Corps Reform Network 2007 Annual Meeting

PowerPoint Presentations and Session Summaries

1. Water Resources Development Act (On the Ground Impacts)
2. Clean Water Act Section 404 Permits and Mitigation Skills Training
3. Clean Water Restoration Act (Background and Advocacy Tips)
4. Making the CRN Work For You
5. A View From the Hill w/ Kelly Reed, Office of Sen. Feingold (D-WI)
6. Global Warming and the Corps
7. How Protected is New Orleans Two Years After Hurricane Katrina
8. MRGO - Reform Lessons From A Devastating Corps Project
9. Don Davis Presents on Cajun Culture
10. Press Conference at Industrial Canal and Lock
11. Key Note Speaker Major General Don Riley, Army Corps of Engineers Director of Civil Works

• 1. Water Resources Development Act
  David Conrad (National Wildlife Federation), Steve Ellis (Taxpayers for Common Sense, and Dr. Robert Sterns (Independent Economic Consultant) spoke about on-the-ground impacts of the corps reforms included in the new Water Resources Development Act that became law on Nov. 13, 2007.
  • "Key Corps Reform ProvisionsWRDA 2007," PowerPoint by David Conrad, Senior Water Resources Specialist, National Wildlife Federation.
  • "Prioritization and Budget," PowerPoint by Steve Ellis, Vice President, Taxpayers for Common Sense.
    
    
• 2. Clean Water Act Section 404 Permits and Mitigation Skills Training
  Matt Rota and Jeff Grimes (Gulf Restoration Network) presented on how to be most effective when commenting on Clean Water Act Section 404 Permits. Barry Sulkin (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) showed how to enforce mitigation requirements of permits.
  • "Beyond Written Comments," PowerPoint by Jeff Grimes and Matt Rota, Gulf Restoration Network.
  • "No Net Loss?" PowerPoint by Barry Sulkin, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
    
    
• 3. Clean Water Restoration Act (Background and Advocacy Tips)
  Melissa Samet (Amercian Rivers) and Joan Mulhern (Earthjustice) presented on efforts to pass the Clean Water Restoration Act -- a bill currently before Congress that will restore federal protection to thousands of stream-miles and wetland-acres.
  • "Clean Water Restoration Act," PowerPoint by Melissa Samet, Senior Director, Water Resources, American Rivers.
    
    
• 4. Making the CRN Work For You
  Brad Webb from the Institute for Conservation Leadership led a break out session that highlighted the value of working in cooperative efforts -- underlying the importance of a vibrant and active Corps Reform Network. The group identified common needs among all CRN members; such as technical expertise on the new corps reforms in WRDA. The group also identified common tensions between groups to manage in order for the CRN to be successful.
  
  
• 5. A View From the Hill w/ Kelly Reed, Office of Sen. Feingold (D-WI)
  Kelly Reed (Environmental LA, Office of Senator Russ Feingold) described what the environment is like on Capitol Hill. She conveyed that Sen. Feingold's top priorities are to further reform the corps, and to pass the Clean Water Restoration Act. Participants were very happy to get a better understanding of how the U.S. Senate works, and were honored that Kelly made the time to spend with our group.
  
  
• 6. Global Warming and the Corps
  As the nation's largest water manager, the corps could play a huge role in mitigating the effects of global warming. Susan Kaderka (National Wildlife Federation) spoke about what scientists and policymakers are saying about global warming's impacts on rivers and watersheds, and offered some thoughts about what fellow water activists can do in response.
  • "Global Warming and America’s Watersheds," PowerPoint by Susan Kaderka (kaderka@nwf.org), Gulf States Natural Resource Center Director, National Wildlife Federation.
    
    
• 7. How Protected is New Orleans Two Years After Hurricane Katrina?
  Ivor L. van Heerden (LSU Hurricane Center) is leading the State of Louisiana's official forensics data gathering team investigating the levee failures in New Orleans. His presentation showed what went wrong, and what is still wrong with the current hurricane protection system. Mark Davis, Director of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy spoke to our country's miopic approach to water resources, while Pamela Dashiell with the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, talked about the challenges her community is facing in their endeveor to build a safer, better and stronger New Orleans.
  • "Katrina 2 1/2 years on – are we any safer? Do we have a clear pathway forward?" PowerPoint by Ivor L. van Heerden, Ph.D., LSU Hurricane Center; Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
    
    
• 8. MRGO - Reform Lessons From A Devastating Corps Project
  Dr. Hassan Mashriqui (Louisiana State University) showed how levee designs, canals and other engineering decisions caused major harm to New Orleans and the surrounding ecosystem, and offered better engineering approaches. Carlton Dufrechou (Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation) talked about how Katrina impacted New Orleans and outlined some necessary conditions of a successful recovery. Melissa Samet (American Rivers) drew out the root causes in corps planning and water resource planning, that led to faulty engineering.
  • "Creating a Surge Path," PowerPoint by Dr. Hassan S. Mashriqui, P.E., Member, ASCE, Assistant Extension Professor - Coastal Engineering.
  • "Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation," PowerPoint by Carlton Dufrechou, Executive Director, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.
  • WWLTV Channel 4 interview with Dr. Hassan Mashriqui following his presentation.
    
    
• 9. Don Davis Presents on Cajun Culture
  Don Davis gave an animated and educational presentation on Cajun culture during an evening reception sponsored by The McKnight Foundation. Having grown up on the Bayou, Don gave a first hand account, as well as a historic account of how the Delta, New Orleans and surrounding areas came to be what they are today. The presentation was as much about 'how the people shaped the land' as it was about 'how the land shaped the people.'
  
  
• 10. Press Conference at Industrial Canal and Lock
  Ph. D. Economist Bob Stearns, Pam Dashiell from the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, John Koeferl, President of Citizens Against Widening the Industrial Canal (CAWIC), and Steve Ellis, Vice President of Taxpayers for Common Sense, helped release a CRN Action Assistance Fund-supported report in front of several television news cameras about how widening the Industrial Lock and Canal is a misplaced priority and hazardous for the Lower 9th Ward community.
  • ABC26.com WGNO TV New Orleans - 2.5-minute realPlayer clip of evening news broadcast (must save file first, then open it).
  • "New study rejects canal lock plans - Project isn't worth it, group says." Mark Schleifstein, The Times Picayune, Dec. 5, 2007.
  • WWLTV Channel 4 clip of evening news broadcast covering the press conference and report release.
    
    
• 11. Key Note Speaker Major General Don Riley, Army Corps of Engineers Director of Civil Works
  Major General Don Riley addressed the group and took questions. Riley urged the CRN to continue focusing on: water policy reforms (although re-named as the 'Water Policy Reform Network'), levee and flood program reforms and advocating for states to expand their role in water resources management and restoration. General Riley heard about CRN members' concerns about corps projects back home. The group especially appreciated General Riley's participation and the opportunity to talk about these important issues.