|
As suburbs spread out from cities and
commercial districts creep along our
highways, conservationists may feel they are
fighting over scraps. But recent experience
on the Mississippi shows it pays to think big
thoughts. As noted educator and leader in
sustainable design David Orr urges: "Have big
conversations. Talk about big things. Connect
the disconnects." (Orr,
2003)
After more than a century of modifications
designed to improve navigation, the
Mississippi River is showing the strain. The
productivity of its backwaters is declining.
(See "Restoring
Ups and Downs on the Mississippi.")
During the 1990s, the Corps of Engineers,
which manages the river, advocated an
expansion of locks and dams on the
Mississippi. Dissatisfied with the Corps'
response on environmental issues, the Upper
Mississippi River Conservation Committee, a
consortium of state and federal conservation
agencies and various citizen groups, crafted
a bold new vision for the river, described in
the report A River that Works and a
Working River.
|
