Ducks Unlimited shares the State of Montana's goal to develop and enhance the wetlands areas around Tongue River Reservoir to create wildlife habitat. The six sites currently under study have the potential to produce excellent new wetland areas for waterfowl production that exceed the acreage of similar wetland habitat that may be lost due to the rehabilitation of the Tongue River Dam. Ducks Unlimited was the first conservation organization to recognize the value of wetlands and to dedicate its efforts to wetlands conservation in North America. Also, DU is the largest private sector wetlands conservation organization in the world. Including ducks and geese, some 600 wildlife species utilize five million acres of habitat that DU has conserved across the continent. It is only natural that the State of Montana should recognize and utilize DU's wetland enhancement expertise. DU is a proud cooperator in the study to locate and evaluate potential wetland enhancement areas around Tongue River Reservoir which could be costeffectively developed following the appropriation of funds to rehabilitate the dam. Further, any congressional action related to the Tongue River Dam rehabilitation should encourage the direct involvement of non-profit conservation organizations to achieve any required wetland mitigation goals and objectives. S 1601 AND COMPANION LEGISLATION I AND MY HOUSE ARE THE CULMINATION OF YEARS OF DILIGENT PAGE TWO TONGUE RIVER LEGISLATION THIS LEGISLATION TRULY REPRESENTS A MELTING POT OF IDEAS, NEEDS AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS. THERE IS A PROVERB THAT SAYS, "THE WISE MAN CONGRESS MUST NOT BE SO FOOLISH AS TO FAIL TO ENACT THIS LEGISLATION. THIS IS A BILL FOR THE LIFE AND HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE. IT IS THE PEOPLE OF MY DISTRICT AND STATE WHO MAY SUFFER WITH POTENTIALLY ENORMOUS DESTRUCTION OF LIVES AND ECONOMIC WELL-BEING IF THIS LEGISLATION IS NOT ENACTED. THE 7,000-PLUS PEOPLE LIVING DOWNSTREAM FROM THE TONGUE RIVER ARE DIRECTLY THREATENED. BUT THE TAXPAYERS OF THE STATE OF MONTANA AND THE TAXPAYERS OF THE U.S. TREASURY WILL ALSO BEAR A NEEDLESS COST IF FOREWARNED DISASTERS SHOULD EVER BECOME A REALITY. WITHOUT THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS DAM, THERE WOULD NOW BE NO WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS DAM, THE VERY REAL THREAT TO THE LIVES AND PROPERTY. OF THE DOWNSTREAM NORTHERN CHEYENNE TRIBE AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER DOWNSTREAM RESIDENTS CONTINUES TO GROW. WE MUST HEED THE WARNING ISSUED BY THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEEERS WHEN IT DECLARED THE TONGUE RIVER DAM AN UNSAFE, HIGH-HAZARD DAM. AS ONE OFFICIAL PUT IT RECENTLY, "IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF IF (THE DAM WILL FAIL) IT IS A QUESTION OF WHEN." THIS FAILURE NEARLY OCCURRED IN 1978, AND I |