Thomas E. Petri: “I rise in support of H.R. 3480, the Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act. For quite some time there have been…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 3480, the Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act. For quite some time there have been several federal, state, and local programs designed to address the problem of sediment and nutrient loss in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, but there has been little coordination between them. This bill will provide this much needed coordination and enable a more comprehensive approach to addressing this problem. In Wisconsin, and particularly in my district, agriculture is a vital industry. The soil erosion suffered by farmers in the area reduces and threatens the long-term sustainability and income of my state's family farms. Furthermore, the cost of dredging the sediment fills in the river's main shipping channel costs over $100 million each year. These fills also threaten the region's $1.2 billion recreation and $6.6 billion tourism industries. While the Upper Mississippi River Basin contributes 22 percent of the water flowing into the Lower Mississippi, it contributes 31 percent of the nitrogen, threatening the water quality of that part of the river. By designating the U.S. Geological Survey as the lead agency, this bill will provide the much needed coordination, monitoring, and scientific data collection to implement informed and effective conservation decisions for the river basin. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.”