NWRC Weekly Highlights 12/9/2010

Weekly Highlights

MEMORANDUM

From: Gabrielle Boudreaux Bodin
Subject: Weekly Highlights, USGS National Wetlands Research Center, December 9, 2010

Departmental/Bureau News - Current

NWRC begins key discussion on long-term Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill response with Anne Kinsinger: On December 2, 2010, Phil Turnipseed (USGS National Wetlands Research Center Director), Matthew Andersen (USGS National Wetlands Research Center Deputy Director), and Tom Doyle (NWRC Wetlands Ecology Branch Chief) discussed long-term Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill research and development opportunities with Anne Kinsinger (USGS Associate Director for Ecosystems) and Dave Bornholdt (USGS Office of the Associate Director for Ecosystems). Kissinger and Bornholdt are planning an early 2011 trip to the NWRC to further develop plans for this work in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Region. (Phil Turnipseed; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8501)
NWRC continues discussion on Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs): On December 2 and 7, 2010, Phil Turnipseed (USGS National Wetlands Research Center Director), Matthew Andersen (USGS National Wetlands Research Center Deputy Director), and Tom Doyle (NWRC Wetlands Ecology Branch Chief) discussed Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) development opportunities for the Gulf Coast Plains and Ozarks and Gulf Coast Prairies LCCs with executive team members of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. USGS has supported the NWRC with funding to staff one or more scientists to develop and provide science support and help to develop these two significant LCCs in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Region. (Phil Turnipseed; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8501)
Richard Isensee (BSME) visits NWRC to discuss plans to renovate the NWRC Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning System: December 6 through 9, 2010, Richard Isensee (BSME) of the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., met with officials of the NWRC to discuss design and plans for rehabilitating the NWRC Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning System (HVAC). Isensee has been a key to the NWRC HVAC renovation and a significant help in bringing the 18-year old system back to current standards. (Eric Pelletier; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8507)
NWRC meets with USACE and South Central Area executive to discuss the Lower Mekong Initiative: On December 6, 2010, Phil Turnipseed (USGS National Wetlands Research Center Director) and Tom Doyle (NWRC Wetlands Ecology Branch Chief) discussed collaborative opportunities for research in association with the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and executive team members of the USGS South Central Area. The NWRC is planning significant research in accordance with the U.S. Department of State Forecast Mekong project that has the potential for several cross-cutting themes with the LMI. (Phil Turnipseed; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8501)
NWRC attends meeting with Vice President for Research of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to discuss consortium formulation to address long-term Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill response: On December 6, 2010, Phil Turnipseed (USGS National Wetlands Research Center Director), Matthew Andersen (USGS National Wetlands Research Center Deputy Director), and Tom Doyle (NWRC Wetlands Ecology Branch Chief) met with the Vice President for Research of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette along with faculty to discuss consortium formulation to address long-term Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill response. The group discussed NWRC opportunities in forming a regional-based consortium of Federal, State, local, and private entities to collaboratively work to solve the significant environmental issues associated with the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as part of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GRI). (Phil Turnipseed; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8501)
NWRC begins discussion of program with the USGS Powell Center on long-term Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill response: On December 6, 2010, Phil Turnipseed (USGS National Wetlands Research Center Director), Matthew Andersen (USGS National Wetlands Research Center Deputy Director), and Tom Doyle (NWRC Wetlands Ecology Branch Chief) discussed long-term Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill research and development opportunities with others in the USGS to begin development of a plan to work with the Powell Center for this work in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Region. (Phil Turnipseed; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8501)
NWRC attends meeting of the Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority (CPRA): On December 8, 2010, Phil Turnipseed (USGS National Wetlands Research Center Director), Matthew Andersen (USGS National Wetlands Research Center Deputy Director), and Scott Wilson (NWRC Spatial Analysis Branch Chief) attended the Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority (CPRA) monthly meeting in the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La., to discuss NWRC collaborative opportunities with the many Federal, State, local, and private entities in attendance. (Phil Turnipseed; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8501)
NWRC Participates in the 2010 NC-EPPC/NC-VMA Combined Annual Conference: On December 8 – 9, 2010, USGS National Wetlands Research Center scientist Randy Westbrooks participated in a joint annual conference of the North Carolina Exotic Pest Plant Council and the North Carolina Vegetation Management Association. The conference, held in Raleigh, N. C., was attended by land managers, natural resource professionals, and representatives from state and federal agencies from across the Tarheel state. Westbrooks gave a presentation on the development of a U.S. National Early Detection and Rapid Response System for new invasive plants. Currently, as part of that effort, USGS is collaborating with NC-EPPC and similar state interagency groups across the U.S. to develop and train State Early Detection and Reporting Networks to ensure that new invasive plants are reported to state and federal officials so that appropriate actions can be taken to prevent their establishment and spread. A major rationale for attending the conference was to encourage NC-VMA members (e.g., industrial and right-of-way weed control specialists) to assist in the effort to detect and report new invaders in North Carolina. More details about the workshop can be found at the 2010 Joint NC-EPPC / NC-VMA Conference Website. (Randy Westbrooks; Whiteville, N.C.; 910-648-6762)
NWRC Scientist Karen McKee To Deliver Invited Paper at AGU Meeting: USGS National Wetlands Research Center scientist Karen McKee will deliver an invited paper at the 2010 Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) on December 14 in San Francisco, Calif. The title of her presentation is “Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Soil Organic Carbon in Mangrove Forest Ecosystems.” McKee will present results of her research program, which focuses on global change ecology and biocomplexity of wetland ecosystems, in a session entitled “Assessing Carbon Storage and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Coastal and Inland Aquatic Systems.” (Karen McKee; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8662)
GCJV Management Board To Meet at NWRC: The Management Board of the Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV) will hold their fall 2010 business meeting at the USGS National Wetlands Research Center on December 14 – 15. The GCJV is a partnership of state, federal, and private organizations dedicated to bird habitat conservation in the coastal portions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. They meet semi-annually to review progress toward JV objectives, and discuss challenges and opportunities related to bird habitat conservation within the JV region. NWRC hosts the staff of the GCJV, the NWRC Director serves on the GCJV Board, and several NWRC staff members are engaged in GCJV technical committees or GCJV collaborations. (Barry Wilson; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8815)
NWRC Geographers Provide Scientific Expertise for Oil Spill Response and Recovery: USGS National Wetlands Research Center Geographer Chris Wells will attend the Natural Resources Damage Assessment Shoreline Technical Working Group meeting in New Orleans December 15, 16, and 17, 2010. On those same dates, Supervisory Geographer Larry Handley will provide scientific and technical guidance as he continues as chair of the Aerial Imagery Technical Working Group while meeting with other managers at the response headquarters in Daphne, Ala. Wells and Handley are part of the National Wetlands Research Center's continuing commitment to provide scientific expertise for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and recovery operations. (Chris Wells; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8651)
Chinese Delegation To Visit NWRC: USGS National Wetlands Research Center Director Phil Turnipseed will host 8 members of the China Geological Survey (CGS) on December 16, 2010. The delegation will provide presentations on the mission and research program of the CGS related to wetland management and conservation goals in China. NWRC staff will provide a tour of the NWRC laboratory facilities and presentations about the ecology, restoration and management of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands. (Phil Turnipseed, Lafayette, La., 337-266-8501)
USGS and OCPR Joint Training on CRMS and OCPR SONRIS Websites Being Offered: USGS National Wetlands Research Center scientists Craig Conzelmann and Sarai Piazza and IAP contractor Marc Comeaux will lead a joint USGS and Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration (OCPR) training session on December 16, 2010. The training will focus on recent updates to both the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) and the OCPR SONRIS Websites. Demonstrations on how to download restoration project monitoring data, engineering data, geospatial data, and new data releases will be presented. The session is open to the public. Mainly landowners, politicians, consulting firms, nonprofits, academic and other agency staff are expected to attend. (Sarai Piazza; Baton Rouge, La.; 225-578-7044)

Agency Work on Presidential Initiatives

MOU Between DOI and MONRE To Be Signed in Hanoi, Vietnam: Anne Castle, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam in Hanoi, Vietnam on December 10, 2010. The purpose of the MOU is to provide a framework for the exchange of scientific and technical knowledge related to the earth sciences and effective management of natural resources. The MOU signing recognizes the success of cooperative efforts between Vietnam and the United States through the Forecast Mekong project, the U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Climate Change Working Group, and the Mississippi-Mekong Sister Rivers Agreement. (Scott Wilson; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8644)
USGS To Participate in Workshop for the Mekong Basin in Vietnam: USGS National Wetlands Research Center Branch Chief Scott Wilson, Geographer Cindy Thatcher, and Louisiana Water Science Center Director Charlie Demas will participate in a workshop on persistent organic pollutants and wetland mapping for the Mekong Basin to be held December 12 – 16, 2010 at Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The goal of this workshop is to provide training in field sampling methods, sample site selection, and wetland classification methods. (Scott Wilson; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8644)

Press Inquiries/Media - Newspapers/magazines/wires, etc.

Phil Turnipseed new Wetlands Center boss (USA Today; November 24, 2010) “Phil Turnipseed has been selected as the Director of the U. S. Geological Survey National Wetlands Research Center. The NWRC develops and disseminates scientific information needed for understanding the ecology and value of the Nation’s wetlands.”
Food For Thought: Two women give you their take on the Gulf and what’s in store (L Magazine; Lafayette, La.; November 2010) “Dr. Karen McKee’s profession betrays her, even by phone…A research ecologist with the United States Geological Survey National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette, she has worked in wetlands around the world.”

Press Inquiries/Media - Online

Phil Turnipseed new Wetlands Center boss (Florida Today.com; November 29, 2010) “Turnipseed was born in Greenwood, Miss., in the heart of the Mississippi Delta.” (Phil Turnipseed; Lafayette, La.; 337-266-8501)
New Wetlands Chief (Design-Build Institute of America; December 2010) “Phil Turnipseed, of the U.S. Geological Survey, has been named director of the National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette, La.”
INTERIOR: New wetlands research chief seeks to 'break down walls' between experts (Land Letter; December 2, 2010) “The newly appointed director of the nation's premier wetlands research center seeks to elevate the Louisiana-based office into a "globally recognized leader" in wetlands science and research, with hopes of decoding the numerous threats that imperil the nation's coastal and inland wetlands.”

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