Mayor’s Pledge for the Mississippi:
• Enact an environmentally sound and financially sustainable Water Resources Development Act that includes a Mississippi River Environmental Restoration, Protection and Sustainability Program
• Foster the continued growth and increased effectiveness of the newly-formed bipartisan Congressional Mississippi River Caucus
• Focus Federal resources where they can advance the most improvement in the Mississippi River’s water quality
• Pass a comprehensive Farm Bill that allows cities to participate in and receive funding from the Conservation Stewardship Program, establishes a national sodsaver program, and reestablishes the historic link between
conservation compliance and crop insurance premium subsidies
• Establish a National Drought Council that works with stakeholders to create a drought policy action plan & comprehensive national drought preparedness legislation
• Establish a multi-agency Federal initiative to develop & implement a coordinated strategy that aids local governments as they address aquatic invasive species in the Mississippi River Basin
• Preserve the Pre-Disaster Mitigation program for hazard planning and project implementation, and fund that program during Fiscal Year 2014 at a level of $100 million