---NATIONAL
NEWS---
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LEGISLATIVE
NEWS---
---STATE
NEWS---
---RESOURCES
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---POTPOURRI---
---JOB
OPENINGS---
---STUDENT
JOBS (updated on 1/14/09)
---MEETINGS
AND TRAINING---
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For a rolling calendar of meeting, conferences, and other events visit
the ASWM calendar.
EDITOR'S
NOTE
Dear
Friends and Colleagues,
The
recent ice storm here in the northeast sent a young maple onto my back deck.
Taller than my two story building and anchored ten yards away, the supple maple
leaned in an arc, weighed down with knobby fingers of ice. As it thawed, the
tree slowly sprang into its standing position the way a dancer curls upward
after a toe-touching stretch. Everywhere I walked, ice shattered and tinkled
like crystals. The spring-fed wetlands on my road resembled the palace of ice
from the old Superman movies. I imagined hidden kryptonite among the frozen
caverns of hemlock and pines. We are expecting several nor’easters over the
next week, making it a truly sparkling winter solstice.
ASWM
unveiled a new drop-down menu this week at www.aswm.org to make it easier for folks to find state wetland program information and other
resources that we have posted. Our special topic webpages, e.g. climate change,
wetland mapping, can still be found linked on the right-hand margin for easy
access. If you have any questions about where something has moved or have
trouble finding something on our website because of the new menu, please let us
know.
ASWM has
posted the Draft “Recommendations
for a National Wetlands and Climate Change Initiative,” which is available
for comment at: http://www.aswm.org/calendar/wetlands2008/recommendations_2008_112008.htm ASWM would appreciate receiving comments as soon as possible. Send them to Jon
Kusler at aswm@aswm.org Thank
you.
Happy Solstice, have a merry,
merry holiday, and a happy near year!
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Leah
Stetson
Editor,
Wetland Breaking News
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EDITOR'S
CHOICE
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| Deterioration
of the Nation’s Clean Water Act Enforcement Program
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Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform Press Release – December 16, 2008
Oversight and
Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee Chairman James L. Oberstar wrote to President-elect
Obama regarding their investigation into the drastic deterioration of the Clean
Water Act enforcement program. “One of the legacies of the Bush Administration
is its failure to protect the safety and health of the nation’s waters,” said
Chairman Waxman. “Our investigation reveals that the clean water program has
been decimated as hundreds of enforcement cases have been dropped, downgraded,
delayed, or never brought in the first place. We need to work with the new
Administration to restore the effectiveness and integrity to this vital
program.” For full press release, go to: http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=2292
For the letter from Henry Waxman and James Oberstar to President-Elect Obama,
go to: http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20081216114005.pdf
For the memo re: Decline of Clean Water Act Enforcement Program, go to: http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20081216113810.pdf
For a related press release by NWF, go to: http://www.nwf.org/news/story.cfm?pageId=40F4AE51%2D5056%2DA868%2DA017C338E5CA2546
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Wetlands Grant
Database Available Online
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The Wetland Grant Database (WGD) houses grant data for
Wetland Program Development Grants (created by EPA in 1990 under the Clean
Water Act Section 104(b)(3) authority), as well as for a three-year
demonstration pilot program (the "Pilot Grants"), for which a portion
of the national grant appropriation could be used for program implementation.
The WGD also houses grant Case Study narratives, and Model Products created by
the grant program. For more information, visit: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/initiative/#financial |
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Would burying CO2 help in climate crisis?
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USA Today – December 6, 2008
(Poland) Could the
world solve part of its climate crisis by simply burying the problem? Backers say carbon capture and storage could make an
important contribution to cutting emissions by mid-century. The idea involves
capturing carbon dioxide as power stations spew it out, then pumping it into
empty gas and oil wells or aquifers, where it will remain forever. But, as
delegates from some 190 countries meet in Poland to begin thrashing out a new
global climate change treaty, environmentalists are divided. Some see the still-unproven
and expensive technology as a distraction from renewable energy; others say it
deserves a chance because dirty and cheap coal-fired power isn't about to
disappear. The top U.N. climate official, Yvo de Boer, said he believes it will
be "critical" for countries such as China and India to use coal as
they expand their economies and fight poverty. For full story, go to: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-12-06-poland-climate-change_N.htm
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Revised
Guidance addressing Clean Water Act jurisdiction following Rapanos decision
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EPA News Release – December
3, 2008
On June 5, 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department
of the Army issued guidance clarifying Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction
following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the consolidated cases Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. United States. The agencies
received 66,047 public comments on the Rapanos Guidance (65,765 form letters, 282 non-form letters), from States,
environmental and conservation organizations, regulated entities, industry
associations, and the general public. EPA and the Department of the Army
jointly reviewed the comments and released a revised version of the guidance on
December 2, 2008 in consideration of those comments and consistent with the
agencies' experience implementing the guidance. The revised guidance and a set
of questions and answers on the guidance are posted at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/guidance/CWAwaters.html
Specifically three documents have been revised: For the revised Q&A, go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/Rapanos_%20Guidance_QA%20120208.pdf
For the revised guidance, go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/CWA_Jurisdiction_Following_Rapanos120208.pdf
For the revised comments, go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/Comments_Response_120208.pdf
For a
related press release, Revised EPA
“Guidance” Amplifies Need for Clean Water Restoration Act by
National Wildlife Federation, Contact: Aileo Weinmann –
December 4, 2008
“The revised Guidance clearly points to the need for Congress to clean up the
legal mess and restore full protections to our Nation’s waters.” For press
release, go to: http://ww.pennnet.com/display_article/347036/41/ARTCL/none/none/1/Revised-EPA-
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| International Agreement on Migrating
Waterbirds |
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Birding
Community E-Bulletin – December 2008
An international resolution pledging to protect
migratory waterbirds was agreed upon at the "Tenth Meeting of the
Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands
(Ramsar)." The wetlands meeting, held in Korea at the end of October and
early November, was attended by 2,000 people from 165
nations. The participants agreed that different countries must co-operate to
protect migratory waterbirds and their habitats. The "Ramsar Resolution on
Flyways," as the new agreement was named, called for the protection of
habitats such as tidal flats where birds come to winter or spend the summer,
and for efforts to monitor the state of different populations. The resolution
acknowledges that conserving the world's waterbirds is an international
challenge and that only by working together along flyways can migratory birds
be saved. "No country can act alone to protect migratory waterbirds. If we
don't collaborate internationally we will push more and more migratory
waterbirds to the brink of extinction," said Alison Russell-French,
president of Birds Australia.
Click here for the full text of the resolution:
http://www.ramsar.org/cop10/cop10_dr22_e.htm For a link to archived issues of the Birding Community E-Bulletin, visit: http://www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html |
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| Wetlands Go Underground |
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By Liz Morrison – Corn &
Soybean Digest – November 30, 2008
Wetlands
are going underground and trapping water. Researchers at the University of
Minnesota (U of M) are testing subsurface nutrient-retention basins to purify
agricultural drainage water. Like surface-flow wetlands, these basins are
designed to trap excess nutrients and sediment, keeping them out of streams and
lakes, says Jeff Strock, a U of M soil scientist who is leading the Minnesota
research. For full story, go to: http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/ag-issues/wetlands_go_underground_1108/
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| EPA, Interior Dept. Chiefs Will Be Busy Erasing
Bush's Mark
|
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By Juliet Eilperin –
Washington Post – November 28, 2008
Few federal agencies are expected to undergo as radical a
transformation under President-elect Barack Obama as the Environmental
Protection Agency and the Interior Department, which have been at the epicenter
of many of the Bush administration's most intense scientific and environmental
controversies. For full article, go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/27/AR2008112702184.html?wpisrc=newsletter
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NATIONAL
NEWS
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Director Announces Grants to Protect Coastal Wetlands Across the Nation
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Contact:
Joshua Winchell – US FWS News Release – December 17, 2008
H. Dale
Hall, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced today that
twenty-five conservation projects benefiting fish and wildlife on more than
13,543 acres of coastal habitat in twelve States will be funded with $20.1
million from 2009 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program. The
grants will be used to acquire, restore or enhance coastal wetlands and adjacent
uplands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish, wildlife and their
habitat. States receiving funds include Alaska, California, Connecticut,
Florida, Georgia, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and
Wisconsin. These federal grants will be matched by nearly $27 million in
partner contributions from state and local governments, private landowners and
conservation groups. View projects funded by the 2009 grant program at http://www.fws.gov/home/feature/2008/pdf/039367winchellNRcoastalgrants2009.pdf
For full press release, go to: http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=45E871BF-A842-ABC2-09E3874BDA9B5F0A
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Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes
Addition of Penguin Species to Endangered Species List
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Contact:
Craig Rieben – USFWS News Release – December
The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to list one penguin species as
endangered and five penguin species as threatened under the Endangered Species
Act (ESA). The Service also found that three species of penguins do not warrant
listing throughout their range and is proposing listing one species as
threatened in a significant portion of its range. For full press release, go
to: http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=471BA860-0EA0-7F90-972F3B8DD9F6E185
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New Regulation Opens Loophole in
Endangered Species Act
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American
Bird Conservancy – December 11, 2008
The Secretary of the
Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced today a final rule change that weakens
implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). At issue are Section 7
consultations with endangered species experts at the Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service, which are currently mandatory for
any federal agency where their actions may affect endangered species, even if
no negative impacts are likely. For full press release, go to: http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/081211.html |
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LEGISLATIVE
NEWS
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Obama
Embraces 'Green Path' in Stimulus Plan to Aid Environment
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ENN (Bloomberg News) – December 2, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama is
considering a stimulus package that will include a heavy dose of spending on environmentally friendly projects aimed at creating “green-collar
jobs” and saving energy. While the package will focus on short-term outlays for
traditional infrastructure projects to jumpstart an economy now officially
declared to be in recession, it will also include longer-term measures to
safeguard the environment. For full story, go to: http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/38763
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STATES
NEWS
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MD: State approves Fox Creek dredging
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By Susan Gvozdas – Baltimore Sun – December 18, 2008
Residents
who fought for six years to deepen the mouth of a Crownsville-area inlet for
greater boating access finally will get to dredge 2 1/2 -foot channels into and
out of Fox Creek. The state Board of Public Works unanimously approved a
wetlands license Monday after investigating why the Maryland Department of the
Environment changed course in 2007 and decided not to allow the dredging of Fox
Creek. Because it was the first time in the nearly 30-year history of the
wetlands program that MDE had reversed itself, Board of Public Works staff
decided to review the decision, said Doldon W. Moore Jr., BPW's wetlands
administrator. For full story, go to: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-ar.dredge18dec18,0,5944559.story
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VA: Crow's Nest
effort gets funds from Fish & Wildlife Service |
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By Rusty
Dennen – Free Lance Star – December 18, 2008
Efforts to preserve
Crow's Nest have received a boost from Stafford County's congressman. Rep. Rob
Wittman, R-Westmoreland, announced yesterday that backers will receive $855,465
toward the Phase 2 purchase of 1,200 acres on the Stafford peninsula. The money
comes from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's National Coastal Wetlands
Conservation Grant Program. The funds are intended to acquire, restore or
enhance coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands. Crow's Nest is considered an
environmental jewel, a rare undeveloped tract with significant natural and
cultural resources. It's one of the newest Virginia natural preserves. For full
story, go to: http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/122008/12182008/432974 |
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MN: County threatens to rescind WCA
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By Lisa Kaczke –
International Falls Daily Journal – December 17, 2008
Koochiching County commissioners Tuesday threatened to declare the county
“wetland free” if the state adopts proposed changes to its wetland law. Commissioner
Wade Pavleck was expected to testify Tuesday evening before the state’s Board
of Water and Soil Resources about the impact the proposed changes to the
Wetland Conservation Act would have on development in Koochiching County. Now,
residents are encouraged — but not required — to report to their local
government unit, which implements WCA, disturbances made allowed by exemptions
in the law. The exemptions allow residents to fill a wetland up to 10,000
square feet without reporting it. BWSR is proposing to require residents to
report all disturbances to wetlands, regardless of the exemptions. For full
story, go to: http://www.ifallsdailyjournal.com/news/county-news/county-threatens-rescind-wca-lisa-kaczke-staff-writer-12250
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OH: ODNR: Wetlands in Summit County to be preserved
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WYKC News
– December 17, 2008
One hundred and fifteen
acres of wetlands, home to dozens of threatend species will now be protected by
the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. According to The Trust for Public
Land, Confluence Park near the Tuscarawas River has the highest water quality
in any of the lakes in ODNR's Portage Lakes system. For full story, go to: http://www.wkyc.com/news/regional/akron_article.aspx?storyid=103233&catid=6
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MD: Lawsuit concerning watershed is
near settlement
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By Douglas Tallman – Maryland Gazette – December 17, 2008
An environmental activist group and the Maryland Department of
Natural Resources are close to settling a lawsuit filed over the lead cleanup
of Great Seneca Creek, the largest watershed in Montgomery County. Both sides
are "comfortable" with the settlement, which could be announced after
the first of the year, said Ed Merrifield, an activist with the Potomac
Riverkeeper, who filed the lawsuit in federal court in Baltimore in 2005.He
offered few details of the settlement. For full story, go to: http://www.gazette.net/stories/12172008/poolnew191941_32476.shtml |
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FL: Manatee votes to reconsider mine expansion
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By Dale White – Sarasota
Herald Tribune – December 17, 2008
Fearing the county could lose a $617.8 million
lawsuit, the County Commission voted Tuesday to reconsider an expansion of
Mosaic Fertilizer's phosphate mine in Duette. The decision sets the stage for
the commission to approve the mining, which environmentalists strongly oppose,
early next month. In
September, a majority of commissioners rejected Mosaic's proposal to expand its
Four Corners Mine onto the 2,000-acre Altman Tract. Most commissioners
expressed concerns about the potential effect on 400 acres of high-quality
wetlands, and whether those wetlands could be adequately restored when mining
is complete. The wetlands are within a basin feeding the Peace River, which
provides drinking water for Charlotte, DeSoto and Sarasota counties. For full
story, go to: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081217/ARTICLE/812170357/2055/NEWS?Title=
Manatee_votes_to_reconsider_mine_expansion
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| MA: Brandywine to pay $300K wetlands fine |
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Boston Business Journal – December 16, 2008
A Billerica, Mass.-based company is being ordered to pay $300,000 in fines by the state
for a wetlands violation. According to a news release from state Attorney General
Martha Coakley’s office, Brandywine Corp. cleared, filled in and paved five acres of
wetlands on property it owned on Rear High Street in Billerica, sometime between
1995 and 1998. The lot is now used by a car auction company. The violation was
discovered by investigators of the MassDEP Strike Force, which filed a
complaint with Coakley’s office. For full story, go to: http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2008/12/15/daily21.html
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AK: Alaska
Sea Otters Gain Habitat Protection 5,879 Square Miles Proposed as Critical
Habitat
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Contact:
Brendan Cummings – Center for Biological Diversity / ENN – December 15, 2008
“Critical habitat has a proven record of aiding the recovery of endangered
species," said Rebecca Noblin, staff attorney for the Center for
Biological Diversity in Anchorage. “We are pleased that habitat for threatened
Alaska sea otters will finally be protected. With the habitat protections of
the Endangered Species Act now extended to sea otters in Alaska, this iconic
species has a fighting chance of recovery." For full story, go to: http://www.enn.com/press_releases/2764 |
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MD: SHA completes project
to restore wetlands
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Baltimore Sun – December 14, 2008
The State Highway Administration recently completed a $764,000 environmental project to restore more than six acres of forested wetlands at the Magness Farm in northern Harford County to help improve water quality from highway runoff as well as provide a vital habitat for native wildlife. The project was part of Gov. Martin O'Malley's "Maryland: Smart, Green & Growing" environmental initiative. For full story, go to: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/harford/bal-ha.harforddigest140dec14,0,3326524.story |
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MA: State DEP to sit, listen
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By Tony
Dobrowolski – The Berkshire Eagle – December 14, 2008
The state Department of Environmental Protection on
Monday will hold a public hearing on the Airport Commission's request to obtain
a variance from the Wetlands Protection Act to make improvements to Pittsfield
Municipal Airport. The public hearing will take place at 10 a.m. in City Hall.
It is part of a procedural process that will allow the state DEP to obtain
information that it can use in determining whether to grant the variance. In
September, the state DEP held an open meeting at the airport to assess the
environmental impacts the $22 million airport expansion project will have on
three large wetland areas that are located within its borders. For full story,
visit: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_11229602
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MI: Couple to donate land to trust
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By Tracy
Davis – Ann Arbor News – December 14, 2008
A Webster Township couple has donated a conservation easement on 25 acres of
wetlands, woods and an old tree farm. Gerald Nordblom and Barbara Michniewicz
pieced together the land with six acres they already owned and with neighboring
property they bought from a developer. "It was an
incredibly generous thing for them to do," said Washtenaw Land Trust
Director Susan Lackey. For full story, go to: http://www.mlive.com/annarbornews/news/index.ssf/2008/12/couple_to_donate_land_to_trust.html For land trust
information, visit: http://www.washtenawlandtrust.org/
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CA: EIR outlines
alternatives to Marina Center
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By Thadeus Greenson –
Times-Standard – December 14, 2008
This is the seventh in a multi-part series looking at the
Marina Center development. The next installment, running Tuesday, wraps up the
series and looks at what's next in the process. According to the Marina Center draft environmental
impact report, Security National's proposed mixed-use development is not a
take-it-or-leave-it proposition. Security National, however, might feel
differently. As a part of the draft environmental impact report, or EIR, the
city was required under the California Environmental Quality Act to determine
and evaluate a “reasonable” range of alternatives to the proposed project. ”The
'range of alternatives' is governed by the 'rule of reason' which requires the
EIR to set forth only those alternatives necessary to permit informed public
participation and an informed and reasoned choice by the decision making body,”
the draft EIR states, adding that the primary intent is to disclose other ways
the project's objectives could be attained while minimizing the magnitude of,
or avoiding entirely, its environmental impacts. For full story, go to: http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_11230660
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IN:
Wetland study stalls road project in Jeffersonville
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By David Mann – Evening News
& Tribune – December 13, 2008
A road project, championed by Jeffersonville Mayor Tom Galligan, which would
build a new north-south route through Jeffersonville is on hold pending the
results of an environmental study. In an interview Friday, Galligan said that
work may resume in spring, but it all depends on the study’s findings. For full
story, visit: http://www.newsandtribune.com/local/local_story_348190809.html
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FL: Opponents Mount Last Stand on Everglades Plan
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By Paulo Prada – Wall Street Journal – December 13,
2008
Critics are trying to derail the proposed sale of former Everglades wetlands owned by U.S. Sugar Corp. to the state of Florida just days before an
agency votes whether to approve the $1.34 billion deal. State legislators,
company employees, area officials and businesses fear the sale will obliterate
the local economy, long anchored by the sugar-cane industry. Though the plan
has managed to unite environmentalists and U.S. Sugar executives, opponents
believe their complaints are being ignored. "If the middle lets these two
extremes push this deal through, they're making a mistake that is bad for this
town, bad for the Everglades, and bad for the taxpayers," said Christopher
Shupe, president of Olde Cypress Community Bank in Clewiston. For full story,
go to: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122913327616403589.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#articleTabs%3Darticle For a related
background story, go to: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpussugar1126pnnov26,0,4638476.story |
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ND: High court botches DL ruling |
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By Richard Betting – Grand Forks Herald – December 13,
2008
Most people probably agree with the
adage, “Floods are acts of God; flood losses are largely acts of man.” But on
Nov. 19, the North Dakota Supreme Court made God responsible for both the
flooding and the damage in and around Devils Lake. “An act of God was the sole
proximate cause of the landowners’ damages,” the court said in upholding a
Northeast District Court opinion, one that gave almost no blame to drainage in
the upper basin of Devils Lake. For full story, go to: http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=97067
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AK: Statement From Environmental Groups on Bush
Administration's Further Weakening of Protection for Polar Bear
|
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Contact: Kassie
Siegel – Center for Biological Diversity / ENN – December 12, 2008
The new regulation is designed to replace the interim
final rule the agency issued on May 15th, when the polar bear was first listed
as a threatened species. The regulation contains similar exemptions as the
earlier 4(d) rule, but is written with broader language to exempt even more
actions that threaten the polar bear from the protections of the Endangered
Species Act. The original 4(d) rule is subject to an ongoing legal challenge
brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace, and the Natural
Resources Defense Council. For full story, go to: http://www.enn.com/press_releases/2760
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VA: Scientists gauge impact of drilling off Va.
Coast
|
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By Steve Szkotak – Daily Press – December 3, 2008
Scientists are beginning to assess what they know--and what they don't--about the environmental consequences of drilling for gas and oil in a triangular section of the Atlantic Ocean off Virginia's coast. What they learn could open more Southern coastal waters to drilling. The government began a two-day workshop Wednesday for researchers and scientists to discuss drilling's impact on sea life and commercial and recreational fishing, along with other environmental and economic issues. The proposed drilling would occur 50 miles from shore in an area believed to contain 130 million barrels of oil and 1.14 trillion cubic feet of gas. For full story, go to: http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--offshoredrilling1203dec03,0,5528300.story |
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RESOURCES and
PUBLICATIONS
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Alliance to Congress: Water
Conservation Would Create Jobs, Advance Great Lakes Compact; Report – “Water
Works: How Water Conservation Can Create Jobs”
|
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Contact:
Cameron Davis - Alliance of the Great Lakes Press Release – December 18, 2008
The Alliance for
the Great Lakes calls on Congress today to direct $10 billion of emerging
federal economic recovery funds to much-needed water conservation efforts. A
new Alliance report, “Water Works: How Water Conservation Can Create Jobs &
Leave Our Nation’s Waters Better for Future Generations,” advises that an
infusion of $10 billion in congressional economic recovery funds could create
some 200,000 jobs. More importantly, the report says those jobs would lead to a
more resilient national infrastructure, with the money used to retrofit
buildings, reduce leakage and otherwise make more efficient use of the nation’s
water. For full release, go to: http://www.greatlakes.org/Document.Doc?id=504 |
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NPS Encyclopedia Online Resource for
Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Info |
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The NPS
Encyclopedia is a free on line reference guide designed to facilitate a basic
understanding of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control and to provide quick
access to essential information from a variety of sources by providing direct
hyperlinks to resources available on the World Wide Web. References pertaining to hyperlinks can be
accessed by selecting (clicking) on the blue underlined font. The purpose of this on line resource guide is
to support the implementation and development of NPS total maximum daily loads
(TMDLs)
and watershed (action) plans with a goal of protecting high quality waters and
restoring impaired waters. Please visit
the NPS Encyclopedia at its new location, http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/nps/encyclopedia.shtml
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EPA launches new
site, making environmental information available to reporters on the go
|
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| Need to find environmental
information right away? Now users can --
even when away from the computer. Whether researching background information on environmental issues from
the field or initiating an interview request with a local expert, the EPA is
making it easier. With the launch of its
new site, the EPA is making it almost effortless for media professionals to
immediately access environmental information and EPA’s media contacts from the
field. The new mobile site is one of the first government web sites tailored
specifically for cell phone users. Users
may send this website address to phones and later have it handy while in the
field: http://m.epa.gov During the coming months,
EPA will be adding more features.
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POTPOURRI
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Jellyfish gone wild ruin tourist spots, report says
|
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By Maggie Fox – Reuters News –
December 12, 2008
Huge swarms of stinging jellyfish and similar slimy
animals are ruining beaches in Hawaii, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean,
Australia and elsewhere, U.S. researchers reported on Friday. The report says
150 million people are exposed to jellyfish globally every year, with 500,000
people stung in the Chesapeake Bay, off the U.S. Atlantic Coast, alone. Another
200,000 are stung every year in Florida, and 10,000 are stung in Australia by
the deadly Portuguese man-of-war, according to the report, a broad review of
jellyfish research. For full story, go to: http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE4BB79A20081212
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'30-pound ugly rat' a destructive neighbor
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By Gareth McGrath –
StarNewsOnline – December 8, 2008
Chuck
Carmack can often be found at Airlie Gardens, snapping pictures of just about
every critter he sees in the New Hanover County gardens along Bradley Creek. But
this May, he saw a pair of animals in one of the gardens’ many ponds that
looked a bit strange. “I
just thought it was an otter or a beaver at first, although they seemed awful
big,” Carmack said. Then he got home, opened the picture on his computer and
saw the animal’s Doritos-colored buck teeth. “I knew it wasn’t something that
should be here when I saw that,” Carmack said. What Carmack had captured on
film were nutria, semi-aquatic rodents native to South America that are running
amok in much of the coastal United States. For full story, go to: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20081208/ARTICLES/812080288/
1005/sports?Title=The_nutria_are_coming
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Ice beetles impacted by climate
change
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ENN (California Academy of Sciences) –
December 2, 2008
In the summer of 1968,
Dave Kavanaugh set off on a hike that would change the course of his life. As a
second-year medical student at the University of Colorado
, he had joined a
climbing club with a few members of the biophysics department, and the group
had set their sights on Gray's Peak—the ninth highest mountain in Colorado.
Kavanaugh, who has never been able to do anything slowly, scampered up to the
top of the peak in record time and sat down to wait for the rest of the group.
As he peeled an orange and gazed out at the surrounding terrain, a sudden
movement caught his eye. A small black beetle had crawled up onto his boot. For
full story, got to: http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/38767
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JOB
OPENINGS
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Coastal Climate
Change Specialist
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| NOAA
Coastal Services Center seeks a coastal climate change specialist. This
position will support the CSC’s Coastal Learning Services (CLS) program. CLS serves the nation's coastal resource
managers through training workshops, professional conferences, and meeting
support services. The program also provides a wide range of related consulting
services on topics that include instructional design, follow up technical
support on implementing skills learned via course work, and facilitation. This
exciting position will help foster sustainable, cutting edge coastal community
development practices by training coastal professionals and decision-makers.
For more information about the Coastal Services Center, visit: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/index.html For information about this job, go to: http://www.imsg.com/careerdetails.aspx?JobID=424 Applicants should email their resume and
salary requirements to jobs@imsg.com with the following subject line: CSC08004 - Coastal Climate Change Specialist.
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Return to Top of Page
STUDENT
JOBS (updated on 1/14/09)
MEETINGS
AND TRAINING
For a rolling calendar of meeting, conferences, and other events visit
the ASWM
calendar.
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| Habitat / Wetlands Initiative
Workshops 2008-2009
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The Great
Lakes Regional Collaboration will present a series of nine, one-day workshops
between December and March, one in each Great Lakes state and one specifically
for tribes. For more information, visit: http://glrc.us/initiatives/wetlands/Workshops2008-2009.html |
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2nd Annual Minnesota
Wetlands Conference
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| The
Minnesota Wetland Professionals Association and the Minnesota Wetland
Delineation Certification Program are sponsoring the Second
Annual Minnesota Wetlands Conference on January 21, 2009 at the St. Paul
Campus of the University of Minnesota. The theme of the conference is
"Mitigation: Are We Achieving No-Net-Loss?" Conference
information and registration is available at: http://www.mnwetlands.umn.edu/cert/Training/training-Conf.htm
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2009 California Native Plant
Society's Conservation Conference: Strategies and Solutions
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| January
17-21, 2009 Sacramento, CA – This conference wil provide you with an excellent
opportunity to advance your understanding of plant science, conservation
planning, and environmental policy. Participate and help us increase public
awareness of the importance of identifying science-based solutions and strategies
to conserve California's natural habitats and key ecosystems. For more
information, visit: http://cnps.org/cnps/conservation/conference/2009/registration.php
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Wetlands Winter Event Hosted by Society of Wetland
Scientists
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February 20, 2009 – Washington D.C. – This is
a guided museum tour and book program. Pat Megonigal, past President of
SWS, will offer a tour of the new exhibit, Dig It! The
Secrets of Soil, at the Smithsonian
Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Christine
Price‐Abelow,
Horticulturist, will conduct a guided walk through the native gardens of the Smithsonian
Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. Jeffrey K. Stine, Ph.D., will
give a presentation on his newly published book, America’s Forested
Wetlands, From Wasteland to
Valued Resource. A book signing will follow the
program. For more information, visit: https://www.soils.org/smithsonian/ or contact Ellen Hartig at ellen.hartig@parks.nyc.gov
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Soil and Water Conservation Society 2009 Conference – Call for Papers
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July 11-15 in Dearborn, Michigan - The conference includes
workshops, concurrent sessions, symposia, posters, plenary sessions, and
technical tours designed to raise the awareness of conference participants to
recent developments in the science and art of natural resource conservation and
environmental management on working land—the largely privately-owned land
comprising working farms, ranches, forests, and rural and urban communities.
The program committee is pleased to announce the call for papers and the overarching theme of the
conference: Delivering Conservation, Today and Tomorrow . This emphasis will apply to ALL
of the general topic areas for the conference, and we encourage presenters to
tailor their presentations to include the conference
theme. For more information, go to: http://www.swcs.org/en/conferences/2009_annual_conference/call_for_papers/
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The 15th International
Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment
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JULY
7-10, 2009 - The Shores Resort and Spa, Daytona Beach, Florida. The
Interdisciplinary Environmental Association, an organization of academics and
practitioners who approach environmental issues from interdisciplinary
perspectives founded in 1994, announces a call for papers and posters. Abstract
Deadline: May 17, 2009. The IEA calls for research that crosses the boundaries
of traditional disciplines to frame environmental problems, propose working
models, or address field, community, or academic issues. While any
interdisciplinary environmental topic is welcome, areas of special interest in
2009 include Coastal Resource Impacts and Management; Environmental Ethics; Regional
Water Resources and Pollution Issues; Environmental Impacts of Tourism; Climate
Change and Coastal Areas, among other topics.
For more
information, please visit: www.ieaonline.org,
or contact Dr. Kimberly Reiter, Conference Chair, at kreiter@stetson.edu
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Association of State Wetland Managers' Wetland
Breaking News - Providing a monthly briefing about the news and
events concerning America's wetlands. Wetland Breaking
News is an edited compilation of wetland-related information submitted
by readers and gleaned from list-serves, press releases,
and web sites from throughout the United States. The items
presented in Wetland Breaking News do not necessarily reflect
the views of the editor or of the Association of State Wetland
Managers. Send your news items, comments, corrections, or suggestions
to news@aswm.org.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, send Internet e-mail to aswm-wbn-request@aswm.org. Type as the subject
"subscribe" or "unsubscribe" (without quote
marks).
"WETLAND BREAKING NEWS" Compiled
and Edited by: Leah Stetson. Assistant Editor: Jeanne Christie.
Association of State Wetland
Managers, 2 Basin Road, Windham, ME 04062. Telephone: 207-892-3399 Fax: 207-892-3089
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Printable
PDF - December 19, 2008
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