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EDITOR'S NOTE

EDITOR'S CHOICE

• Clean Water Protection Rule Under Development
• FWS’ National Wetlands Inventory Releases Status & Trends Report 
• The War Against Climate Science Unravels
• The Compleat Wetlander: Status and Trends: No Net Loss of Wetlands Proves Elusive
• USGS Briefing: Nutrients in Rivers, Estuaries
• Farm Subsidies Birds And Fish Would Choose
• USGS: Simulated Changes in Salinity, Chesapeake Bay Area Rivers Projected SLR
• Wetland Mapping LLWW: Dichotomous Keys and Mapping Codes for Wetland Features

NATIONAL NEWS

• FWS Releases Blueprint for National Wildlife Refuge System
• National Wetlands Awards: Call for Nominations for 2012 Awards
• Hellbender Salamanders Listed as Endangered Species

STATE NEWS

• FL: Wetlands restoration panel worries over loss of money for monitoring
• DE: DNREC Begins Forested Wetland Restoration Projects
• WI: Wisconsin DNR reform raises concern among environmental advocates
• NC: North Carolina Wetland Assessment Method
• FL: Letters (Opinion) Short-term water fixes cost more in long run
• AK: Communities take a close look at watershed management
• TX: Banking on Shale Gas to Preserve Wetlands
• WI: Wisconsin Wetlands Association Hires New Executive Director
• MA: New Report: Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report, September, 2011

RESOURCES & PUBLICATIONS

• Corps Opens National Levee Database for Public Access Oct. 27, 2011
• ASFPM Side-by-side Comparison of NFIP Reform Legislation
• Barriers and Gateways to Green Infrastructure
• Florida’s Natural Heritage Atlas
• State Strategies to Plan for and Adapt to Climate Change

WETLAND SCIENCE

• StreamWatch Land Use Study

POTPOURRI

• Birds at Risk: Importance of Canada's Boreal Wetlands and Waterways
• This Week’s Creature Feature ... The Northern Snakehead
• Enviro. group to release scariest Chesapeake facts, says bay is ghost of former self
• Soaking in the wetlands (AU story of poet Henry Lawson)
• The Case Against Global-Warming Skepticism
• As Danger Laps at Its Shores, Tuvalu Pleads for Action
• Smithsonian: Western Science, Indigenous Voices & Climate Change
• Building buffers to climate change
• Victims of EPA’s Wetland Exploitation Speak Out at Sen. Rand Paul’s Roundtable 

MEETINGS, WEBINARS AND TRAINING

• 20th Annual ELI Eastern Boot Camp on Environmental Law
• 2011 Northeast Private Well Symposium
• Coal and Water in Central Appalachia: The Challenge to Balance
• Climate Change in the Caribbean: Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands Conference
• ASFPM’s 5th National Nonstructural Floodproofing Conference and Exposition
• New England Water Law and Policy Conference
• Fall 2011 DWQ 401, Riparian Buffers and Nutrient Management Strategy Workshop
• Biodiversity Without Boundaries 2012
• Coastal Cities Summit II 2012
• River Rally 2012
• 23rd Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference
• Fish Passage 2012 - Call for Abstracts
• EcoSummit 2012 - Ecological Sustainability

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Over the course of October, I taught a workshop on fortune-telling through a local adult education program. The ten women who took the class got a kick out of learning how to read everyday playing cards, and hydromancy—the art of divination with water.  When I told my 16 year old brother about this, he balked at the idea of dowsing for water, which I explained, is a fairly common practice throughout the world. My mother chimed in: “Our plumber has been hired by the federal government to find water and pipes with his steel dowsing rod!” She also revealed that we have an old dowsing rod in our house that was used to find the well on the property 25 years ago. And my 29-year-old brother remarked that he knew of some hydromancers—nowadays, called water resource professionals. A hydromancer by any name is naturally attuned to water. 

The final 2010 Wetland Mapping Summary project results and report have been posted on the wetland mapping segment of aswm.org: http://aswm.org/2010-wetland-mapping-summary.  This includes a clickable map with a summary for each state that participated in the data-gathering part of the project, which concluded in December 2010. This provided a “snapshot” of wetland mapping efforts underway throughout the U.S. as of that date. 

Recently, ASWM has published a revised version of Jon Kusler’s report, “Assessing the Natural and Beneficial Functions of Floodplains: Issues and Approaches; Future Directions,” which is posted on the Floods & Natural Hazards webpage.  ASWM has also expanded its webpages on Floods & Natural Hazards and the Mississippi River Flood (under “Watersheds” across the main menu of aswm.org). 

There are some oddball stories in this issue such as the “Creature Feature.”  I can only attribute this to the upcoming holiday. Have a safe and happy Halloween! For “Swampthing” costume ideas, read the latest Strange Wetlands blog. 

Trick-or-treat!

Leah Stetson
Editor, Wetland Breaking News

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Clean Water Protection Rule Under Development 

EPA’s Regulatory Development and Retrospective Review Tracker – October 2011
After U.S. Supreme Court decisions in SWANCC and Rapanos, the scope of "waters of the US" protected under all CWA programs has been an issue of considerable debate and uncertainty. The Act has a single definition for "waters of the United States." As a result, these decisions affect the geographic scope of all CWA programs. 

SWANCC and Rapanos did not invalidate the current regulatory definition of "waters of the United States." However, the decisions established important considerations for how those regulations should be interpreted, and experience implementing the regulations has identified several areas that could benefit from additional clarification through rulemaking. U.S. EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are developing a proposed rule for determining whether a waterway, water body, or wetland is protected by the Clean Water Act. This rule would make clear which waterbodies are protected under the Clean Water Act. The projected date for publication of a proposed rule in the Federal Register is January 2012 http://yosemite.epa.gov/opei/rulegate.nsf/byRIN/2040-AF30?opendocument

FWS’ National Wetlands Inventory Releases Status & Trends Report 

The Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States Report is produced every 10 years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the cooperation of other principle Federal agencies. There were an estimated 110.1 million acres of wetlands in the Conterminous U.S. in 2009. Wetlands composed 5.5 percent of the surface area of the U. S. An estimated 95 percent of all wetlands were freshwater and five percent were in the marine or estuarine (saltwater) systems. There were an estimated 104.3 million acres of freshwater wetland and 5.8 million acres of intertidal (saltwater) wetlands. This year’s report is available at: http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/StatusAndTrends2009/

The War Against Climate Science Unravels

By Kelly Rigg – Huffington Post – October 24, 2011
The skeptic case against climate change is unraveling before our eyes like someone walking away from an old sweater, thread in hand. For those who have ever put the skeptic arguments to the test, it has always been clear that their criticisms rarely stand up to even the most basic level of academic rigor. But last week's release of the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature (BEST) study delivered a decisive blow to the edifice of climate skepticism. The key skeptic pillar, summarized by arch skeptic Anthony Watts, has always been this: "How do we know if global warming is a problem if we can't trust the temperature record?" for full story, go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-rigg/the-war-against-climate-s_b_1027644.html

The Compleat Wetlander: Status and Trends: No Net Loss of Wetlands Proves Elusive

By Jeanne Christie – The Compleat Wetlander – October 14, 2011
On Earth Day 2004 President Bush announced that wetland gains achieved through restoration and creation had surpassed wetland losses achieving no net loss of wetlands for the first time.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Status and Trends report concluded that overall wetlands acreage had increased 32,000 acres a year from 1998 to 2004.  Looking ahead, the President set an ambitious goal to restore, improve and protect an additional 3 million acres over the next five years. Fast forward ahead to October 6, 2011 when the USFWS Status and Trends report for 2004-2009 was released.  This report concluded that the number of wetland acres in the coterminous U.S. had declined slightly over the five year period—an overall net loss of 62,300 acres.  It would be a gross simplification to conclude that the nation had failed to achieve the goals established by President Bush in 2004.  Wetland gains and losses are complex and multifaceted.  But the 2011 report does raise questions about whether the country will be able to continue to realize its no net loss goal, particularly in the face of the challenges ahead. For full blog post, click here.  To jump directly to the Status & Trends Report (FWS webpage), go to: http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/StatusAndTrends2009/Science.html

USGS Briefing: Nutrients in Rivers, Estuaries

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the Northeast Midwest Institute will hold a briefing on New Scientific Findings to Help Direct Action on Excessive Nutrients in Rivers and Estuaries from 10–11:30 a.m. on Friday, October 28, 2011 including time for questions and answers), at the House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing room, 2167 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. The briefing will be on new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) findings that provide current information on major sources of nutrients to streams, how nutrients move downstream, and their loadings to rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries, such as the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay, and Long Island Sound.  Excessive nutrients are causing algal blooms that increase costs to treat drinking water, limit recreational activities, threaten valuable fisheries, and can be toxic to humans and wildlife. This briefing is sponsored by the WEF, in cooperation with the NE-MW Institute and the USGS. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, click here or contact Pallavi Raviprakash at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (703) 684-2400, x7741.

Farm Subsidies Birds And Fish Would Choose

By Dan Charles – Salt (NPR’s Food Blog) – October 17, 2011
With the 2012 farm bill coming up fast, we're taking a closer look at what it is and how it shapes food policy and land use in an occasional series. This is part three. Capitol Hill is a scrum of lobbyists fighting over a shrinking budget these days, and farm subsidies are under attack as never before. Some of those subsidies appear likely to die. I hear cheering. Farm subsidies are wildly unpopular almost everywhere except among the people who receive them. After all, why should taxpayers pump more money into a farm economy that's already flush with profits from high grain prices?  For full blog post, click here.

USGS: Simulated Changes in Salinity, Chesapeake Bay Area Rivers Projected SLR

By Karen C. Rice, Mark R. Bennett, and Jian Shen - September 22, 2011
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently released a report, “Simulated Changes in Salinity in the York and Chickahominy Rivers from Projected Sea-Level Rise in Chesapeake Bay.” As a result of climate change and variability, sea level is rising throughout the world, but the rate along the east coast of the United States is higher than the global mean rate. The USGS, in cooperation with the City of Newport News, Virginia, conducted a study to evaluate the effects of possible future sea-level rise on the salinity front in two tributaries to Chesapeake Bay, the York River, and the Chickahominy/James River estuaries. Numerical modeling was used to represent sea-level rise and the resulting hydrologic effects. To view an abstract of the report or the full report, click here.

Wetland Mapping: Dichotomous Keys and Mapping Codes for Wetland Landscape Position, Landform, Water Flow Path, and Waterbody Type Descriptors: Version 2.0 

By Ralph W. Tiner - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - August 2011
A wide variety of wetlands have formed across the United States.  To describe this diversity and to inventory wetland resources, government agencies and scientists have devised various wetland classification systems (Tiner 1999).  Features used to classify wetlands include vegetation, hydrology, water chemistry, origin of water, soil types, landscape position, landform (geomorphology), wetland origin, wetland size, and ecosystem form/energy sources. For full article, click here.

NATIONAL NEWS

FWS Releases Blueprint for National Wildlife Refuge System

FWS - October 20, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today made public a renewed vision for the growth and management of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The document, initially drafted by the Service and the National Wildlife Refuge Association, articulates a 10-year blueprint for the Refuge System. Entitled Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation, the Service’s vision was developed with extensive input from stakeholders through a transparent public process during the last 18 months. The final version of the document is now available online at www.americaswildlife.org. To read full press release, click here.

National Wetlands Awards: Call for Nominations for 2012 Awards

Environmental Law Institute – October 2011
The 2011 six wetland champions were honored at the U.S. Botanic Garden on May 4, 2011. The call for nominations for 2012 Awards is now open. The National Wetlands Awards Program celebrates individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, innovation, or excellence in wetlands conservation. Awards are offered in six categories: conservation and restoration; education and outreach; landowner stewardship; science research; state, tribal, and local program development; and wetland community leader. Visit the nominations page to learn more or download the nomination form here. Deadline for nominations is December 15, 2011. For information on the 2011 National Wetlands Award Recipients Honored, or for more info, click here.

Hellbender Salamanders Listed as Endangered Species

FWS – October 6, 2011
Hellbenders are among the world’s largest salamanders. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently designated the Ozark Hellbender as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and also finalized its decision to list the Ozark and Eastern Hellbender in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In combination, these listings will provide significant protection to hellbenders, both domestically and internationally. Under the ESA, an endangered species is any species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. The Ozark Hellbender, which grows to lengths up to 2 feet, inhabits the White River system in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Ozark Hellbender populations have declined an estimated 75 percent since the 1980s, with only about 590 individuals remaining in the wild. For more information, visit: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/

STATE NEWS

FL: Wetlands restoration panel worries over loss of money for monitoring

By Christine Stapleton – Palm Beach Post News – October 16, 2011
The monitoring programs that reveal how Everglades restoration plans are working -- or not -- have been slashed by 60 percent overall -- leaving gaping holes in programs that predict algal blooms, monitor pollution, provide real-time water level data and assess the survival rates of endangered species. Gone altogether are programs that monitor the well-being of alligators, crocodiles and pink shrimp, indicator species that reveal the health of the entire ecosystem. Cuts to wading bird monitoring in Lake Okeechobee will leave scientists unable to accurately predict the start, peak and end of the nesting season -- benchmarks needed to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between restoration efforts and wildlife. For full story, go to: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/wetlands-restoration-panel-worries-over-loss-of-money-1935609.html

DE: DNREC Begins Forested Wetland Restoration Projects

Contact Joanna Wilson – State of Delaware – October 26, 2011
The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife in cooperation with Kent Conservation District have started construction on five forested wetland restoration projects on four state wildlife areas in Kent County. The projects include two areas at Blackiston Wildlife Area near Kenton and one each at the Little Creek Wildlife Area east of Dover, the Fortney-Urban Tracts between Hartly and Marydel and the Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Area near Viola. The projects are funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grant Program and the Delmarva Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The projects will restore previously drained and degraded forested wetlands to functional forested wetlands with the placement of water control structures in drainage ditches. Kent Conservation District staff members engineered the projects and are installing water control structures for the five projects, which encompass a total of about eight acres. For more information, visit: http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/News/Pages/DNREC-begins-forested-wetland-restoration-projects-at-four-state-wildlife-areas.aspx

WI: Wisconsin DNR reform raises concern among environmental advocates

Post Crescent – October 24, 2011
The first part of a major state Department of Natural Resources reform package has environmental advocates worried Gov. Scott Walker is sacrificing oversight for speed in an attempt to clear the way for a mining project in northern Wisconsin. A pair of Republican lawmakers last week introduced a 37-page bill on behalf of the governor that deals with piers, wharves and wetlands. But buried in the measure are a series of provisions that could make it easier for mining companies by relaxing the review process for "prospecting" and "high-capacity wells," limiting protected wetland areas and establishing a timed approval process that critics say favors companies over the community. For full story, go to: http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20111024/APC0101/110240475/Wisconsin-DNR-reform-raises-concern-among-environmental-advocates

NC: North Carolina Wetland Assessment Method

October 24, 2011
The North Carolina Association of Environmental Professionals will hold NC Wetland Assessment Method meeting on November 15, 2011 – Social Hour at 5:00p.m., Dinner at 6p.m., Speakers at 6:30p.m. at the Front Street Brewery, 9 North Front Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Presenter will be Emily Hughes, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington Regulatory Field Office. The North Carolina Wetland Assessment Method (NCWAM) is a qualitative approach to assessing wetland functions that was developed by local field experts to help provide consistency among regulatory agencies, consultants and the community.  It identifies 16 different wetland types and rates them according to 3 major functions: hydrology, water quality and habitat.  New stream mitigation guidelines and monitoring protocols are currently undergoing review and will be incorporated into NCSAM process. For more information and to register, click here.

FL: Letters (Opinion) Short-term water fixes cost more in long run

By John Marshall – Palm Beach Post – October 21, 2011
Virtually all people with knowledge of water supply variables in South Florida admit that the long-term solution is restoration of wetlands and historic sheet flow as part of Everglades restoration ("Rain's relief from drought expected to dry up quickly.") Unfortunately, most managers address short-term fixes to handle the next drought. Short-term fixes are costing taxpayers more than the long-term solution. Additional folly comes from those calling for desalinization (salt removal from sea water). With all the rainfall in South Florida, desal ought to be the last consideration. For full story, go to: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/letters/letters-short-term-water-fixes-cost-more-in-1927641.html?cxtype=rss_letters

AK: Communities take a close look at watershed management

By Charlotte Duren – NPR – October 21, 2011
Nearly two thirds of the nation's wetlands are in Alaska. And a lot of them are right here in Southeast. Since 2003 the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition has been visiting communities to help local governments and residents better understand wetland mitigation as well as a new law that requires communities to develop watershed management strategies. To read and listen to this story, visit: http://kstk.org/modules/local_news/index.php?op=centerBlock&ID=652

TX: Banking on Shale Gas to Preserve Wetlands

By Nadja Brandt and John Gittelsohn – Bloomberg Businessweek – October 15, 2011
Flanked by drilling rigs and pipelines, many of the wetlands feeding into the Sabine River in East Texas have been damaged by energy companies trying to extract gas from the Haynesville/Bossier Shale formation. That destruction is an opportunity for a Houston company called Mitigation Solutions USA, which buys and restores damaged marshes, swamps, and bayous. “Demand’s strong,” says Terry McKenzie, the company’s president. “Luckily, in Texas we have the luxury of oil and gas.” Federal environmental regulations require companies that destroy wetlands to create similarly sized wetland in the same watershed. While some choose to do the work themselves, many turn to a so-called mitigation bank such as McKenzie’s. After these companies knock down levees, fill ditches and canals, replace invasive plants with native species, and prove that the changes can be sustained over time, they receive “credits” that each represent roughly an acre of wetland. For full story, go to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44982537/ns/business-us_business/t/banking-shale-gas-preserve-wetlands/#.TqmOv0OXQo4 

WI: Wisconsin Wetlands Association Hires New Executive Director 

October 12, 2011
The Wisconsin Wetlands Association has hired Mr. Tracy Hames as the organization’s new Executive Director. Hames is a waterfowl biologist who has worked for the past twenty years planning, funding, implementing, and monitoring a large-scale floodplain restoration project in eastern Washington state for the Yakama Nation. The project has restored more than 21,000 acres of wetland, riparian, and grassland habitats in an intensely agricultural portion of the Yakama Reservation to maximize the cultural and natural resource benefits of the land for the Yakama People. For more information, visit: http://www.wisconsinwetlands.org/news.htm

MA: New Report: Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report, September, 2011

This report, prepared by the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Advisory Committee, is the first broad overview of climate change as it affects Massachusetts, the impacts of this change, vulnerabilities of multiple sectors ranging from natural resources, infrastructure, public health, and the economy. It addresses the role of wetlands in several areas of the report.  It also provides an analysis of potential strategies.  To read the report, please visit: http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eoeeaterminal&L=3&L0=Home&L1=Air,+Water+%26+Climate+Change&L2=Climate+Change&sid=Eoeea&b=terminalcontent&f=eea_energy_cca-report&csid=Eoeea

RESOURCES & PUBLICATIONS

Corps Opens National Levee Database for Public Access Oct. 27, 2011

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – October 26, 2011
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recently announced it will open the National Levee Database (NLD) for public access with a series of public webinars beginning Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. EDT. The NLD is a living, dynamic information source that provides visualization and search capability for the first time on the location and condition of levee systems nationwide. "The National Levee Database is the first critical step in understanding levee systems in the United States, including the benefits and potential risks they pose for the communities in which they exist," said Eric C. Halpin, P.E., USACE special assistant for dam and levee safety. "Although the current database currently contains levee information within the USACE program, we are working closely with other federal, state and local agencies to include the information on other levees on a voluntary basis." The database will be available on the USACE website, click here. USACE will host three webinars: Thursday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. EDT and Thursday, Nov. 3 at 11 a.m. EDT. Attendance is free and open to the public, but registration is required, click here.

ASFPM Side-by-side Comparison of NFIP Reform Legislation

Association of State Floodplain Managers – October 18, 2011
This document highlights important elements of pending NFIP Reform Legislation; HR 1309 in the House and the Senate Banking Committee bill. The document also includes commentary by the ASFPM. For more information, go directly to: ASFPM’s side-by-side Comparison of NFIP Reform Legislation.

Barriers and Gateways to Green Infrastructure

By the Clean Water America Alliance – October 2011 
Green infrastructure systems and practices use or mimic natural processes to infiltrate, evapotranspire, or reuse stormwater and runoff on the site where it is generated. These approaches keep rainwater out of the sewer system which can lead to sewer over-flows and also reduce the amount of untreated runoff discharged to surface waters by allowing stormwater to be absorbed and cleansed by soil and vegetation before fl owing into groundwater or surface water resources. For full report, go to: http://www.cleanwateramericaalliance.org/pdfs/gireport.pdf

Florida’s Natural Heritage Atlas

The Florida Natural Areas Inventory is proud to announce publication of the Atlas of Florida’s Natural Heritage, a richly illustrated 176-page book featuring Florida’s species, natural communities, and conservation efforts. The Atlas is sure to become a standard reference for anyone involved in the conservation, management, study, or enjoyment of Florida’s rich natural resources. For more details and Atlas ordering information, go to http://www.floridasnaturalheritage.org/

State Strategies to Plan for and Adapt to Climate Change

By Amy Morsch and Ryan Bartlett – Nicholas Institute/Duke University – October 1, 2011
Climate change is expected to pose a number of risks to communities, such as sea-level rise and an increase in storm surges. States are beginning to develop adaptation plans to reduce climate risks and vulnerabilities within the larger context of economic growth. While the process and structure of the planning efforts vary, the resulting recommendations reveal similarities. The plans include a mix of broad strategies that address the state’s objectives and goals and identify supporting policies. To ensure complementary and coordinated responses to climate change, many strategies are cross-sectoral and entail integration and collaboration among multiple government agencies and economic sectors. For more information, including full report, visit: http://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/climate/adaptation/state-strategies-to-plan-for-and-adapt-to-climate-change

WETLAND SCIENCE

StreamWatch Land Use Study

A Virginia-based organization has released a series of reports on streams and land use. Beginning in spring 2007, StreamWatch set out to study relationships between land use, stream habitat, and stream biology in the Rivanna River basin. For more than two years, they collected stream organisms and habitat data at 51 sites. StreamWatch compared these data with land use. Their findings and reports can be found at their website: http://streamwatch.org/reports

POTPOURRI

Birds at Risk: Importance of Canada's Boreal Wetlands and Waterways

Nature Canada/NRDC/Boreal Songbird Initiative – October 2011
The boreal forest of Canada is a critical stronghold of our planet’s bird life, supporting large portions of the global population of many species. Billions of birds migrate to and from the boreal region and reproduce in the short boreal summers, largely because of the region’s abundant wetlands and undammed waterways. The prodigious number of insects hatched from the water, and creatures living in it, are staples of birds’ diets. This watery habitat provides shelter and nesting grounds as well as food for migrants. It has also, until recently, contributed to keeping industrial development in check. For more information, including a full report, visit: http://www.borealbirds.org/report-birdswater.shtml

This Week’s Creature Feature ... The Northern Snakehead

Bay Weekly – October 27, 2011
Since 2002, when the northern snakehead made its Chesapeake debut in a Crofton pond, it has been nothing but trouble. The pond was poisoned and drained. The species set up housekeeping in the Potomac and its tidal tributaries, whence it could eventually migrate to the Bay.  After all that trickery, who’d expect the snakehead to turn into a treat? For story, click here.

Enviro. group to release scariest Chesapeake facts, says bay is ghost of former self

By Associated Press – October 27, 2011 
The Chesapeake Bay is a ghost of its former self, and Environment America says it has 10 scary facts to prove it. The environmental group plans to release its list on Saturday, just in time for Halloween. Environment America says the list shows a terrifying concoction of nitrogen, phosphorous, and other pollutants have harmed the bay, causing oxygen-robbing algae blooms that harm water quality and key species. Environment America will release its list of facts on Saturday before Halloween. For article, visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/environmental-group-to-release-scariest-chesapeake-facts-says-bay-is-ghost-of-former-self/2011/10/27/gIQAHQFMLM_story.html For more information, visit: http://www.environmentamerica.org/

Soaking in the wetlands (story of poet Henry Lawson)

Sydney Morning Herald (AU) – October 22, 2011
Of the thousands of parched travellers who have been drawn to the Riverina town of Leeton in the past century, probably none has been more insightful, more warmly embraced or, indeed, more thirsty than the poet Henry Lawson. […] He writes, "The water is creeping, creeping (I can feel it and smell it), creeping along the channels and gutters, bringing life and prosperity to an old, dead land." For full story, go to: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/activity/great-outdoors/soaking-in-the-wetlands-20111019-1m7i5.html#ixzz1bzyxJvSs

The Case Against Global-Warming Skepticism

By Richard Muller – Wall Street Journal – October 21, 2011
Are you a global warming skeptic? There are plenty of good reasons why you might be. As many as 757 stations in the United States recorded net surface-temperature cooling over the past century. Many are concentrated in the southeast, where some people attribute tornadoes and hurricanes to warming. The temperature-station quality is largely awful. The most important stations in the U.S. are included in the Department of Energy's Historical Climatology Network. A careful survey of these stations by a team led by meteorologist Anthony Watts showed that 70% of these stations have such poor siting that, by the U.S. government's own measure, they result in temperature uncertainties of between two and five degrees Celsius or more. We do not know how much worse are the stations in the developing world. For full story, go to: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204422404576594872796327348.html#articleTabs_comments

As Danger Laps at Its Shores, Tuvalu Pleads for Action

By Amelia Krales - New York Times Green blog – October 18, 2011
Tuvalu, a small archipelago in the Pacific, is threatened by rising seas. It is on the front lines of the planet’s climate change debate. Current projections indicate that it will become unlivable within 50 years, resulting in an exodus and the erasure of a rich 3,000-year-old culture. In global climate forums, Tuvalu’s government has repeatedly hammered home the message that its 11,000 citizens have hardly contributed to the heat-trapping emissions that cause climate change yet are among the first to deal with the consequences. To read full story, click here.

Smithsonian: Western Science, Indigenous Voices & Climate Change

The symposium, Seeking Balance: Indigenous Knowledge, Western Science, and Climate Change, which took place at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian on October 4, 2011 in Washington, D.C., put a human face on the impacts that are already occurring around the world as a result of climate change.  Representatives from many of the 17 communities depicted in the Indigenous Voices on Climate Change Exhibit (July 22, 2011 - January 2, 2012) at the Museum gave presentations on panels represented by forest, mountain, and coastal regions.  Impacts shared with symposium participants included coastal communities being forced to relocate inland due to rising sea level in Papua New Guinea; the diminution of ecosystem services as a result of failed non-native tree plantations intended as carbon offsets in Ecuador.  For more information on the Indigenous Voices on Climate Change Exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., click here.  For a webcast of the October 4, 2011 symposium, click here.

Building buffers to climate change

By Sheree Bega - IOL SciTech - October 12, 2011
Dr. Jeanne Nel was not going to talk about the “doom and gloom” environmental messages of the consequences of climate change, or the need to become “greenies”. These messages tend to leave South Africans feeling hopeless, she believes. So instead Nel, a conservation biologist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, told her audience about how natural ecosystems in South Africa could be used to protect the country from some of the worst impacts of climate change. [...]  Until now, said Nel, the main focus on dealing with climate change has been on strategies to mitigate it by tackling the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, or through adaptation strategies that strive to reduce the vulnerability of “people and places” to its impacts.  But more and more, said Nel, an emerging focus is on ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change “by improving the resilience of landscapes”. This means using biodiversity and ecosystem services to cope with climate change and includes controlling invasive alien species, using wetlands to regulate floods, and revegetation for carbon storage.  For full article, click here.

Victims of EPA’s Wetland Exploitation Speak Out at Sen. Rand Paul’s Roundtable

By Jackie Moreau – “GlobalWarming.org” – October 17, 2011If there was ever a bully that deserved detention, it is the bureaucrats that run unchecked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  One only has to listen to the heartbreaking accounts of ordinary, innocent American citizens who have been treated like criminals by this rogue agency to get a sense of a Goliath crushing David into the ground.  Senator Rand Paul’s roundtable forum, “Property Wrongs: A Discussion with Victims of the U.S. Government’s Assault on Private Property,” held on October 12, 2011, gave folks who have been bullied by government agencies the chance to share their disheartening realities with the public. For full story, click here.

MEETINGS AND TRAINING

20th Annual ELI Eastern Boot Camp on Environmental Law

November 9-11, 2011 – Offices of K&L Gates, Washington, D.C. - The Environmental Law Institute has worked with senior practitioners to distill the substance and practice of environmental law into an intensive three-day program for new environmental attorneys working for the law firms, businesses, and nonprofit organizations affiliated with ELI's Professional, Corporate, and Public Interest Programs. This unique course will provide participants with a comprehensive examination of key environmental law and practice areas — paying particular attention to emerging issues in the law and in practice. No other course offers as much insight into the actual practice of environmental law. For more information and to register, visit: http://www.eli.org/Bootcamp/east_main.cfm

2011 Northeast Private Well Symposium

November 14-15, 2011. The 2011 Northeast Private Well Symposium will take place in Southbury, Connecticut. Numerous water quality experts from throughout the Northeast will present talks related to regional drinking water quality issues. For registration details and a full agenda, click here.

Coal and Water in Central Appalachia: The Challenge to Balance

Tuesday, November 15, 2011. This conference will be held at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, Blacksburg, Virginia. Invited speakers will provide perspectives on water-protection policies that affect mining operations. Technical presentations will address the influences of coal mining practices on total dissolved solids, selenium, aquatic biota, and hydrology of rivers and streams in the region. Symposium participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and contribute to group discussions. For more information, click here.

Climate Change in the Caribbean: Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands Conference

November 15-16, 2011. U.S. EPA, the Puerto Rico Coastal Zone Management Program, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and USDA Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry to Host Conference: Climate Change in the Caribbean: Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands at the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, School of Law. This free two-day conference will provide participants the opportunity to learn directly from experts in the field about climate change impacts and projections for the U.S. Caribbean, strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and steps that can be taken in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to increase resilience in the face of a changing climate. For more information on the conference, click here.

ASFPM’s 5th National Nonstructural Floodproofing Conference and Exposition 

Levees & Beyond: Making Wise Choices, ASFPM’s 5th National Nonstructural Floodproofing Conference and Exposition will be held on November 28-December 1, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency, Sacramento, California. Here, the nation’s top professionals and decision makers will convene to discuss the current state of nonstructural flood mitigation techniques, technologies and policies. For more information, click here.

New England Water Law and Policy Conference

This one day Eastern Water Law and Policy conference will be held on December 7, 2011 from 8:30 am-5:00 pm at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The conference will provide a great networking and information exchange opportunity. The program has been developed for local government officials, elected representatives, environmental attorneys, town & county planners, business owners, landowners, and environmental consultants in the New England region. It will provide state and federal regulatory updates and clarifications, information about current water issues and litigation, and cost effective groundwater protection strategies. The conference focus will be on legal and regulatory water resources issues (especially related to ground water) that are impacting (or have the potential to impact) citizens, communities, businesses and municipalities in the New England states. For program information in PDF, click here. To register, click here.

Fall 2011 DWQ 401, Riparian Buffers and Nutrient Management Strategy Workshop

December 9, 2011 – 9:30am – 3:30pm - Junior League of Raleigh, Center for Community Leadership 711 Hillsborough Street Raleigh, NC 27603 Registration Deadline: November 22, 2011. These workshops were developed to educate design professionals on North Carolina’s stormwater programs and its stream, wetland and riparian buffer rules. Attendees will learn about pertinent regulations, application processes and program updates directly from Division of Water Quality staff. For more information, visit: http://www.ncsu.edu/wrri/events/dwq/index.html

Biodiversity Without Boundaries 2012

April 22-26, 2012. Biodiversity without Boundaries will be held in Portland, Oregon and is an international training and education conference for the biodiversity science and conservation community. Leaders, planners, and practitioners representing federal, state, and provincial agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, and corporations come together for an unmatched experience of education, issue discussion, idea exchange, innovation sharing, and professional networking. The conference also features natural heritage methodology workshops and special topics focused on the region in which the event is held. Call for presentation deadline is November 15, 2011. To submit a proposal, click here. For more information, click here. 

Coastal Cities Summit II 2012

April 30 - May 3, 2012. The International Ocean Institute – USA will organize the Coastal Cities Summit II in St. Petersburg, Florida. This follows the first Coastal Cities Summit held 17-20 November, 2008, which successfully hosted approximately 250 participants from 19 U.S. states and 22 countries. Call for abstracts, proposals for workshop topics and panel presentations deadline is October 30, 2011, click here. For more information on this conference, click here.

River Rally 2012

May 4-7, 2012. An international gathering of the watershed conservation community River Rally 2012 will be held in Portland, Oregon. For more information, click here.

23rd Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference

NEIWPCC and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services announce the 23rd Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference to be held on May 15-16, 2012 at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Call for abstracts deadline is December 16, 2011. The conference brings together all those in New England and New York State involved in NPS pollution management, including participants from state, federal, and municipal governments, private sector, academia, and watershed organizations. For more information, click here. For information on submitting an abstract, click here.

Fish Passage 2012 - Call for Abstracts

June 5-7, 2012. The 2nd National Conference on Engineering & Ecohydrology for Fish Passage will be held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This conference promises to be an important national forum for researchers and practitioners to exchange findings and experiences on fish passage issues. Fish Passage 2012 will be of interest to researchers, educators, practitioners, funders, and regulators who have an interest in advancements in technical fishways, nature-like fishways, stream restoration and stabilization, dam removal, road ecology, and the myriad of funding, safety, climate change, and other social issues surrounding connectivity projects. Abstracts for Oral Presentations due March 1, 2012. To submit an abstract, click here. For more information, click here. 

EcoSummit 2012 - Ecological Sustainability 

4th International EcoSummit 2012: Ecological Sustainability: Restoring the Planet’s Ecosystem Services will be held on September 30 - October 5, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio. EcoSummit 2012 will bring together the world's most respected minds in ecological science to discuss restoring the planet's ecosystems. Call for Abstracts deadline is January 20, 2012, for information, click here. For conference information, click here.

JOBS

There are new jobs posted on the Wetlands Job board. For the latest wetland jobs, go here: http://aswm.org/news/jobs-a-training-opportunities

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The Association of State Wetland Managers' Wetland Breaking News is a monthly e-newsletter. Wetland Breaking News is an edited compilation of wetland-related stories and announcements submitted by readers and gleaned from listservs, press releases and news sources from throughout the United States. The e-newsletter features legislative, national and state news relevant to wetland science and policy, wetland regulations and legal analysis of Supreme court cases; it also links to new publications and resources available to wetland professionals as well as events and training opportunities for those working in water resources and related fields. Wetland Breaking News has been published for over ten years and ASWM has been a think-tank and source for wetland science and policy news and discussion for over 25 years.

The items presented in Wetland Breaking News do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or of the Association of State Wetland Managers. Send your news items, comments, corrections, or suggestions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

"WETLAND BREAKING NEWS" Compiled and Edited by: Leah Stetson, ASWM; Executive Director: Jeanne Christie, ASWM

Association of State Wetland Managers, 32 Tandberg Trail, Ste. 2A, Windham, ME 04062. Telephone: 207-892-3399 Fax: 207-892-3089