WASHINGTON - December 18 - The conservation organizations suing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to secure the restoration of the Missouri River through reformed dam operations released the following statement following the Administration's announcement that it will amend the 2000 Biological Opinion decision which is at the heart of their case.

"We are heartened that even a team of scientists picked and pressured to obtain a different result cannot escape the conclusion that the immediate restoration of more natural flows to the Missouri River is essential to reverse the decline of the river or prevent the extinction of species that live in it.

"Nevertheless, the flow changes outlined in this document are smaller and implementation is delayed, and are therefore less likely to result in the benefits for wildlife and for people comparable to those that would be achieved with the flows first prescribed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000.

"Also, our initial reading of this document reveals that the new flow recommendations are packaged along with a number of troubling caveats that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may seize upon as a pretext to make no meaningful changes in its river management at all.

"These two facts strongly indicate to us that immediate peer-review by a team of qualified, independent scientists is necessary. We will read this document more carefully and outline our detailed positions on it in the near future."

American Rivers

Environmental Defense

Izaak Walton League of America

National Wildlife Federation

Montana Wildlife Federation

North Dakota Wildlife Federation

South Dakota Wildlife Federation

Nebraska Wildlife Federation

Iowa Wildlife Federation

Kansas Wildlife Federation