We are calling on the United States Army Corps of Engineers to deny Permit NWK-2024-00189 (New Boston Crossing) due to its potential for causing environmental injustice, promoting environmental racism, inflicting ecological damage, and threatening community health and welfare. This permit could also have severe implications for our wetlands, flooding patterns, and floodplains in the Wakarusa River Valley.

The private developer has not publicly announced archeological groups or findings nor contacted Tribal Nations or local Indigenous People in survey oversight. Children from Haskell Institute (now Haskell Indian Nations University) are known to have fled along the Wakarusa River corridor and may be buried in unmarked sites within the floodplain of the New Boston Crossing (NBCO) site. We urge the Corps to call for implementing ground-penetrating radar surveys overseen by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and interested Tribal Nations.

The proposed project under this permit is situated near an area that is home to a large portion of the Indigenous community in Lawrence who will bear the brunt of these adverse impacts. This permit threatens to further harm Indigenous Peoples by exposing them to increased air, water, and soil pollution and health risks.

Ecological damage resulting from developments like the NBCO tends to be irreversible. Wetlands, wet prairies, and riparian woodlands are integral natural filters for pollutants; they are crucial habitats for many species and play a significant role in mitigating climate change by storing carbon dioxide. The destruction of the wetlands will harm local biodiversity and contribute to climate change. Runoff from the site will impact the adjacent Baker Wetlands, Wakarusa River, and downstream ecosystems such as the Haskell Wetlands.

The United States has lost 53% of wetland ecosystems within the last 200 years mostly due to ecologically disastrous developments. Approximately 12.6 acres of wetlands are within the NBCO site and will be severely impacted by the NBCO. Help us in urging the Corps to protect these precious ecosystems for local plants, wildlife, and humans.

Flooding is another primary concern with this project, as it will alter natural water flow patterns, leading to increased flood risks. Impermeable surfaces on a floodplain and wetland complex will also lead to heightened flood risks for residents living in the NBCO development. The citizens of Lawrence deserve better than living under constant fear of floods.

We urge you not just as citizens but as stewards of our lands - let's protect our community's ecosystems, health, welfare, and future generations from harmful developments like the NBCO. Sign this petition today urging the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to deny Permit NWK-2024-00189.