by taking into account the needs of the River and Lake Ontario ecosystem for the first time. When implemented, it will begin to reverse the damage caused by 50 years of destructive regulation, and allow the River and Lake to once again thrive.

Over the past year many of you have added your voices to the public information sessions, and your signatures on our petition and sign-on letters to the IJC and Governor Cuomo. Those expressions of support – almost 15,000 strong – have gotten us to this point. We now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore our coastal ecosystems and improve the health of our River and Lake.

Take Action: Urge our federal governments to Implement Plan 2014! In the IJC’s own words, ". . . if such an opportunity is lost due to delayed implementation of Plan 2014, then the next opportunity may not arise for decades.”

Please take the following steps today to support Plan 2014:
	* Write to the U.S. Secretary of State or the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
	* Send a copy via snail or email to Save The River
	* Make sure you stay informed, join our listserve, and join Save The River!
1. Write to the U.S. Secretary of State or the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs:

Write your own letter or use the sample points below to draft a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry if you are a U.S. citizen, and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird if you are a Canadian citizen. 

The Honorable John F. Kerry
Secretary of State 
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

The Honourable John Baird, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Department of Foreign Affairs
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
john.baird at international.gc.ca

Sample Points to Make:
	* We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to restore the health of the Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. I support Plan 2014 and urge its full and speedy implementation.
	* If such an opportunity is lost due to delayed implementation of Plan 2014, then the next opportunity may not arise for decades.
	* Plan 2014 will begin to reverse more than 50 years of damage to Lake / River, and ensure that future generations will inherit and enjoy a world-class waterbody.
	* For more than 50 years, our Lake / River have been damaged by a water levels plan that only looked out for a few interests. The plan is a balance approach that addresses the needs of all users – from the environment to property owners to shipping and hydropower production.
	* As a local resident / seasonal resident / business owner who relies on the Lake Ontario / St. Lawrence River I support Plan 2014’s approach because it shows that benefits for the environment and the regional economy can go hand-in-hand.
2.  Send a copy via snail or email to Save The River. It is very helpful for us to know how many letters are sent to the agencies. Please take a minute so send us either a snail mail (409 Riverside Drive, Clayton, NY 13624) or email (info at savetheriver.org) version of your letter.

3. Make sure you stay informed and join Save The River!

 Thank you.

 Lee Willbanks
 Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper
 Save The River Executive Director
          how to stay current on the latest River news!

          become a member or donate to help on this and other vital River issues!

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Save The River
Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper
409 Riverside Drive
Clayton, New York 13624
US

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