Albert Einstein stated: “If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.” Please read our offer to work with the DNR below. I invite you and anyone you else you know to offer your thoughts and guidance on the idea of having a non-profit organization expedite the Wisconsin River clean-up project. Timm Zumm Co-chair: Friends of the Lower Wisconsin riverway (FLOW) —– Original Message —– From: Friends of the Lower Wisconsin To: Straub, Richard M – DNR Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 10:55 PM Subject: Re: Vendor Services to conduct the Wisconsin River Flood Debris Cleanup Project
Mr. Straub, Thank you for sending the request for services to the “Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway” (FLOW). I’m afraid we don’t exactly fit into the blanks on the forms, but would like you to know that we are seriously interested in cleaning up OUR Wisconsin River in the most efficient and timely method possible. Our ten years of Riverway clean-up experience, our alliances with numerous non-profit organizations, and network of volunteers allows me to assure you we are very suited to expedite this project. Please do an Internet search to check us out. Also ask the “Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board” about us. We’ve worked mainly on DNR projects through Steve Colden from your Dodgeville office. He was the Lower WI Riverway Coordinator who has just recently retired. In 2006 we received the “River Champion” award from the “River Alliance of Wisconsin”. On Wednesday, July 23rd… I will be inspecting the debris with Chad Pregracke of “Living Lands and Waters”. His amazing organization has been cleaning up the Mississippi River for ten years and in recent times assisted in many flood damaged areas in the country. This is just one example of the resources we will draw upon as needed. It is my belief that main interest of a conventional contractor is to make a lot of money from a job like this. I have personally spent a lot of time/money/energy picking up debris that conventional contractors have left behind after they received full payment for a project and moved on. Utilizing non-profit organizations with the main interest of making OUR river as clean and safe as possible, as soon as possible; is a better way to proceed. We welcome the opportunity to work with DNR staff as opposed to contractors attempting to see how much they can get away with without getting caught. Please click the links below to learn more and please share this message with other decision makers for their consideration. Sincerely, Timm Zumm FLOW Co-chair 608-575-0325 Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway website: http://www.geocities.com/wisriverfriends River Champion Article: http://www.newspubinc.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=1939&SectionID=6&SubSectionID=7&S=1 Living Lands and Waters: http://www.livinglandsandwaters.org/ Living Lands and Waters Flood Clean-up Program example: http://www.livinglandsandwaters.org/CedarRapids/default.htm Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board: http://lwr.state.wi.us/ River Alliance of Wisconsin: http://www.wisconsinrivers.org/