Comment from Krista Capps

[200.202(e), 200.220] To Whom it May Concern: I am an associate professor in ecology at the Unviersity of Georgia. I am writing in my personal capacity to oppose the proposed revisions to sections 200.202(e) and 200.220 that would restrict international scientific collaboration and isolate American scientists. My research focuses on rivers and streams, which provide drinking water, fisheries, water quality benefits, and other essential services to human communities. These ecosystems often cross or form political boundaries, so studying them effectively requires international collaboration. The United States shares major river systems with both Mexico and Canada. One example from my own work is research on rivers in Mexico, including a river system that drains into the Gulf. Water quality and ecosystem processes in these rivers can affect downstream coastal waters and fisheries in the Gulf, which is a shared resource with the United States. Collaborating with international scientists helps us understand these connected systems and apply that knowledge to shared freshwater and coastal resources. These collaborations have improved our understanding of how river networks function across different environmental and management contexts. This is important because freshwater resources are under increasing pressure from drought, land-use change, water withdrawals, and economic development. In the United States and elsewhere, development depends on reliable freshwater resources and functioning river networks. Limiting international collaboration would also limit our ability to learn from and apply knowledge generated in other countries. We save time, money, and resources when we are aware of research taking place around the world and can integrate those ideas into our own work, rather than having to repeat similar studies in isolation. This is essential for keeping the United States competitive globally and for reducing the overall cost and burden of generating new scientific information. A rule that limits international collaboration would make it harder to study rivers and streams as they actually function, across political boundaries. It would reduce our ability to learn from scientists in other countries and to use global knowledge to protect freshwater resources in the United States