Tell Gov. Sebelius to Oppose KDOT's Plans to Pave Over Baker Wetlands

The Sierra Club needs your help in fighting the South Lawrence Trafficway, or SLT. KDOT hopes to run this ill-conceived highway through the Haskell-Baker wetlands. The Sierra Club wants to protect the wetlands and the impressive diversity of plants and animals that live there. We also believe that the wetlands deserve protection because of their historical and spiritual importance to the students and faculty of Haskell Indian Nations University.

KDOT has a permit from the Corps of Engineers to build the Trafficway, but lacks the funds to move forward. KDOT thinks that one reason they are having difficulty getting funding is the widespread belief that environmentalists and a coalition from Haskell will sue KDOT once the agency starts building the SLT. KDOT recently tried to shake things up by telling the Lawrence Journal-World that the agency might bring legal action to force the hands of SLT opponents. We want to remind KDOT and others in state government that building the SLT through the Haskell-Baker Wetlands is a terrible idea.

To that end, we would like you to write or email Governor Sebelius asking her to tell KDOT drop its plans to pave part of the wetlands. (addresses at bottom)

Remind the governor that:

• KDOT has already admitted that the SLT will not fulfill its original goal of relieving traffic on 23rd St. in Lawrence.
• State and local governments already have difficulty maintaining existing roads and bridges. KDOT should make sure we can properly care for our current transportation infrastructure before building more roads.
• Recent flooding along the Gulf Coast, in New England and in Jefferson and Leavenworth Counties in Kansas should remind us of the vital role wetlands play as natural sponges, limiting floods by holding water and releasing it only slowly. We should be expanding the number of wetlands in Kansas, not paving the few we have left.
• There is no mass transit available for people traveling between Topeka, Lawrence, and Kansas City. With gas prices around $3.00 a gallon, we should not be building more highways, thereby encouraging people to become more dependent upon their cars. Instead, KDOT should spend money developing commuter bus and train routes.
• The SLT would aggravate air pollution in the Kansas City area by encouraging people to drive between Lawrence and Johnson County. Kansas City is already on the verge of falling out of compliance with federal air quality requirements. Funneling more cars into Kansas City could force the entire area to adopt expensive, pollution-controlling measures to allow residents to breathe without endangering their health.

To contact the Governor
Governor Kathleen Sebelius
Capitol Bldg, 2nd Floor
Topeka, KS 66612
governor@state.ks.us