Missouri River Project Purposes Meetings Set

OMAHA – Thirty public and 11 tribal-focused meetings will be held by the Army Corps of Engineers to collect recommendations, suggestions and comments to define the scope of studies that will be conducted for the Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study.

Each of the public meetings will be open house style, allowing participants to come and go on their own schedules. All the meetings will run from 5 to 8 p.m. They will include:

• Continuous overview presentations so participants can watch at their convenience
• Individual, manned stations focused on each of the authorized purposes
• One-on-one conversations with Corps experts to ask questions and gain information on the study
• Materials on the study
• Participants are invited to make official comments at the meetings or during the comment period
• Comment cards and a court reporter to record comments at each site

The tribal-focused meetings will be conducted a locations near the other meetings. The format will vary slightly.

“We encourage the people planning to participate in these scoping meetings to come prepared to talk about what’s important to them and the problems and opportunities that should be addressed by the study,” said Mark Harberg, study co-manager.

The Corps was directed by Congress to study and analyze the current authorized purposes of the dams and reservoirs in the Missouri River basin to determine if changes to these purposes and the existing Federal water resource infrastructure may be warranted. Established in the Flood Control Act of 1944, the eight purposes are: flood control, navigation, hydropower, irrigation, water supply, recreation, water quality, and fish and wildlife.

Individuals requiring assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act to participate in these meetings can contact lois@djcase.com at least three days prior to a specific meeting. Those who use a telecommunications service for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) anytime at 800-877-8339 to relay this same information.

Comments will be accepted through September 20, 2010. They can be e-mailed to: kyla.s.benjamin@usace.army.mil or sent to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn.: CENWO-PM-AA, 1616 Capitol Avenue, Suite 9000, Omaha, NE 68102-4901.

For more information about the Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study, visit: www.mraps.org.



Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study Scoping Meeting Schedule
All meetings will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tribal-focused meetings will be conducted in a nearby location when marked with an asterisk (*). Additional information on tribal meeting venues is forthcoming.

May 25 Mobridge, S.D. Scherr Howe Arena, 212 N. Main St.

May 26 Pierre, S.D.* AmericInn, 312 Island Dr., Ft. Pierre

May 27 Rapid City, S.D.* Best Western Ramkota, 2111 N. LaCrosse St.

Jun 01 Jefferson City, Mo. Capitol Plaza Hotel, 415 W. McCarty St.

Jun 02 Kansas City, Mo. Kansas City Marriott Plaza, 4445 Main St.

Jun 03 St. Joseph, Mo. Ramada Inn, 4016 Fredrick Blvd.

Jun 15 Fort Peck, Mont.* Fort Peck Interpretive Ctr, Lower Yellowstone Rd.

Jun 16 Williston, N.D.* Williston Event Center, 3712 4th Ave. W

Jun 17 Bismarck, N.D.* Best Western Doublewood, 1400 Interchange Ave.

Jun 18 Fargo, N.D.* Holiday Inn of Fargo, 3803 13th Ave.

Jun 22 Council Bluffs, Iowa Mid-America Center, One Arena Way

Jun 23 Nebraska City, Neb. Fraternal Order of Eagles, 600 1st Corso

Jun 24 Lincoln, Neb. Holiday Inn Downtown, 141 N. 9th St.

Jul 07 New Orleans, La. Pontchartrain Center, 4545 Williams Blvd, Kenner

Jul 08 Memphis, Tenn. Memphis Marriott East, 2625 Thousand Oaks Blvd.

Jul 09 St. Louis, Mo. Doubletree Hotel St. Louis, 1973 Craigshire

Jul 13 Topeka, Kan.* Holiday Inn Holidome, 605 SW Fairlawn Rd.

Jul 14 Salina, Kan. Ramada Conference Center, 1616 W. Crawford

Jul 15 Manhattan, Kan. Holiday Inn at the Campus, 1641 Anderson Ave.

Jul 27 Rock Island, Ill. Holiday Inn Conference Center, 226 17th St.

Jul 28 Des Moines, Iowa Holiday Inn Airport, 6111 Fleur Dr.

Jul 29 Sioux City, Iowa Stoney Creek Inn, 300 3rd St.

Jul 30 Yankton, S.D.* Riverfront Event Center, 121 W. 3rd St.

Aug 03 Cheyenne, Wyo. Holiday Inn I-80, 204 West Fox Farm Rd.

Aug 04 North Platte, Neb. Quality Inn Convention Center, 2102 South Jeffers

Aug 05 Denver, Colo. Doubletree Hotel, 13696 East Iliff Place, Aurora

Aug 17 Helena, Mont.* Red Lion Colonial Hotel, 2301 Colonial Dr.

Aug 18 Billings, Mont.* Holiday Inn Hotel, 5500 Midland Rd.

Aug 19 Thermopolis, Wyo.* Days Inn Thermopolis, 115 E. Park St.

Aug 20 Casper, Wyo. Best Western Ramkota, 800 N. Poplar