Letter from the Department of the Interior 8.23.02
1. the interior
United States Deparmetof
FISH AND WILDLF SERVICE
1875 CiiwBoulevard
AdlnS Goia 30345
August 23. 2002
InRepyRfer TO:
FWS/RfFI &
MW. Gary Kzster. Chairman
UtiliTrec Carbon Company
d/o Edison Electric Institute
NW
701 Pennsylvania Avenu.e,
Washington, D.C. 20004
Dear
to sod elecricg
gas
tes poer idsy'eforst
The Fish and Wildlif Service would like greenpu asles hog eretilcro
to address
support President Bush's plan lower Mississippi Rivr aley
sequestfBtiOD projects in the
folire'yor e bertt~~l
reforestt~ion projet wer dicsenefats member
A num-ber of possible new would result in aro thnfc~l yurMissip
lor
enft
Natchitoebes, Louisiana. that bloeMsisppRvr
the Service's consrvtflgasi
companies and help achieve
mandory suitabesiteswich wouldsn
River Vvally, we have identified nd-
Within the lower Mississippi oritYmonsevaio ned
effortswblue addresing P: tar as
suport teurestrhhl carbon sequestratlon with lekg, emnelC praddid wldlife habdiman ra aia
associated plannedwt connect~imP~ttwllf
avoiding potential problems
efre~ft~f prjetsare purposefally reducing forest
Thee
coriotinycFlfl contiguous forest blacks by
byes reftbbeslfaflsbvemfjolt signiificanlt habitat for Tmirot
o heeprojf tswill create
frgmeftalistXO Impemnalo other native wilndlf secimes.tbyalsonfo
LuisiBDLblack bea, and reduce cro siOfland soimelstotihflp
waterfowl ands50ngbirds, help
of other benefits in that hey
provide a wide arraysepractices. enhance watr quafltyimaprove wtrsoaei
ol ohl
incmpaibe lnd rvd motatoptatisfrpbi
maintain stream flows and reduce floodliLandg
outdoor recreatiofl activities.
we have wit,: the UitiliTTee
Suc reoittat~flproect wil frthr te eistngpartnerships adiioft o
the o
comMP~I an coula~d reslti iportan N~OAl
Carbon Company and its m.ember whic oul e agda parviet NtonalrWildlife
at
Nationsl Wildlife Reibse System, w wihathe Serie'at ronis&Vtdof galsafor
agcelfeflticos,
Refuge System under 100-year
the Region. These ron-tradidiofalftpublic-PfhCp&irbsavpetpmieoadae
priorritis.
our Nation's cOnserataOfl
2. 2
Mr. GMr K~aster
of
intends to work with the Department
Futemre, in support Of tbese efforts, the service to the projoot crediting and
tepresident's request for iriprovernents intend to continue workinig woith
AgnicUlttUr to SUPPOrltl
reduto egsr.We also
voluntary greenhouse gas emissions sequestrat1ioprjcSithlwe
at a grasS-TOctS level oTn teresttal carbon
the energy industryValley.
MAississppi River
that is shared and supported by
The restorationl of these lands is a national cons j~~lpriority
Federal agnisadntoafosVhOlognztos
numerous partners including state and
and cannot be ac onpishcd without
The contnuedspotf
Much of this restoration will not
groups like the UINliTrec Carbon Company.wilrstinlgte
relationship. which we are certainwilrstinog-en
We look forward to continuing these will benefit teAmerican Public.
that
consetvatiofl and carbon benefits
Sincerely yours,
Sam D. Hamilton
Regional Director