Jersey, for my part, I'm going to try to start fresh here and forget everything past.
In other words, I'm taking a fresh look at your situation as if I'm just hearing your lament for the first time.
You have been stopped or stalled out at a mid-level place in a federal agency. You have rights.
You must go and follow the designated channels for such and issue and take the issue higher than the federal agency. That is the US Congress and the US Senate.
They are there to listen to your problem and help. Obviously they cannot help everyone who comes to them with a problem. That's why I've mentioned in previous posting to you that you must be charismatic and pleasant as hell in your approach.
You responded to that posting about Sen. Vitter in LA. Do you think that the Senator just got a tick in his butt and said "I'm going to do ...."?
He's doing that because constituents approached him and expressed a need.
I've also mentioned that we as pond owners are in a better situation simply because the President of the USA is an avid pond person.
Also, do not write the the Congressmen or Senators; Pick up the phone and call. It simply demonstrates more determination. You may have to call back, so do it.
You initially did what you thought was correct and went to the ACoE, and now you're on their radar, or you think you're on their radar.
On a lighter note, imagine the Fed's trying to approach Meadowlark's pond. ML is sitting there in his underwear and crying. Now who's going to tell that man he can't have a pond???
