A provision in the proposed Senate Continuing Resolution to keep the government from shutting down could effectively kill the NRCS Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project, including those projects already funded. Please contact Senator John Kerry and Senator Scott Brown TODAY and ask them to help stop this proposal. See below for contact information.

The Continuing Resolution completely removes existing funding from the Watershed Operations Program of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which is the federal agency that administers the Cape Cod project. It also appears to prohibit NRCS staff from working on projects funded under this program, including the Cape project.

On Cape Cod, there are currently $6.5 million approved for 37 salt marsh, fish run and shellfish habitat restoration projects ready to go right now. The project funding would also create hundreds of construction and engineering jobs for the region. Both the environmental restoration and the jobs would be lost if the Continuing Resolution were to be adopted as proposed.

The Senate could take action on this as early as tomorrow, March 8, so immediate action is necessary!

Copied below is more information, including the pertinent language in the continuing resolution:

Things are moving quickly and the CR has now become a vehicle for language that would zero out the accounts which fund the Watershed Operations and Watershed Rehabilitation activities at USDA-NRCS and it appears to prohibit NRCS from working on current rehabilitation projects funded and in progress.

Point #1—In short, The Senate’s current CR language has $0 for operations and $0 for Watershed Rehabilitation.  

 Point #2—In addition, Section 1265 states:    

SEC. 1265. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act or any other Act shall be used to pay the salaries and expenses of personnel to carry out the program authorized by section 14 of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1012).

This section appears to issue an immediate cease and desist order halting all Watershed Rehabilitation work, including the Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project!!!!! This language has the potential to stop contracted projects in various stages of completion and it appears to curtail NRCS’ ability to provide technical assistance all the way from the onsite inspection necessary for quality construction up to national headquarters providing support.  

Please call Senator Brown and Senator Kerry TODAY to register your concern.

 ·        Please ask them to work actively to make sure funds are restored in the current Continuing Resolution for the Rehabilitation account to at least $20 million.  

·        Please ask that Section 1265 be eliminated. It is unacceptable for NRCS to withdraw from work in progress. If rehabilitation funding is not restored, the Cape Cod project and others will be left hanging.

Please forward this appeal on Facebook and Twitter to everyone you know. We need to get the word out NOW!   

To Contact Senator Brown and Senator Kerry:

 Senator Scott Brown:202-224-4543 (Washington D.C. Office)

617-565-3170 (Boston Office)

617-723-7325 (Boston FAX)

For Email, go to http://scottbrown.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme

 Senator John Kerry:

202-224-2742 (Washington D.C. Office)

617-565-8519 (Boston Office) 

For Email, go to http://kerry.senate.gov/contact/