PUBLICATIONS

Delaware Estuary Report

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary has released its “State of the Estuary Report” (PDF file) in collaboration with EPA, the Delaware River Basin Commission, other agencies, universities, and its 21-member Science and Technical Advisory Committee.  The 36-page report assesses the environmental status and trends of select natural resources in the Delaware Estuary’s watershed, pinpoints what resources need attention, how to improve monitoring capabilities, and how to prepare for new challenges like climate change. To learn more about the report, go to www.DelawareEstuary.org To view the report, go to: http://www.delawareestuary.org/pdf/EstuaryNews/2008/SummerNews08.pdf

Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Habitat/Wetlands Initiative: A Progress Report and Call to Action

A publication of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration is now available online. This report describes recent progress since early 2006 to protect and restore wetlands and other habitat across the Great Lakes basin. The report addresses habitat in general, but focuses on wetlands as a particular habitat that has unique stresses and values, and which has been a focal point for collaboration activity. It describes progress in collaboration as well as progress in on-the-ground protection and restoration. The report further describes new tools that have been developed to support our collaborative restoration efforts by providing easy access to information about potential restoration projects and funding sources.  (June 2008) This report can be found at: http://glrc.us/documents/CallToAction06-19-2008.pdf

Virginia Water Quality Report

Richmond-Times Dispatch – June 16, 2008 State officials have released a six-year study of water quality in Virginia. The state Department of Environmental Quality plans a news conference on June 16th to release the report. It contains an assessment of water quality from January 2001 to December 2006, along with a statewide list of impaired waters. The news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the department's Piedmont Regional Office in Glen Allen. For more information and a link to this draft assessment, visit: http://www.deq.state.va.us/wqa/305b2008.html

Twine Line, Publication of the Ohio Sea Grant The Ohio Sea Grant just published its winter 2008 issue of Twine Line. In this issue they address the following topics: Ohio Sea Grant Technology Uses Algae, Sound Waves to Remove Mercury from Lake Erie Sediment; GLROC: New Sea Grant Consortium to Coordinate Regional Research and Outreach; Sea Grant Extension Broadens Outreach Via On Line Discussion Board New Lake Erie Shipwrecks Web Site Promotes Education and Conservation, among other topics. For a direct link to this publication, go to: http://www.ohioseagrant.osu.edu/_documents/twineline/v30i1.pdf

State Wetland Protection: Status, Trends & Model Approaches The Environmental Law Institute has released a final report of a 50-state study that described and analyzed seven "core" components of state wetland programs: state laws, regulations, and programs; monitoring and assessment; restoration programs and activities; water quality standards; public-private partnerships; coordination among state and federal agencies; and education and outreach activities. This report focuses on status and trends, model programs, and summary data for all 50 states. http://www.elistore.org/reports_detail.asp?ID=11279

Environmental Law Institute’s Multi-Year Study on the "Core" Components of State Wetland Programs

State Wetland Program Evaluation: Phase I State Wetland Program Evaluation: Phase II State Wetland Program Evaluation: Phase III State Wetland Program Evaluation: Phase IV

Putting A Price On Riparian Corridors As Water Treatment Facilities By Ann L. Riley, Ph.D., Watershed and River Restoration Advisor, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, Oakland, CA, Jan. 2008 -- The monetary value of natural riparian environments that provide water quality treatment functions by processing nutrients, storing sediment, moderating temperatures, and other services can be estimated by calculating the costs associated with the construction of brick and mortar water treatment plants built to achieve similar functions. For a direct link to this discussion paper, go to: http://www.aswm.org/putting_price_riparian_corridors_riley_21108.pdf

Smart Watershed Benchmarking Tool   The Center for Watershed Protectin has released a new tool on CD available in PDF and workbook (CD) versions. Using lessons learned from around the country, this self-assessment tool helps local program managers make better decisions on watershed restoration priorities to maximize the performance of staff and financial resources. For more information, visit: http://www.cwp.org/

Gulf of Maine Council/NOAA Habitat Restoration Partnership Final Report: Saltmarsh Restoration Monitoring Near Pemaquid Beach , New Harbor, Maine December 5, 2007 -- The Pemaquid Salt Marsh is a 6-acre back-barrier marsh located behind Pemaquid Beach in Bristol , Maine . Prior to 2005, the marsh had limited saltwater input due to roadway culverts that restricted tidal flow, which was resulting in the marsh transforming into a brackish wetland. The Pemaquid Salt Marsh Restoration Project was a culvert replacement designed to diminish undesirable brackish plant species and increase native salt marsh vegetation by restoring natural tidal flow. Post-restoration monitoring results from 2005-2007 indicate that there have been substantial favorable changes in the marsh. For a direct link to this report, go to: http://www.pemaquidwatershed.org/images/Synopsis_PostRestoration.pdf  For a link to the project description and Pemaquid Watershed Association's website, visit: http://www.pemaquidwatershed.org/waterquality.html

Vegetation Classification and Mapping of New River Gorge National River , West Virginia Authors: Vanderhorst, J. P., J. Jeuck, and S. C. Gawler. 2007 -- Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR-2007/092.  National Park Service.  Philadelphia , PA. A vegetation classification and map were developed by the West Virginia Natural Heritage Program for New River Gorge National River following the standards of the U.S. Geological Survey / National Park Service Vegetation Mapping Program. For a direct link to this report, go to: http://www.nps.gov/nero/science/FINAL/NERI_veg_map/NERI_veg_map.htm  For questions and comments, contact Jim Vanderhorst at the West Virginia Natural Heritage Program at jimvanderhorst@wvdnr.gov

Classification and Conservation Assessment of High Elevation Wetland Communities in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia Authors: E.A. Byers, J. P. Vanderhorst, and B. P. Streets. 2007. West Virginia Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Resources Section, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Elkins, WV. Wetland communities above 730 meters (2400 feet) elevation in the Allegheny Mountain region of West Virginia are characterized by exceptionally high biodiversity and conservation value. A new ecological system for the High Allegheny Wetlands and 41 wetland associations were classified, ranked for conservation purposes, and published in the National Vegetation Classification. For a direct link to this publication, go to: http://www.wvdnr.gov/publications/PDFFiles/High%20Allegheny%20Wetlands-web.pdf

ELI Publishes Report on Exploring Opportunities to Integrate State Wildlife Action Plans with State Wetland Mitigation and Restoration Programs ELI has published a report from a workshop: Explore Opportunities to Integrate the State Wildlife Action Plans into Improved Wetland Conservation and Restoration, including audio recordings, PowerPoint presentations, and related documents, are available on ELI’s website at http://www.eli.org/pdf/joint_meeting/ELI%20Workshop%20Final%20Report.pdf

2007 UHN Stormwater Center Report Now Online The University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center 2007 Annual Report is now available online: http://ciceet.unh.edu/unh_stormwater_report_2007/index.php Produced in partnership with the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), this publication contains performance data on the ability of stormwater treatment systems to treat water quality and manage water quantity. To manage stormwater in a way that prevents flooding, protects infrastructure, and safeguards human and environmental health, coastal communities require science-based, independent information on the performance of stormwater treatment systems. The CICEET-sponsored UNH Stormwater Center is unique in its ability to conduct such evaluations in a side-by-side setting. Its field site is designed ot test a range of stormwater treatment systems, from lowimpact development approaches to manufactured devices. This report is one of several tools the enter uses to communicate the results of its research to coastal communities interested in designing stormwater projects that protect water resources and improve resilience in a time of rapid development and more frequent and intense storms. In response to stakeholder feedback, the 2007 report includes information on the land use settings in which the evaluated systems are typically deployed, the type of application to which they are best suited, installation costs, and maintenance. If you have a suggestion for improving next year's report, please take a few minutes to fill out this online survey: http://survey.unh.edu/surveycat/surveys/survey406_unhsc2007.htm

Salt Marsh Booklet Released by Gulf of Maine Council Salt marshes remove pollution from the water, provide food and shelter for fish and birds, protect the shoreline from erosion, and perform other valuable roles in the ecosystem. However, 75 percent of salt marshes in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and 37 percent in New England states have been destroyed. A new booklet, Salt Marshes in the Gulf of Maine: Human Impacts, Habitat Restoration, and Long-term Change Analysis offers a reader-friendly look at the ecology of these vital coastal wetlands and ways to bring them back to health. The booklet can be downloaded in PDF format, and hard copies are available upon request. For more information and to obtain the booklet go to, http://www.gulfofmaine.org/saltmarsh/

Dam Removal and the Wetlands Regulations in MA This document, available on Mass DEP's website, provides guidance for conservation commissions and the Department of Environmental Protection, as the permitting authorities, in the application of the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and its regulations. For more information, obtain a copy of this document at: http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/laws/policies.htm#dam

Return to top.

NEWS

DECEMBER 2008

MD: State approves Fox Creek dredging

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

VA: Crow's Nest effort gets funds from Fish & Wildlife Service

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

MN: County threatens to rescind WCA

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

OH: ODNR: Wetlands in Summit County to be preserved

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

MD: Lawsuit concerning watershed is near settlement

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

FL: Manatee votes to reconsider mine expansion

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

MA: Brandywine to pay $300K wetlands fine

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

AK: Alaska Sea Otters Gain Habitat Protection 5,879 Square Miles Proposed as Critical Habitat

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

MD: SHA completes project to restore wetlands

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

MA: State DEP to sit, listen

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

MI: Couple to donate land to trust

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/

CA: EIR outlines alternatives to Marina Center

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

IN: Wetland study stalls road project in Jeffersonville

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

FL: Opponents Mount Last Stand on Everglades Plan

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

ND: High court botches DL ruling

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

AK: Statement From Environmental Groups on Bush Administration's Further Weakening of Protection for Polar Bear

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

VA: Scientists gauge impact of drilling off Va. Coast

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

NOVEMBER 2008

NV: Wetlands report says endangered areas surround Carson City

By Geoff Dornan - Nevada Appeal Capitol Bureau – November 18, 2008 Nevada’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has released a state Inventory ranking wetlands in order of risk. Three of the most endangered areas are within a few miles of the capital. The Lahontan Reservoir-Carson River area is ranked 11th on the list. The Carson River from the California border to the Carson Valley is No. 14, and Truckee River tributaries north of Carson City are listed at 19. Those include the Franktown, Galena, Whites, Thomas and Hunter creeks. For full story, go to: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20081118/NEWS/811179951/ 1001/NONE&parentprofile=1058&title=Wetlands%20report%20says%20endangered %20areas%20surround%20Carson%20City

MD: Maryland ag’s effect on Bay analyzed at law school

By Sean Clougherty – Americanfarm.com – November 18, 2008 Maryland agriculture — specifically, its poultry industry —found itself under the microscope last week at the University of Baltimore School of Law’s second annual “The Bay in Crisis: Saving the Chesapeake.” Analyses from speakers throughout the day ranged from showing agriculture’s existing contributions to the Bay cleanup effort to calls for increased regulation on poultry farms and allowing more legal oversight by environmental groups. Disagreement also emerged about the availability of poultry manure on the Eastern Shore. For full article, go to: http://www.americanfarm.com/TopStory11.18.2008a.html

NJ: Sierra Club Recognizes EPA Regional Administrator Alan J. Steinberg For Outstanding Environmental Leadership

Contact: Elias Rodriguez – EPA News Release – November 18, 2008 The New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club honored Alan J. Steinberg, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator, on Sunday, November 16 for his efforts to protect the people and environment of New Jersey. Steinberg, who has served as the highest EPA regional official since his appointment in 2005, was recognized for his outstanding leadership in advancing the cleanup of the Passaic River, and his crucial role in the positive modifications made to the state Permit Extension Act of 2008. The Sierra Club is a national, member-supported environmental organization, which seeks to influence public policy through public education and grass-roots political action. With nearly 20,000 members, the Trenton-based New Jersey Chapter is one of the largest chapters in the USA. For full news release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/478BEDD1A80228018 52575050055CC83

MN: Ranier adopts Wetland Conservation Act (WCA)

By Tom Laventure – the International Falls Daily Journal – November 19, 2008 The Ranier City Council Monday adopted a resolution which delegates to Koochiching County the responsibilities of implementing the Minnesota Wetlands Conservation Act. Mayor Ed Oerichbauer, who could not attend the meeting, forwarded a recommendation from the Buildings, Streets, and Grounds Committee that the full council adopt the MWCA. Trustee Dan Klocek officiated the council meeting, and agreed with fellow Trustees Brenda Bauer and John Walls to approve motion. They said the only other option would have been to pass the MWCA, but retain local control by training an individual to administer wetlands regulations to residents for the city. For full story, visit: http://www.ifallsdailyjournal.com/news/city-news-ranier/ranier-adopts- wca-tom-laventure-staff-writer-11799

OK: Wetlands Reserve Program apps open

Pryor Daily Times – November 18, 2008 USDA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are currently accepting applications for the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) according to Kenneth Hitch, District Conservationist with NRCS. Landowners interested in restoring and protecting wetlands that have been impacted or converted are encouraged to make application at their local NRCS office. The Wetlands Reserve Program's primary objective is to restore former wetlands, re-establish native wetland wildlife habitat, and retire marginal land from agricultural production. According to a report by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Oklahoma lost approximately 1.8 million of its 2.8 million acres of wetlands between 1780 and 1980, reported as a 67 percent loss. For full story, go to: http://www.pryordailytimes.com/agriculture/local_story_323092011.html ?keyword=topstory

WV: Cranberries on high: Wetlands of West Virginia at height of popularity

By Rob Downing – Bradenton Herald – November 17, 2008 A high-altitude wetland is one of the big attractions in the Allegheny Mountains of south-central West Virginia. The 750-acre Cranberry Glades Botanical Area with its wooden boardwalk lies 21 miles east of Richwood in the sprawling 919,000-acre Monongahela National Forest. The U.S. Forest Services operates Cranberry Mountain Nature Center at the edge of the famed wetland. For full story, visit: http://www.bradenton.com/living/travel/story/1037341.html

IN: Ball Brothers Foundation invests $443,500 in wetland

By Seth Slabaugh – Muncie Star Press – November 17, 2008 The Ball Brothers Foundation has awarded a $443,500 grant to open up the 23-acre Craddock Wetland Nature Preserve. Seven years after the site was given to the city by GK Technologies, which owns the abandoned, nearby Indiana Steel and Wire factory, the property remains underutilized. The preserve is walled in by non-native bush honeysuckle -- an invasive shrub that can take over and dominate a habitat -- that blocks the view of the wetland. In addition, there are no trails, and the parking is inadequate. For full story, go to: http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20081117/NEWS01/811170325/1002

CA: California Ordered To Prepare For Sea-Level Rise

By Peter Henderson – Reuters News Service – November 17, 2008 California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday ordered preparations for rising sea levels from global warming, a startling prospect for the most populous US state with a Pacific Ocean coastline stretching more than 800 miles (1,290 km). Recorded sea levels rose 7 inches (18 cm) during the 20th century in San Francisco, Schwarzenegger said in the executive order for study of how much more the sea could rise, what other consequences of global warming were coming and how the state should react. For full story, go to: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/51074/story.htm For a related story, go to: http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/37637

NJ: Wetlands Association announces funding

Edison Wetlands Association press release – November 15, 2008 Edison Wetlands Association (EWA) announced that $145,000 in funding will be provided for 14 different environmental projects as a result of a legal settlement with Edgeboro Disposal, Inc. (EDI). The project funding, which funds Lower Raritan Watershed Supplemental Environmental Projects (LRWSEPs), is a result of settlement agreement resolving pending federal litigation with Edgeboro Disposal, Inc. For full story, go to: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20081115/NEWS01/81113054/ 1003/newsfront

ND: Farmer convicted of illegally draining wetlands

The Jamestown Sun – November 14, 2008 A Lawton farmer has been convicted for the second time in four years of illegally draining wetlands. Alvin Peterson was found guilty on Tuesday of two counts of improper drainage of wetlands. A bench trial was in July in U.S. District Court in Grand Forks. A sentencing date has not been set. He faces up to a year in prison and a $10,000 fine. For the full article, go to: http://www.jamestownsun.com/articles/index.cfm?id=75397&section=news

CA: Long Beach, developer agree to wetlands preservation deal

By Louis Sahagun – Los Angeles Times – November 12, 2008 Long Beach officials on Tuesday announced a land swap with a developer that would preserve 175 acres of hotly contested urban salt marsh, some of the last remnants of a once vibrant wetland at the mouth of the San Gabriel River. Under terms of the deal, 52 acres of city-owned land would be traded for acreage lying in the heart of the Los Cerritos Wetlands. The city would then sell the marsh to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority for about $25 million. For full story, go to: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-wetlands12-2008 nov12,0,6884934.story

NC: Shifts in soil bacterial populations linked to wetland restoration success

Contact: Tim Lucas – Duke University – November 12, 2008 A new study led by Duke University researchers finds that restoring degraded wetlands -- especially those that had been converted into farm fields -- actually decreases their soil bacterial diversity. But that's a good thing, say the study's authors, because it marks a return to the wetland soils' natural conditions. "It sounds counter-intuitive, but our study shows that in restored wetlands, decreased soil bacterial diversity represents a return to biological health," said Wyatt H. Hartman, a Ph.D. candidate in wetlands and environmental microbiology at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. For full story, go to: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-11/du-sis111208.php

CT: Wetlands Panel Opens Public Hearing on Subdivision Plan

By: Tammy McVey-Camilleri – Voices – November 12, 2008 The Inland Wetlands Commission, meeting Tuesday, October 28, opened a public hearing for a proposed six-lot Ranney Meadow subdivision, at 36 Ranney Hill Road. The proposed subdivision consists of lot 1 at 3.7 acres, lot 2 at 6.3 acres, lot 3 at 3.06 acres. Lot 4 at 5 acres, lot 5 at 6.4 acres and lot 6 at 7.3 acres with 6.7 acres of open space. The proposal, which commissioners reviewed at their September 23 meeting, included three wetlands crossings; those wetlands crossings have been excluded. For full story, go to: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20194691&BRD= 1380&PAG=461&dept_id=157533&rfi=6

FL: St. Petersburg College auction offers watercolors for wetlands

By Anne Lindberg – St. Petersburg Times – November 12, 2008 St. Petersburg College has taken a cue from eBay. The college plans to auction donated artwork using the Internet as a way to raise money for a natural wildlife habitat and environmental center. Potential buyers will be able to see pictures of the artwork and place bids during the month long event. Bidders can monitor the site and increase their offer if necessary to make sure they get the piece they want. The entire auction will be at www.spcollege.edu/se/artauction. For full story, go to: http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/article899315.ece

CA: Key link in Watsonville's wetland system slated for protection

By Kurtis Alexander - San Jose Mercury News – November 11, 2008 Nearly 500 acres of South County sloughs are expected to come under the ownership of a local land trust, guaranteeing that the wetlands west of Highway 1, once eyed for housing by developers, will be spared. The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County was awarded a $6.5 million state grant this month, allowing the conservation group to move ahead with a $15 million purchase of six rural parcels just south of Pajaro Valley High School. "This project has it all," said Terry Corwin, executive director of the land trust. "Wetlands are being lost and farmlands are being lost, and this protects both." For full story, go to: http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_10954279?nclick_check=1

NC: Titan Wants to Move Mining Across the Roadg

By Marina Giovannelli – WHQR (radio) News – November 10, 2008 Carolinas Cement Company, a subsidiary of Titan America, says it will not mine roughly 300 acres of what's considered nationally important wetlands. Instead, the company is planning to move its mining operation just across the road to wetlands of "lesser quality". Titan's environmental manager Jay Willis says the new site is on wetlands not protected by the state's Coastal Area Management Act. For full story, go to: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/whqr/news.newsmain?action= article&ARTICLE_ID=1411451&sectionID=1

CA: Naval base serves as a steward of wetlands

By Scott Hadly – Ventura County Star – November 9, 2008 Martin Ruane pulls a rope hand over hand from the clear water at the Point Mugu lagoon. At the end of the line is a mesh trap with a lone stingray flopping around inside. Ruane, a resource manager at Naval Base Ventura County, carefully handles the small ray, avoiding the spike on its tail before releasing it back into the blue water as four harbor seals splash into the lagoon a few yards away. In early October, Ruane pulled in about 31 fish, crabs and stingrays in one haul, part of his regular assessment of aquatic life moving in and out of what is now the largest functioning saltwater marsh on the Southern California coast. For full story, go to: http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/nov/09/naval- base-serves-as-a-steward-of-wetlands/

NC: Program preserves 3,500 acres of wetlands this year

News & Observer – November 7, 2008 North Carolina this year enrolled more than 3,500 acres in a federal wetlands reserve program, the U.S. Agriculture said today. The program, run by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, provides eligible landowners with technical and financial assistance to address wetland, wildlife habitat, soil, water and related natural resource concerns on private agricultural land. Participants agree to limit the use of their land while retaining ownership. For full story, go to: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1286144.html

OR: Wetland Mitigation Bank Created For Developers

By Yvette C. Hammett – Tampa Tribune – November 7, 2008 It's environment for the sake of development. Entrepreneur Bill Casey is creating a 161-acre wetland mitigation bank in which developers can buy credits in repentance for destroying swampland elsewhere. After eight years of wrangling and permitting, the first phase of the project is expected to be for sale within weeks. The Tampa Bay Mitigation Bank is the only mitigation bank in the county and one of only two in the Southwest Florida Water Management District's 16-county area. It is permitted by the state and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For full story, go to: http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews+articleid_2778551.html

NH: NH adding wetlands to protection

Associated Press / Fox News – November 4, 2008 New Hampshire has enrolled more than 327 acres of wetlands in a national wetlands protection program since last year. Since the national Wetlands Reserve Program started in 1996, more than 2 million privately owned acres nationally, and more than 1,100 in New Hampshire have been included. The national figure exceeded U.S. Agriculture Department goals. For full story, go to: http://www.fox44.net/Global/story.asp?S=9290299

DE: School's wetlands serve as classroom

By Edward Kenney – the News Journal – November 4, 2008 When teachers at the Independence School in Pike Creek want to take their children on a nature field trip, all they have to do is march them just outside their door. Almost four acres of newly renovated wetlands sit on the school's 90-acre property on Paper Mill Road. The state's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control cleared some trees, planted other trees and shrubs, worked on stream remediation and created other enhancements earlier this year, school spokesperson Claire Brechter said. For full story, go to: http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20081104/NEWS03/811040356

IN: Public Comment Sought on Indiana's Draft Pollution Rules

Contact: Susan Campbell – Alliance for Great Lakes – October 29, 2008 Indiana regulators are accepting public comment through Nov. 14 on proposed rules that would, among other things, allow industry to increase the amount of pollution they discharge to Lake Michigan and other state waters. “Indiana’s new regulations must protect outstanding state waters like Lake Michigan from new and increased pollution,” said Lyman Welch, manager of the Alliance’s Water Quality Program. The draft rules are being debated against the backdrop of last year’s public outcry over the state’s issuance of a wastewater permit that would have allowed British Petroleum’s Whiting, Ind. refinery to increase its discharge of pollutants into Lake Michigan. For full story, go to: [insert link here] For more information on IDEM’s proposed rule, see the public notice at: http://www.in.gov/legislative/iac/20081015-IR-327080764FNA.xml.pdf

WI: DNR, Wisconsin REALTORS® Association: Informational tools aim to protect wetlands, help landowners ID wetlands on a property before they buy or build

Contact: Cherie Hagen – Wisconsin Business News – October 28, 2008 New informational tools to protect Wisconsin’s remaining wetlands, as well as current and prospective property owners, were unveiled today by the Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association and the Wisconsin Wetlands Association. “Wetlands are an important part of Wisconsin’s landscape, providing scenic beauty, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, outdoor recreational opportunities and natural flood control,” says DNR Secretary Matt Frank. “I want to thank the Wisconsin Realtors Association and the Wisconsin Wetlands Association for working with DNR to get more information to property buyers at the time of purchase.” State and federal laws prevent building or making other improvements in wetlands unless the property owner can show it’s unavoidable and receives the necessary permits. So it’s important that people know if there are wetlands and understand the constraints as well as the benefits wetlands can bring, like reduced flooding, cleaner runoff to lakes and rivers, fish and wildlife habitat and recreation. For full story, go to: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=140153

KY: Kentucky has just passed a 401 fee processing regulation

Beginning Oct. 8, 2008, fees will be required for processing Individual Water Quality. For more information, go to: http://www.water.ky.gov/permitting/wqcert/ For the regulation, go to: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/kar/401/009/020reg.htm

FL: The Future of Mangrove Forests and Associated Wetlands on Tampa Bay

By Robin Lewis - We used to think that all we had to do was purchase and place in public ownership and management all the mangrove forests on Tampa Bay, and we were home free. All those ecological services like fish and crab production, food for wading birds, and water cleansing powers preserved forever! Unfortunately, it is not so easy. Over the last four decades, I have spent countless hours in our Florida mangrove wetlands, and in similar areas in 15 foreign countries. I have read the scientific papers as they were generated, and purchased and read the ever more numerous and expensive books on coastal wetlands ecology and management. Based on my experience and reading, and in spite of the rosy predictions of a 166% increase in mangrove forests on Tampa Bay over the next 100 years¹, I have great concern for the future of our coastal wetlands, and those of other estuaries of Florida and the world. For full commentary, visit: http://www.baysoundings.com/commentary.asp

OCTOBER 2008

SD: Breaking land or altering wetlands? Be careful; you can lose USDA program benefits

High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal – October 13, 2008 South Dakota farmers are urged to talk with conservation officials before draining any wet areas or bringing new land into production. State Resource Conservationist Shaun Vickers with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Huron, says farmers are under tremendous economic pressure to produce crops. Not only are grain prices at historic highs, but land, rent, fuel and fertilizer costs are also skyrocketing. As they prepare for and complete harvest this fall, farmers should be cautious with managing wetlands in their fields, says Vickers, since their eligibility for USDA farm program benefits could be at stake. If you have a wet area which you're considering putting into a crop, come in and talk to the NRCS staff. "We can do a wetland determination to know if that area is a wetland or not and keep you out of trouble," says Vickers. For full article, go to: http://www.hpj.com/archives/2008/oct08/oct13/Breakinglandoralteringwetla. cfm?title=Breaking%20land%20or%20altering%20wetlands?%20Be%20 careful;%20you%20can%20lose%20USDA%20program%20benefits

CO: Forests, fish and skiers have place in drought plans

By Chris Woodka – The Pueblo Chieftain – October 12, 2008 Colorado’s forests, already under siege from pine beetles, fire and mismanagement, could fare worse with climate change. Federal stewards don’t want to see that happen. "Forests serve as a natural sponge that absorbs, stores and slowly releases water to the rivers," said Tony Dixon, regional deputy forester with the U.S. Forest Service. "If you have no forests, you have no rivers. They are like water towers and they are under siege." While most think of the Forest Service as a preservation effort, it began after a time when forests were in even worse shape, Dixon said. Mining, logging, grazing and fires had all but destroyed many of the lands initially put under federal protection. For full article, go to: http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/10/12/news/denver_bureau/doc 48f187cc381ab122676862.txt

CT: A Shot At 'The Preserve'

By Suellen Kozey McCuin – Hartford Courant – October 12, 2008 Even the darkest of clouds can have a silver lining. As painful as the economic disruption has been, it presents a unique opportunity to save a jewel-like piece of land — a 1,000-acre forest near Connecticut's coastline. […] Lehman Brothers has, for 10 years, been trying to build 221 homes on it (down from an original proposal of 308 single-family homes), along with a Jack Nicklaus golf course and more. This area simply should not be developed. Located in southern Middlesex County, in parts of Old Saybrook, Essex and Westbrook, The Preserve is the last and largest coastal forest and wetlands complex of its size between New York City and Boston. It is an important part of a 2,500-acre block of intact coastal forest that extends west to Branford and north along the Connecticut River to the Maromas section of Middletown. For full story, go to: http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-plcpreserve.artoct 12,0,7468160.story

NY: Paddling Through Pollution

By Samara Freemark – The Environment Report – October 13, 2008 A group of New Yorkers is trying to convince people to get out on one of the most polluted bodies of water in the country - literally out there, in canoes. Samara Freemark reports that they hope once people see the water up close, they'll realize just how dirty it is. And maybe then they'll help clean it up: (sound of water, paddling) You wouldn’t believe the stuff people have pulled out of the Gowanus Canal. Refrigerators. Bathtubs, rusted cars. A 5000 pound dead whale. A suitcase full of human body parts. Sewage floods into the canal all the time. So you see everything people flush down their toilets. The water itself is a sickly, opaque green. For full story, go to: http://www.environmentreport.org/transcript.php3?story_id=4194

LA: Shell Oil partners with BTEP to restore coast

By Kyle Carrier – Tri-Parish Times – October 13, 2008 It's always important for neighbors to help each other, but no two neighbors need each other more than the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program and the petroleum industry. Since 1991, the two have been working together to bring awareness to coastal restoration. The partnerships are in large part because the wetlands are needed for the petroleum industries to do their job. "I think they see that restoration will protect their own infrastructure such as the pipelines, production facilities, roads, ports and everything else," Kerry St Pe', Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program director said. "We need the wetlands to protect that infrastructure from a storm surge. With hurricanes entering the Gulf every year, it's a necessity." For full article, visit: http://www.tri-parishtimes.com/articles/2008/10/10/business_news/ 82_50_shell.txt

FL: Court weighs environmental price of mining

St. Petersburg Times – October 12, 2008 For nearly three hours, the lawyers argued. Every time they opened their mouths, all the dusty conflicts of the past eight years came crashing through. But this fight was for the future. One one side: the world's largest phosphate company, Mosaic, and the state agency in charge of permitting new mines. Their attorneys were defending new mines that will keep one of Florida's oldest industries in business for another generation. On the other: three counties and a utility that lie downstream from newly proposed mines. They fear that Mosaic's destruction of wetlands may cut their water supply for growth. For full story, go to: http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/article848584.ece For a previous story on the same issue, go to: http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wetlands/article842499.ece

IA: DU raises thousands for Iowa's wetlands

By Pamela Credille – KTVO (TV News) – October 11, 2008 Saturday was the annual Ducks Unlimited banquet. Thousands of dollars worth of merchandise was raffled and auctioned off during the dinner fundraiser. Organizers of the event said this banquet was the best attended they have had, and also added it was much warmer than in years past as well. Ducks unlimited prides itself in being the world leader in Wetlands & Waterfowl Conservation. For full story, go to: http://www.ktvo.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=205574

CT: Status of State’s Wetlands Unclear

WCIT/News Talk – October 11, 2008 A new report says dozens of Connecticut municipal boards are leaving state officials in the dark about their decisions affecting environmentally sensitive land.  A state watchdog agency says that leaves the state Department of Environmental Protection without a clear picture of the status of Connecticut's wetlands. The report, issued by the Council on Environmental Quality, says more than 20 municipalities don't submit updates each year. It also says 55 have failed to report data for at least one of the last seven years. For full story, visit: http://www.wtic.com/Status-of-State-s-Wetlands-Unclear/3119856

ME: All invited to 'the amazing back yard' Friends of Unity Wetlands welcome children

By Larry Grard – Kennebec Journal Morning Sentinel – October 10, 2008 Show and teach children about the treasure that surrounds them, and they might just become good stewards of that land. Friends of Unity Wetlands, a land trust established in 2004, adheres to that philosophy with its "Center Saturdays." Student volunteers from Unity College run the program, in and out of the Friends of Unity Wetlands Education Center at 93 Main Street.  On Saturday, October 11, the Unity College Wildlife Care & Education Club showed children signs of animals preparing for the winter. Kathy Kahler, programs assistant for Friends, explained the relationship. "We are a land trust," Kahler said. "We're trying to preserve the local farm land and forest, and it's a lot easier when we make people aware of their surroundings. "We have the largest block of undeveloped land in central Maine, home to several endangered species. We're really trying to overcome the hurdle of unawareness." For full article, go to: http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/5491642.html

WI: Two Rivers receives state funding for storm water management

By Cindy Hodgson – Herald Times Reporter – October 8, 2008 The city has received a $76,500 Storm Water Planning Grant and likely will receive five Storm Water Capital Grants totaling $642,156, according to City Manager Greg Buckley. Both types are matching grants from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to help pay for activities related to reducing suspended solids in storm water. "Yes, there is a substantial match required if we decide to go with those grants," Buckley told City Council members at their meeting Monday evening. He was referring to the city's match for the capital grants, which he said is nearly $1.2 million. The local match for the planning grant is $47,900. For full story, go to: http://www.htrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081008/MAN0101/ 810080600/1984/MAN04

CA: The toxic mercury menace in San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Chronicle – October 7, 2008 It's been long known that mercury from old mines leaks into the San Francisco Bay from the hills above San Jose where the New Almaden Quicksilver Mine operated for more than 120 years before it was shut down in the 1970s. Gold mining also washed mercury, a potent neurotoxin, into tributaries to the bay where it ultimately contaminated the estuary's aquatic life. By now, the mercury threat to bay life is a grim fact of life. The bigger fish eat the smaller fish, and the mercury accumulates up the food chain at higher concentrations. People who eat a lot of fish from the bay unfortunately face unnecessary risk, particularly pregnant women and children. Health officials have posted warning signs in fishing spots. Research shows that the toxic metal can cause such health effects as fatigue, headaches and memory loss. At higher levels, especially in fetuses, mercury can cause permanent neurological damage. For full story, go to: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/chrongreen/detail?&entry_id=31179

NJ: New wetlands might ease Woodbridge River flooding

The Scarlet Scuttlebutt – October 7, 2008 Municipal officials in Woodbridge might want to listen more closely to Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, when he suggests that wetlands restoration is the best way to relieve flooding problems along the Woodbridge River, principally east of Rahway Avenue, where heavy storm surges have been soaking basements and overrunning streets for many a year, causing repeated damage to property. For full story, go to: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20081007/OPINION01/ 810070306/-1/newsfront

MN: Wetlands plan moves forward

By Laura Beager – International Falls Daily Journal – October 7, 2008 A plan that will determine where growth in International Falls is likely to occur and develop a strategy for wetland protection and mitigation is moving forward. David Serrano of Arro of the North reported to the International Falls City Council Monday that development of a comprehensive wetland protection and management plan for the city is on schedule. Serrano told the council that he’s pleased with discussions about various aspects of the plan he’s had with representatives of the state and federal agencies that will be involved in enforcing wetland rules. For full story, go to: http://www.ifallsdailyjournal.com/news/city-news-i-falls/wetlands-plan-moves- forward-laurel-beager-editor-11137

CA: Skaggs Island wetlands closer, but not a deal

By Bill Lynch – Sonoma Index Tribune – October 6, 2008 Lifelong Sonoma Valley rancher Jim Haire and the United States Navy have shared Skaggs Island and a common boundary for decades in the tidelands at the southern entrance to the Valley. If a bill authored by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, and passed by Congress, is signed into law by President Bush, they both may be forced to do business with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which seeks to make the island the crown jewel of its efforts to return North Bay wetlands to their natural state. Although the Navy decommissioned its communications base on Skaggs Island in 1993 and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been willing to take it over and restore its 3,200 acres to wetlands, the actual transfer has been held up for many years over which agency would be responsible for any contamination found during the restoration process. Woolsey's bill would force the Navy and the wildlife agency to move the process forward and reach an agreement. For full story, go to: http://www.sonomanews.com/articles/2008/10/09/news/doc48e56 e760d1f1069309684.txt

WI: Wisconsin groups rally to protect threatened birds

By Ron Seely – Wisconsin State Journal – October 6, 2008 Imagine your backyard or the park where you walk without the color and music of birds — the red and handsome flash of the cardinal, the conversational chatter of goldfinches at a feeder, the soft call of the mourning dove signaling the onset of evening. Birds connect us more intimately and immediately to the natural world than any other wild creature, partly because they are so ever-present in our lives. For full story, go to: http://www.today.com/external.php?url=http://www.madison.com/wsj/ mad/top/index.php?ntid=308186&source=rss&reffurl=http://www.today.com/ view/wisconsin-groups-rally-to-protect-threatened-birds/id-3025368/

MI: DEQ investigating Tamarack Lodge

By Lindsay Vanhulle – Traverse City Record Eagle – October 6, 2008 State environmental officials continue to investigate alleged unlawful beach clearing at an East Bay hotel, and the county prosecutor could consider criminal charges. State and federal regulators cited the Tamarack Lodge in East Bay Township a year ago for illegal grooming of its beachfront property. The state Department of Environmental Quality is considering what the next action should be, said Eric Hudy, an enforcement specialist with the department's Land and Water Management Division in Cadillac. For full story, go to: http://www.record-eagle.com/local/local_story_279093902.html

CT: Middletown Residents: Take Site Off List For Center

By Peter Marteka – Hartford Courant – October 1, 2008 Although the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not expected to rank four potential sites where it hopes to build a new Armed Forces Reserve Center until later this month, many residents, including the mayor, told officials where a 125-acre, wetland-filled swath of land should go: off the list. The Corps held its final public hearing Tuesday night and will spend most of October determining its top-ranked site. The Corps is reviewing four locations: the 35-acre Bysiewicz Industrial Park on Middle Street; Louis F. Cucia Park — a 4-acre pocket park with a small pond and 36 surrounding acres at Smith and industrial road; 125 acres along Kenneth Dooley Drive/Boardman Lane; and the 25-acre federally owned site of the former Middletown Reserve Center on mile Lane. For full story, go to: http://www.courant.com/community/news/mr/hc-army1001. artoct01,0,4322150.story

WI: Cranberry farms go high-tech to meet high demand

By M.L. Johnson – Associated Press – October 1, 2008 Until this fall, workers at Nodji Van Wychen's cranberry farm sorted fruit with the same wooden technology used by her grandfather. Firm berries bounced through the mills' seven wooden slats before 15 workers scrutinized them for color and imperfections. Today, that system have been replaced by $500,000 worth of computerized scanners that need only one or two people to do a final visual check before the berries are bagged. For full story, go to: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iirSzafyMmhxGE bJIduB5tzt9ZTgD93HIA2O0

ND: North Dakota developer fined for discharges of pollutants to Lake Elsie wetlands

By Diane Sipe – EPA News Release – September 30, 2008 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached an agreement with David J. Paulson and the Northeast Ridge Development Company (Northeast Ridge) in which the company will pay a $15,000 fine for unauthorized discharges of dredged and fill material to wetlands adjacent to Lake Elsie, near Hankinson, ND. In addition to the fine, Northeast Ridge is responsible for all costs necessary to restore the impacted wetlands. EPA issued a complaint to Northeast Ridge for discharges of dredged and fill material to Lake Elsie and its adjacent wetlands without a permit, a violation of the Clean Water Act. The unauthorized discharges occurred on a 17-acre property where the company intended to develop a marina and residential subdivision on Lake Elsie's north shore, two miles southwest of Hankinson, ND. Northeast Ridge's unauthorized activities impaired or destroyed approximately 1.5 acres of wetlands. For full news release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/441b84408d60ca17852574d4007 498c8?OpenDocument

NY: Land Trust Aims to Preserve Wetlands Areas

By Deborah Medenbach – Hudson Valley Times Herald-Record – September 28, 2008 Chris Duncan remembers his childhood in Brooklyn, where a woodpecker in the yard fed his curiosity about nature's role in the most unusual settings. Today, as director of the Wallkill Valley Land Trust, he turns that attention to the preservation of irreplaceable ecosystems threatened by development. In the Town of Lloyd, the Plutarch/Black Creek Wetlands Complex stretches for miles on either side of busy Route 299. The swamp is not only an important storm-water drainage system, but also home to migrating birds, rare plants, otter, beaver and even bear. You heard that right. http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/ 20080926/COMM/809260313

WI: EPA OK's self-audit agreement with Wisconsin colleges

Contact: Mick Hans – EPA News Release – September 25, 2008 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 announced today that it has signed an agreement with 16 independent Wisconsin colleges and universities that allow the schools to perform their own compliance audits for seven major environmental laws, including Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Federal Insecticide, and others. The audit agreement calls for 16 members of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities to work with a consultant in screening classroom buildings, laboratories and dining, athletic and maintenance facilities for compliance.  As long as the schools correct violations and meet the conditions of the agreement, all or most penalties will be eliminated. The audit agreement is available at: http://www.epa.gov/region5/enforcement/pdfs/epa-waicu-agreement200809.pdf  For the full press release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/a5792a626c8dac098525735900400c 2d/a523a8bd8f511986852574cf005a7404!OpenDocument

KS: Wetlands expansion begins as part of South Lawrence Trafficway plan

By Mark Fagan – Lawrence Journal – September 24, 2008 Mark Wellendorf plans to drive his skid loader through hydric soil just south of 31st Street this fall, plowing under corn and soybean fields to make room for arrowleaf, spikerush and some two dozen other species of plants that thrive in wetlands. Whether the South Lawrence Trafficway ever follows his lead remains to be seen. “This is a great opportunity,” Wellendorf said Wednesday, gathering seeds in the 573-acre Baker Wetlands, near the Wakarusa River. “We’re going to be creating new wetlands. We won’t be doing any destroying of wetlands.” For full story, go to: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/sep/24/wetlands_expansion_begins_ part_south_lawrence_traf/

IN: One Man, A Marsh And Birds

By Sam Hendren – The Environment Report – September 15, 2008 Biologists say we've lost about half of the number of songbirds we had just 50 years ago. Part of the reason is the loss of habitat. Many birds need wetlands. Sam Hendren has the story of one man's love of those birds and his work to save their home: When Ken Brunswick was a kid, he wanted to study birds. Brunswick grew up near the western Ohio town of St. Henry in the 1950s. He says it didn't take long to read all the books about birds in the local library. "I knew exactly where all the bird books were because at that time that's what I had my heart set on, being an ornithologist," Brunswick says. For full story, go to: http://www.environmentreport.org/transcript.php3? story_id=4163

KY: Creating and restoring wetlands

By Mike James – Daily Independent – September 13, 2008 There’s a swampy area behind East Carter Middle School, down the slope next to the softball field. A pool of ankle-deep water, clouded with algae, is surrounded by plantains, sedge and cattails. A couple of weathered tree trunks are wedged into the murky bottom. Although it may sound unsavory, not only is there no plan to do anything about it, a crew of scientists, naturalists and students spent Thursday at the school creating a similar marsh right next to it. For full article and slideshow from Wetlands Institute, go to: http://www.dailyindependent.com/homepage/local_story_257133454.html

MA: CZM-WRP Announces Call for Priority Coastal Wetlands Restoration Projects

September 11, 2008 The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management’s Wetlands Restoration Program (CZM-WRP) has issued a call for nominations of Priority Coastal Wetlands Restoration Projects.  The Request for Responses is posted on the Comm-PASS state procurement website (see http://www.comm-pass.com and then search for solicitation document number "ENV 09 CZM 02” or document title “Priority Coastal Wetlands Restoration Projects”). In most fiscal years, depending on available program funds, existing project load, and staff resources, CZM-WRP designates a limited number of new Priority Projects.  Sites that are accepted as Priority Projects are eligible to receive technical services funded by the Commonwealth, such as wetland delineation, elevation survey, mapping and site planning, hydraulic analyses, impact assessments, title and deed exams, permitting, and monitoring.  Designated Priority Projects are also eligible to apply for funding under CZM-WRP's annual grants program to support monitoring and construction-related needs. Priority Project nominations will be accepted at any time during the Response period, which will remain open until November 21, 2008.  Note that projects previously designated as Priority Projects do not need to re-apply.  For the current list of CZM-WRP priority projects go to http://www.mass.gov/czm/wrp/projects_pages/priority_projects.htm.

NJ: Court: Exxon Created Nuisance by Polluting Refinery Sites - Judge Upholds State Natural Resource Damages Claim

Contact: Lee Moore – Office of Attorney General, State of New Jersey – September 10, 2008 A Superior Court judge has ruled that ExxonMobil Corporation is liable for causing a public nuisance by polluting the waterways, wetlands and marshes on and near its former refinery sites in Bayonne and Linden, Attorney General Anne Milgram announced on Sept. 10th. In ruling on part of a natural resource damage lawsuit filed on behalf of the Department of Environmental Protection, Superior Court Judge Ross R. Anzaldi found that ExxonMobil contaminated both sites through active disposal and accidental spilling of hazardous substances causing great damage. The specific amount of damages owed by ExxonMobil will be determined at trial. For full press release, go to: http://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases08/pr20080910b.html

Archived News Return to top.

September 2008

FL: Saving the wetlands County; smartly rejects mining permit

BradentonHerlold.com– September 21, 2008 Our congratulations to the Manatee County Commission for voting to protect our invaluable wetlands and avoid a threat to the region's water supplies. By the narrowest of margins - a 4-3 vote Tuesday - commissioners turned aside the Mosaic Co.'s request to mine for phosphate on the 2,048-acre Altman Tract in the northeast corner of Manatee County. That's a strong divide on the commission, one that reflects this very tough decision. For the full story, go to: http://www.bradenton.com:80/opinion/story/897840.html

MA: State goes after developer for wetlands, timber clearing

By Anna L. Griffin – Worcester Telegram – September 11, 2008 A Leominster-based developer said he is caught in the middle of violations of wetlands and timber harvesting regulations at a 251-lot subdivision on the city’s south side known as Crown Point, off Legate Hill Road. “As Summit is the developer, this is coming back to us,” said James L. Xarras, who operates Summit Construction. “But I am happy to see that they’ve found the people who are responsible for this — and asked them to pay a fine.” For full article, visit: http://www.telegram.com/article/20080911/NEWS/809110409/1003/NEWS03

VA: State panel still revising findings on warming

By Rex Springston – Richmond Times-Dispatch – September 11, 2008 Global warming threatens Virginia' low-lying areas, coastal military bases and natural ecosystems, according to a state panel's tentative findings. Virginia's Commission on Climate Change discussed a list of possible findings yesterday during a meeting at the General Assembly Building. Panel members offered so many changes to the list that staff members will revise the findings and present them again at the panel's next meeting. For full story, go to: http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/living.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-09-11-0155.html

NC: Agency balks at plant's location

By Chris Mazzolini – Stars News Online – September 10, 2008 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants Titan America to look elsewhere for its cement plant and stone quarry because the site in Castle Hayne is so ecologically unique it may be irreplaceable. The federal conservation service isn't the only concerned agency. Four state environmental agencies are worried the proposed plant could harm water quality, wetlands, and fish and wildlife habitats. In written comments to the Army Corps of Engineers, the wildlife service said the forested wetlands along the Northeast Cape Fear River and Island Creek are home to a diverse roster of animal and plant species, an important nursery area for fish and a refuge for migratory birds. For full story, go to: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080910/ARTICLES/809100304&title= Agency_balks_at_plant_s_location

OH: Wetlands building hearing planned

Youngstown Vindicator – September 10, 2008 Citizens are invited to ask questions and offer comments on the proposed development of some industrial park land on state Route 45 by Henn Development Inc. The hearing will be at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Lordstown Village Administration Building, 1455 Salt Springs Road. The development would impact up to 2.84 acres of wetlands, so Henn has submitted an application to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the work. For full story, go to: http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/sep/10/wetlands-building-hearing-planned/

SB: EPA Approves Shoeshone Bannack Tribe’s Application for “Treatment as a State” to administer water quality standards under Clean Water Act

Contact: Rich McAllister – EPA News Release – September 9, 2008 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 has approved the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes’ application for treatment in a similar manner as a State (“TAS”) under the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The approval gives the Shoshone Bannock Tribes greater authority and responsibility for protecting water quality on the Fort Hall Reservation. Today’s TAS approval covers all of the water bodies within the exterior boundaries of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. According to Elin Miller, EPA regional administrator in Seattle, today’s TAS decision reflects real progress in fulfilling one of the Agency’s top priorities. For full news release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/3881d73f4d4aaa0b85257359003f5348/ adee5ec45fd665b7852574bf0060b8eb!OpenDocument

AL: Alabama Voices: Preserve our park

By Cynthia Mosteller - Montgomery Advertiser – September 9, 2008 A powerful contingency of government officials, politicians, private business owners and developers have outlined a plan to build a highway through the protected wetlands of Gulf State Park. First of all, "Southern Evacuation Parkway," the name given to the proposed highway through Gulf State Park suggests that the main purpose of the route is for hurricane evacuation. Anyone interested in learning more about this issue can avail themselves of public records on file with the city of Orange Beach, where they will find a document titled "Alternative Analysis Southern Evacuation Route Extension." For full editorial, go to: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080909/ OPINION0101/809080319

MS: Protest challenges MDOT connector plan

By Ryan Lafontaine – Biloxi Sun Herald – September 9, 2008 Community activists, residents and environmental watchdogs met on a street corner Monday in Gulfport Heights, girding for a long battle with a formidable opponent: the state Department of Transportation. "I think most people in South Mississippi have been watching for quite some time and noticing that MDOT is a runaway train, an undemocratic machine that does what it wants without any repercussions," said Derrick Evans, executive director of the Turkey Creek Community Initiative. The group is hoping to thwart the destruction of what it says is 162 acres of wetlands by MDOT's plan to build a connector road from Interstate 10 to 28th Street. For full story, go to: http://www.sunherald.com/news/transportation/story/801079.html

KS: Anonymous Donor Gives Wetlands to Emporia State

WIBW News – September 9, 2008 An anonymous gift increases Emporia State's natural areas system by 180 acres. The gift includes the 52-acre Neva Marsh West of Cottonwood Falls and the 128-acre Dunlap Bottoms Tract in southeastern Morris County. The land will be used by the school's Biology department. The family of the donor owned the land for many years according to the school. The land is protected under the Federal Wetlands Reserve Program and will remain perpetually preserved in its natural wetland state. The donor says the potential for the land has gone up ten-fold by the educational use of it. For link to article, go to: http://www.wibw.com/localnews/headlines/28104779.html

VA: Landowner protects 1.25 miles of stream, beaver habitat with wetlands easement

Our Valley – September 9, 2008 The Western Virginia Land Trust (WVLT), the Mountain Castles Soil and Water Conservation District (MCSWCD) and local landowner Sky Preece recently signed an agreement to protect 1.25 miles of stream banks and a 21-acre wetland on Preece’s Lithia Road property south of Buchanan. By signing a conservation easement, Preece, the WVLT and the MCSWCD agreed to forever protect the banks of Mill Creek, Back Creek and Looney Creek from development, erosion and pollution. The easement also protects a large wetland—the size of 16 football fields—on the property. The wetland is formed by a family of beavers that build large dams each winter on Back Creek. For full story, go to: http://ourvalley.org/news.php?viewStory=3255

ND: Waterfowl Hunting Numbers Drop

By Retha Colclasure – KFYR TV News – September 9, 2008 Hunting has long been a favorite past time in North Dakota, but in some cases, fewer and fewer people are taking advantage of the great outdoors. That`s especially true when it comes to waterfowl hunting, where the numbers have been steadily dropping for the past few years. Some say it`s because fewer people are interested in hunting, while others say there`s just not as many places for them to go. Whatever the reason, fewer hunters are bad news for conservation groups like Ducks Unlimited. Hunters are closely tied to the lands they hunt. They`re the people who provide most of the funding for conservation programs in North Dakota, and they`re often the people who care the most about preserving wildlife habitat. "Hunters are a big key," says Scott Stephens of Ducks Unlimited. "They have a vested interest in the populations and making sure they`re healthy." For full story, go to: http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=22141

CA: Planning to start for local wetlands

By Michael Doyle – Fresno Bee – September 8, 2008 San Joaquin Valley residents will now shape the future of federal wildlife refuges that protect some of California's largest remaining freshwater wetlands. Be patient. It's going to take time. Starting this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will initiate planning for three prominent wetlands areas in Merced County: the Merced and San Luis national wildlife refuges and the Grasslands Wildlife Management Area. Currently, they span some 129,000 acres. For full story, go to: http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/852725.html

ME: Wetlands Law Revisions Could Aid Pier Project

By ELBERT AULL – Portland Press Herald – September 8, 2008 City councilors have spent months working on a project they hope will bring a hotel and some new life to Portland's aging Maine State Pier. The project doesn't stand a chance of receiving a key state permit; however, the Department of Environmental Protection wants that to change. State officials have proposed amending coastal wetlands rules to expand the types of buildings that could be built on hundreds of piers across the state. Such a change could lift a roadblock for the Olympia Cos., the company chosen by Portland to redevelop the 86-year-old pier. The central part of the $100 million project is a six-story hotel, which would be supported, in part, by building a bulkhead and filling in a section underneath the pier. State regulations, however, restrict what may be built on piers, wharves and docks on the Atlantic Ocean. For full story, go to: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=209016&ac=PHnws

NC: LTWA project restores Tessentee wetlands

By Colin McCandless – The Franklin Press – September 5, 2008 Macon County's Little Tennessee Watershed Association has completed a wetlands restoration project at Tessentee Farm near Otto. This project should restore an estimated half-acre of wetland to the condition present prior to the creation of the manmade pond there, according to Jenny Sanders, executive director of the Watershed Association. The endeavor is a collaboration between the Watershed Association and the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee. For full article, go to: http://www.thefranklinpress.com/articles/2008/09/04/news/02news.txt

VT: Richmond, VT Dairy Farmers Pay Consequences for Filling 41 Acres of Wetlands

Contact: David Deegan – EPA News Release – September 4, 2008 The owners of the Richford, Vt. Pleasant Valley Farm, Mark and Amanda St. Pierre, will pay a significant penalty, restore damaged wetlands, and perform additional environmental projects under the terms of a settlement with EPA and the U.S. Dept. of Justice for converting 41 acres of wetlands to corn and hay production areas on their dairy farm. An EPA investigation concluded that the dairy farmers filled slightly more than 40 acres of wetlands between 1998 and 2002, during the course of expanding forage acres to support their dairy herd. The St. Pierres did not seek or obtain environmental review of or permits for these actions, violating the federal Clean Water Act by illegally discharging dredged and fill material into approximately 41 acres of wetlands and a stream. For full news release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/3881d73f4d4aaa 0b85257359003f5348/777eaf2a85c8bd09852574ba006510c7!OpenDocument

SD: Brownlee Construction to pay $27,500 for damages to Big Sioux River wetlands

By Diane Sipe – EPA News Release – September 4, 2008 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached an agreement with Randy L. Brownlee, Rita Brownlee, and Brownlee Construction, Inc., requiring payment of a civil penalty of $27,500 for violations of the Clean Water Act. The penalty is for discharges of dredged and/or fill material to wetlands adjacent to the Big Sioux River in Watertown, Codington County, S.D. “EPA is taking this action to deter future violations of laws that protect South Dakota's water resources,” Michael Gaydosh, EPA's Assistant Regional Administrator in Denver. "In addition to providing habitat for birds and wildlife, wetlands along the Big Sioux River play important roles in water quality enhancement, water storage and retention, and flood attenuation." For full story, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/18bafd3479b15eef852574ba00634bf8? OpenDocument

AK: IBA News: Teshekpuk Lake Gets A Break

Birding Community E-Bulletin – September 1, 2008 Following over 200,000 letters and messages supporting the conservation of the resources of the Teshekpuk Lake area in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) on Alaska's North Slope, the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has modified its oil and gas leasing plans for the Teshekpuk Lake area. In mid-July, the Secretary of Interior announced the BLM's Record of Decision for the Northeast Area of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Since Teshekpuk Lake is an Important Bird Area (IBA), the E-Bulletin has covered the site multiple times. Visit: http://www.refugenet.org/birding/octSBC06.html#TOC08   In the most recent environmental statement and land use plan, NPR-A, a critical molting area for geese (up to 30% of the Brant in the Pacific Flyway use this area), is deferred from leasing for 10 years. Additionally, lands surrounding the Lake including breeding areas for threatened species such as Spectacled and Steller's Eider, and other species in apparent decline such as Yellow-billed Loon, have received special protections from development and disturbances. This recent decision lifts the immediate threat to the area, but does not afford permanent protection for these critical tundra and wetland areas. Bird conservationists and allies in Congress will continue to seek permanent protection of the Teshekpuk Lake area. For more details on the IBAs of Alaska, see a poster-sized map recently produced by Audubon Alaska, that highlights the 145 identified IBA sites in the state, plus a handful of potential sites that are likely to meet listing criteria in the near future: http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/07/alaska_iba_poster.html For additional information about worldwide IBA programs, and those across the U.S., check the National Audubon Society's Important Bird Area program website at: http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/

VA: Wetlands destroyed, wetlands restored: Both mean big profits

By Mike Saewitz – Hampton Roads Virginian Pilot – August 31, 2008 Investors have spent and made millions converting thousands of acres of forests and farm fields to wetlands near the Great Dismal Swamp, the Northwest River and other parts of Chesapeake, Suffolk and northeastern North Carolina. Their clients are a "who's who" list of developers and government agencies that need to offset natural wetlands paved or filled to accommodate houses, shopping centers, roads and office buildings. For full story, go to: http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/wetlands-destroyed-wetlands-restored- both-mean-big-profits

MD/VA: Md., Va. Set Action Plans for Changes in Climate

By David A. Fahrenthold and Sandhya Somashekhar – Washington Post – August 28, 2008 Climate change could profoundly alter the weather, animal life and even the very shape of Maryland over the next century, making heat waves deadlier and leaving one corner of the Eastern Shore under water, a state-appointed commission said yesterday. To head this off, the state must eliminate most of the greenhouse gases coming from tailpipes and smokestacks, the Maryland Commission on Climate Change said in a report. That will be a tall order because Maryland's emissions are on the rise. For full story, go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/27/AR2008082701801.html

DE: Gala to raise money for Cedar Island Marsh project

Bethany Beach Wave – August 27, 2008 The Crisfield Heritage Foundation will host an "Evening Under the Stars" on Saturday, Sept. 13, to raise seed money for the matching grants necessary to develop Cedar Island Marsh Sanctuary into a destination for ecotourism. The black tie optional gala will be held at the home of Skip and Neda Cox near Princess Anne. The event, with music by Everett Spells and catered by David Easton, is will take place off Stewarts Neck Road at Rose Hill at 6 p.m. For full story, go to: http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080827/SH01/808270326

PA: P&G study shows healthy river

By Josh Mrozinski – Tunkhannock New Age Examiner – August 27, 2008 Funk and a group of scientists from The Stroud Water Research Center of Avondale had just begun to study the river near the Procter & Gamble plant west of Tunkhannock and already found many mayflies. "When water quality deteriorates, that's one of the first things to go," Funk, an entomologist, said. "This site looks pretty good." For more than 40 years, independent contractors have completed a "bio-survey" of the river to determine its health. For full story, go to: http://www.newage-examiner.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20091937&BRD=2310&PAG= 461&dept_id=480505&rfi=6

Archived News Return to top.

August 2008

House Approves Great Lakes Compact

CSO Weekly Report – August 1, 2008 On July 30, The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (H.R. 6577)  passed a House Judiciary Committee by a voice vote.  The bill would ratify an interstate compact to conserve and protect water resources among the eight states bordering the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin.  The resolution approves a governing body called the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council composed of the state's governors which would: protect water quality; require states to use a consistent standard to review water uses from the basin; set regional goals and objectives for water conservation; require each state to develop and implement a water conservation and efficiency program; and balance economic development with sustainable water use.  For more information, go to: http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.6577.IH: [and if the link is no longer valid, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ and search for H.R. 6577.]

WA: Workshop to delve into critical-areas rule update

By Andy Porter– Walla Walla Union Bulletin – August 25, 2008 New regulations to protect critical areas, such as wetlands and wildlife habitats, will be the focus of a workshop Tuesday at Walla Walla Community College. Sponsored by Walla Walla County and the cities of College Place and Walla Walla, the event aims to let people know what might be expected when the three entities update their critical areas ordinances later this year. Under the state's Growth Management Act, critical areas are defined as geologically hazardous areas, frequently flooded areas, critical aquifer recharge areas, wetlands and fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas. For full article, go to: http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2008/08/25/local_news/080825local02criticalareas.txt

MA: Conservation Commission sets regulations to protect wetlands

By Jeffrey Wagner – Fall River Herald News – August 24, 2008 For the first time in town history, the Conservation Commission will have rules and regulations to accompany the group’s wetlands protection bylaw and its enforcement of the Wetlands Protection Act. The commission recently finalized a 14-page document that looks to “protect the wetlands, water resources, and adjoining areas … by controlling activities deemed by the Conservation Commission likely to have a significant or cumulative effect upon resource area values,” the documents says. For full story, go to: http://www.heraldnews.com/news/local_news/x144225959/Conservation- Commission-sets-regulations-to-protect-wetlands

MD: Md. to Protect 275 More Acres Of Wetlands, Forest in Charles

By Megan Greenwell – Washington Post – August 24, 2008 Charles County, home to thousands of acres of state-protected land, will have 275 more acres in its southwestern part preserved under Maryland's Program Open Space. The latest acquisition, including wetlands and uplands forest, will be added to the Nanjemoy Natural Resources Management Area, bounded by more than a mile of relatively undisturbed shoreline. The acquisition, approved by the Maryland Board of Public Works, was announced Wednesday by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D). It will be funded under Program Open Space, founded in 1969 to help create parks and otherwise preserve the environment. For full article, visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/22/AR2008082203377.html

NJ: Global warming survey begins in Secaucus

By: E. Assata Wright – Hudson Reporter – August 24, 2008 Each year Secaucus, a town that's a mere 12 feet above sea level, spends millions in taxpayer dollars on flood control projects. And local residents would probably find no solace in knowing that sea levels in this area rise about 1.7 to 1.8 millimeters annually, according to local researchers. These same researchers, however, are now prepared to collect valuable data that may ultimately strengthen the area's natural flood protector: the wetlands. For full story, go to: http://www.hudsonreporter.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20086993&BRD= 1291&PAG=461&dept_id=523587&rfi=6

GA: Praise flows freely for Clayton County’s water system

By Maria Saporta – Atlanta Journal Constitution – August 24, 2008 People from all over the country and the world have been coming to Clayton County —- to see how it’s leading the nation. Yes, you read that right. Contrary to all the troubling news that’s been coming out of Clayton these past many months, the county is receiving accolades for having one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly water systems in the country. For full article, go to: http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/businessinsider/entries/2008/08/24/ praise_flows_freely_for_clayto.html

WA: Dry wetlands draw flood of anger

By Robert McClure – Seattle Post Intelligencer – August 23, 2008 Emerging from her home to walk her dogs one morning in 2001, Laura Nichols was shocked to see city crews sucking water out of a pond and wetland across the street. Men in rubber boots and hard hats watched as a bulldozer tore through a low part of the marshy area. All this was happening on city-owned land beside the Police Department's North Precinct -- one built in wetlands. Neighbors had enjoyed the little spot of green where frogs raised a racket. "It went from a wetland and a pond that all of us liked and where ducks lived to a mudhole with a little stream flowing through it," Nichols said. For full story, go to: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/376188_wetlands23.html

VA: Fueled by heat and pollution, algae splotches waterways

By Scott Harper – Virginian-Pilot – August 23, 2008 From 2,000 feet in the air, the Elizabeth River on Friday looked like a really bad piece of modern art, its drab-green canvas streaked wildly with black lines and unruly brown swirls. "It looks like aliens are attacking," said Andrea Moran, a spokeswoman for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, as she gazed down upon the ugly stew through the window of a chartered airplane. "It's kind of scary." What Moran actually was viewing is this summer's onslaught of algae blooms in local rivers and creeks. The excessive growth of algae, also known as a red tide or mahogany tide, is a modern phenomenon linked to warm water temperatures and nutrient pollution. For full article, go to: http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/fueled-heat-and-pollution-algae-splotches-waterways

NV: Valley's Wetlands Park undergoing improvements

By Scott Wyland – Las Vegas Review Journal – August 23, 2008 It's known as an oasis in the desert, where streams burble beneath lush, 7-foot-tall vegetation and birds trill and the air feels surprisingly humid. A large swath in the Wetlands Park looks as though a Florida savannah was plopped down in the southeast valley. Now the 2,900-acre park, which owes its lushness to the reclaimed water piped in each day, is undergoing $40 million in upgrades, mostly within a 210-acre nature preserve that sits inside the park. For full story, go to: http://www.lvrj.com/news/27308374.html

NC: Private wells in Lake County to harm wetlands, lakes

By Bill Orben – Orlando Business Journal – August 22, 2008 Lake County may decide to forbid anyone from digging new private water wells -- and that would mean no urban development allowed in the county unless it's in a city that provides water and sewer service. At issue: Water use from private wells in unincorporated areas of the county is expected to double between 2013-2030 -- potentially having an "unacceptable" effect on 10,000 acres of wetlands and eight lakes. As a result, private wells will cause water levels in lakes to fall to a point that would harm plants and animals, said the St. Johns River Water Management District, which looked at population projections based on development already approved for the area. For full story, go to: http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2008/08/25/story3.html

LA: Poll: Louisiana Worried About Energy, Wetlands, Coast

Bayou Buzz – August 22, 2008 According to a new poll conducted for for three national conservation groups: Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation and National Audubon Society say besides gas price, the big issue is coastal erosion.  A new poll released a week before the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005) shows that voters in south Louisiana are more concerned about coastal erosion than they are about crime or the economy. The poll also shows South Louisianans are almost as concerned about coastal erosion as they are about their highest-ranking worry -- gas prices. For full article, go to: http://www.bayoubuzz.com/News/Louisiana/Government/Poll_Louisiana_ Worried_About_Energy_Wetlands_Coast__7339.asp  For executive summary of this poll, go to: http://www.edf.org/documents/8285_Release_Louisiana_Memo.pdf

CT: Army Corps of Engineers Gets Involved In Norwich Wetlands-filling Violation

The Day – August 20, 2008 City officials have turned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help resolve a long-standing wetland-violation case at 81 Corning Road.While inspecting a nearby property on Corning Road in June 2007, City Planner Michael Schaefer discovered a large amount of fill material - dirt, boulders and wood debris - had been placed either within an inland wetland or at least within the state-mandated regulated area within 100 feet of the wetland. For full story, go to: http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=a76d4ae6-4223-4d34-a16e-694a3d73edf3

FL: Need a dock? DEP has made process easier

Temple Terrace University Beacon – August 20, 2008 As part of an ongoing commitment to improve services to the public and reduce burdensome paperwork and wait time, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has expanded the existing online self-certification process for certain small, private single-family docks. Now in addition to the state authorization, the public can receive authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the form of a Self-Certification State Programmatic General Permit (SPGP) or receive immediate confirmation that a qualifying proposed single-family structure is exempt from permit requirements. For full article, go to: http://cnewspubs.com/onthewater/modules/news/article.php?storyid=708

CA: Carbon Farming Tested in California Delta

ENS – August 18, 2008 Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of California, Davis, are exploring a new style of farming in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta that produces not crops but soils that store carbon dioxide. The research team has won a three-year, $12.3 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources to test the concept on 400 acres in the Delta beginning next spring. Called carbon farming, the project involves building wetlands, which is what nature originally grew in the Delta. Following the Gold Rush, developers "reclaimed" the land for agriculture by constructing levees to drain swamplands and contain the rivers that form the estuary. For full story, go to: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2008/2008-08-18-094.asp

CA: OP: Let go of the past and allow offshore oil drilling

By George Skelton – Los Angeles Times – August 18, 2008 Admittedly I'm biased on offshore drilling. I was born in Santa Barbara, grew up in Ojai and spent many a weekend on the beach. But that didn't make me an anti-drilling fanatic. Hardly. I was around lots of oil rigs -- onshore, offshore and some near the beach. On some beaches around Santa Barbara, you could feel the oozing tar between your toes -- and that was long before a Union Oil platform five miles offshore spilled crud all over 20 miles of coast in 1969. For centuries, the tar naturally had seeped up through the sand, providing the native Chumash with caulking for their canoes. For full opinion, go to: http://www.latimes.com/news/columnists/la-me-cap18-2008 aug18,0,5780970.column

MD: Living shorelines workshop offered

By Ben Penserga – Salisbury Daily Times – August 17, 2008 Someone once suggested to Tim Garner that he should fill the marshland part of his Crisfield home. "Why would I want to do that?" he said. Instead, Garner opted to create a living shoreline in the creek near his house, preserving the marshland and preventing land erosion. Saturday he served as a real-life example at the Living Shorelines Workshop what people can do for their own homes. The event, sponsored by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, was designed to show Somerset County residents and property owners that living shorelines can be an environmentally friendly soil erosion protection solution. The day-long workshop inside the Crisfield Heritage Foundation Historical Museum allowed participants to learn about permits, site designs, contractor hiring and native plant success. For full story, go to: http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080817/NEWS01/ 808170309/1002

FL: In Florida, Turning a Blind Eye to Hurricanes

By Damien Cave – New York Times – August 15, 2008 The hurricanes are coming. Carlos Alvarez, mayor of Miami-Dade County, cannot say when or how severe they will be, but every public speech he gives now includes a warning. “Hurricanes are part of our lives,” he tells people, adding: “Every time you get groceries, add a few extra cans. Have some jugs to fill up with water.” For many, though, the message has yet to register. Florida’s faltering economy and a recent scarcity of major storms have led to what emergency management officials now describe as a dangerous level of complacency. More than two months into hurricane season, and even as Tropical Storm Fay formed on Friday over the Dominican Republic and headed west, Floridians on both coasts are less prepared to withstand a major storm than at any other time in years, according to officials, business owners and residents. For full story, go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/us/16hurricane.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

DE: EPA funds Delaware estuary climate change projects

EPA News Release – August 8, 2008 EPA Region 3's climate change division is working with region 2 on a $75,000 project to develop and implement a methodology to describe the ecological and economic impacts of sea level rise on selected ecosystem services in the New Jersey portion of the Delaware estuary to help coastal communities more effectively plan and adapt to climate change. The project will provide information for partnership for the Delaware estuary's regional restoration initiative and to the "climate ready estuaries" $50,000 pilot project which will be awarded to the PDE through a region 3 fiscal year 2009 national estuary program grant. For information on the climate ready estuaries pilot program, go to http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/cre.html

MD: Bay mapping will aid restoration efforts

By Colleen Kelleher – WTOP Radio News – August 8, 2008 Imagine heading out on a road trip without a map. For a nearby journey that may not sound like a big deal. You could drive around until you find your destination. You could ask directions. You could stop and buy a map. All are viable options. Now imagine trying to coordinate an entire state's Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts without a map. "Some agencies didn't even have a paper map to document and lay out where all of their bay restoration efforts were," says Donald Boesch, a bay scientist who heads up the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. For full article, go to: http://www.wtop.com/?sid=1455847&nid=768

MI: EPA Reviews Michigan 404 Program

Michigan Wetland Action Coalition News – August 8, 2008 The US EPA announced findings from their review of Michigan's Section 404 (wetland protection) Program. EPA finds both strengths and deficiencies in Michigan’s legal authorities establishing the approved CWA Section 404 program and in the program’s administration by MDEQ.  In the end, EPA concluded that the Michigan’s program should not be withdrawn but identified several deficiencies in Michigan’s approved CWA Section 404 program along with corrective actions which Michigan proposed to take and a schedule for implementing the corrective actions.  For the results of the review, go to: http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/wshednps/pdf/mi_404_ program_review.pdf

NH: State reviews Exeter church’s wetlands impact

By Jennifer Feals – Exeter News-Letter – August 6, 2008 The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services will hold a public hearing on the wetlands impact associated with the St. Michael Parish project on Newfields Road on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The parish will present details of its dredge-and-fill application, for a total of 23,525 square feet of wetlands characterized as ‘wet meadow,’ as part of its plan to construct a church and parish center on Newfields Road. NHDES will also review the plan’s added parking, storm water treatment facilities and 725 square feet of temporary wetlands impact to restore a marsh in association with a culvert replacement. For full story, go to: http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080806 /NEWS/80806032/-1/NEWS11

PR: EPA, Puerto Rico Land Authority Announce Settlement to Improve Wetlands

Contact: John Senn – EPA News Release – August 5, 2008 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Puerto Rico Land Authority (PRLA) have reached a settlement that requires the creation of a task force to identify, monitor and protect wetlands in Puerto Rico in order to resolve a 2007 EPA complaint regarding Clean Water Act violations. According to the settlement, PRLA will also pay a $25,000 penalty and set up a $100,000 interest-bearing account, which will be used to establish a wetlands management program. “The protection of wetlands continues to be a priority for EPA,” said EPA Regional Administrator Alan J. Steinberg. “This far-reaching settlement will provide the necessary financial resources and political authority to create a Commonwealth-wide approach aimed at protecting thousands of acres of government owned wetlands and other environmentally-sensitive lands.” For full release, visit: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/b7d91bc26cc154ae85257 49d0066a12b?OpenDocument

MD: City talks about shoreline project

By Laura D'Alessandro – Salisbury Daily Times – August 4, 2008 The City Council plans to review a presentation today during a work session from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation regarding the $1 million living shoreline project installed in City Park. Installation of the improvements, including biologs and rip-rap, began in 2006. The project was designed to create a vegetated shoreline that would stabilize the ground soil and prevent erosion, as well as raise the aesthetic appeal. The project also included the designation of six small fishing areas with stone slabs and improvements to channels around Picnic Island. For full story, go to: http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080804/ NEWS01/808040309/1002

VA: Stand of dead trees produces a biological bounty on Shore

By Lon Wagner – Virginian-Pilot – August 1, 2008 They look like something the environmental artist Christo might have done. Elegant in their sheer starkness. Tall and narrow and white, and dead. Hundreds of pine trees, their bark now gone, stand like nature's tombstones, demanding attention just before cars pass the toll booth on the north side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. What happened to the trees - are they diseased, or did pests kill them? - has become the top question for workers at the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, said Sue Rice, refuge manager. The answer is simple and the least interesting thing about the trees. They got swamped with saltwater five years ago, during Hurricane Isabel. "They died because their feet were underwater for a long period of time," Rice said. For full story, go to: http://hamptonroads.com/2008/07/stand-dead- trees-produces-biological-bounty-sho

HI: Wetlands Restoration Plan Clogged

By Zalina Alvi – Molokai Dispatch – July 30, 2008 Members of the Molokai Planning Commission (MPC) have until Aug. 22 to decide whether to allow Desmond and Christy Manaba of D&J Ocean Farms, an aquaculture facility, to begin restoration work on their former property at Kalaeloa, Mana`e. The Manabas are trying to be granted an exemption for a Special Management Area (SMA) major permit for the wetlands area where they once bred ogo, shrimp and tilapia. They have been ordered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on several occasions over the last few years to restore the wetlands by removing soil and other fill on the property that resulted from the creation a new channel for the Keawuni stream while they were leasing land for their farms. For full story, go to: http://www.themolokaidispatch.com/node/2335

FL: Mining decision time

Bradenton Herald – July 30, 2008 Crunch time arrives Thursday morning on Mosaic Fertilizer's request before the Manatee County commissioners for a permit to mine phosphate on the Altman tract. Yet again. This has dragged on through dozens of meetings and postponements over eight years.  Will we finally get a decision this week, less than a month before four commission races face voters in the primary? That's the $64,000 question. Or will the politicians with an eye on the electorate postpone this issue again? Then there's the $400 million question, one raised by Commissioner Amy Stein, whose district encompasses the Altman tract. She surmised the county could be on the hook for that amount in a property takings claim should the commission reject the mining application and Mosaic sue. That's the value the company estimates the phosphate reserves are worth. For full story, go to: http://www.bradenton.com/opinion/story/771148.html  For related story, go to: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080729/ARTICLE/807290343/2107&title= Three_counties_told_to_challenge_mine

OR: Wetlands pose challenge for future development

By Justin Much – Statesman Journal – July 30, 2008 New development plans appeared to be moving along smoothly about a month ago — but for three-tenths of an acre. That slice of land, which was determined in late June to be wetlands, changed the course and speed of Monmouth's light-industrial Rosemead development on the south side of town, west of Highway 99W. Also affected are Gary Epping's Gwinn Street Village, adjacent to Rosemead on its west border, and Albin, just to the west of Gwinn. Both areas are zoned for residential development. In addition, wetland restrictions served to impede Monmouth's building of an electrical substation. For full article, visit: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080730/ COMMUNITIES/807300389/1117

CT: Wetlands Commissioners Discuss Letter About Spraying Chemicals Near Wetlands

By Tammy McVey-Camilleri – Voices – July 30, 2008 The Inland Wetlands Commission, meeting Tuesday, July 22, discussed the letter the commission sends to residents who have received state Department of Environmental Protection approval to spray pesticide or herbicide chemicals near wetlands. Local and state laws pertaining to the spraying of pesticide or herbicide chemicals on, in or in close proximity to wetlands underwent some changes in 2007. For full article, go to: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19876942&BRD= 1380&PAG=461&dept_id=157533&rfi=6

CA: Money to Preserve Santa Barbara County’s Creeks and Wetlands

By Catherine Meagher – Santa Barbara Independent – July 29, 2008 The Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project (SCWRP) is awarding nearly $290,000 to wetland and watershed restoration projects, and about a quarter of this is heading to Santa Barbara County. The funding comes from San Francisco’s Earth Island Institute, an international environmental organization that, according to their website, “supports people who are creating solutions to protect our shared planet.” “I am excited to announce 12 new projects entering our program this year, empowering nonprofits and local government to engage a wide array of communities in wetland restoration and education, and working to improve diverse habitats,” said Shawn Kelly, SCWRP’s community wetland restoration grants manager. Of these 12 projects, three are in Santa Barbara County. For full article, go to: http://www.independent.com/news/2008/jul/29/money-preserve-santa- barbara-countys-creeks-and-we/

KY: EPA Awards Grant to Kentucky Community for Wetlands Restoration

Media Newswire (Press Release) – July 29, 2008 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) has awarded the University of Kentucky Research Foundation with a new wetland conservation grant through the Five Star Wetlands Restoration Program. The $20,000 grant will be used to fund the Millcreek Stream and Wetland Restoration Project and Outdoor Classroom. The project goal is to develop a school-wide, interdisciplinary, water-focused education program at Millcreek Elementary School by restoring stream and wetlands habitats around the free-flowing, meandering creek on the school grounds. The outdoor classroom will help the environment by improving water quality and increasing aquatic and terrestrial habitats in and along the stream. Through the educational program, the creation of student Water Ambassadors, and the professional development of teachers and PTA volunteers, the entire community will benefit from the program. For full story, go to: http://media-newswire.com/release_1069374.html

Archived News

Return to top.