Corps to host Missouri River planning meetings
Corps to host Missouri River planning meetings
The Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan (MRERP) will help define the future of the Missouri River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wants the public’s input on the purpose and need for the plan. As part of developing the plan, the agencies will host a series of open houses to share information about the project and offer opportunities for questions and comments by the public. Area meetings will be in New Town and Bismarck.
Corps officials said that for convenience, there would be two identical sessions at each meeting. Corps officials note the first session will be in late afternoon from 3-5 p.m. with an identical session from 6-8 p.m.
The New Town meeting will be Monday, Aug. 17, at the Northern Lights Building, 710 East Avenue. Bismarck will host another meeting Tuesday, Aug. 18 at the United Tribes Technical College Wellness Center Multipurpose Room, 3315 University Drive. Meetings are also scheduled for Lower Brule and Vermillion, S.D.
A Corps spokesperson said that the planning effort, authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, will identify the actions necessary to mitigate, recover, and restore the Missouri River. The plan, with an integrated environmental impact statement, is a key part of the extensive effort to recover or prevent further declines of native fish and wildlife populations and their habitats, ultimately resulting in restoration of the Missouri River Ecosystem. The planning process will seek to balance restoration actions with diverse social, economic, and cultural values within the basin.
