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- WI: Wetland or Wasteland?
- Renewing America’s commitment to clean water
- The Compleat Wetlander: Are Wetlands Saving Us from a Changing Climate?
- CBF: New USDA standards to help farmers, waterways
- Southeast Facilities Ordered to Comply with Clean Water Act; Costs of Restoration and Civil Penalties Total Nearly $1 Million
- NDSU Professor Named Editor of Wetlands Journal
- Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces $50 Million for Gulf Coast Restoration
- KS: Wetlands topic of Kansas Natural Resource Conference
- TN: Public can comment on Breland project ... after the fact
- CA: Wetland Restoration Project near completion
- MD: Men at work: Recreating what nature used to do (Living shorelines)
- PA: Comments now being sought on proposed pipeline upgrades
- LA: Trustees approve projects to restore wetlands, rebuild oyster beds using BP money
- WA: County planning commission mulls Birch Bay wetland mitigation program
- OH: Ohio Must Keep Vigilant to Make Sure Destroyed Wetlands and Streams are Being Replaced
- WI: Milwaukee Riverkeeper Weighs in Against Mining Bill
- IA: Lime Creek and Winnebago Oxbow Habitat Project restores wetlands/prairie
- UT: Go Birding: Tundra swans migrating through Great Salt Lake wetlands
- NJ: Gov. Christie recognizes conservation group for its work at Burlington County nature preserve
- MA: DEP fines builder $200K: ‘Blatant' blow to wetlands
- ID: Property owners tangle with EPA over wetland
- MD: State Fines So. Marylanders for Alleged Water Pollution Violations
- MA: Assault on invasive plant waged anew
- FL: Bob Graham: Florida lawmakers 'reversed 40 years of Florida's progress in water and land conservation'
- MD: Another tiff brews over Constellation ash landfill
- ME: Conservationists Fight Plan to Loosen Maine Wetland Regulations
- Wetland Restoration & Construction – A Technical Guide
- Deal or No Deal for Peatlands in Durban
- Sounding the Waters: Is the Bay Area Prepared for Sea Level Rise?
- Human Impacts in Estuaries Damage Carbon Sink Potential
- NC: Students Wow Judges With Wonderful Wetland Posters
- Dead zones decline in Chesapeake Bay
- Restoring the Gulf: difficult and expensive
- Wetlands provide backdrop for films
- Webinar: 2012 Wetland Status and Trends
- Wetland Delineation and Regional Supplement Training
- Webinar: Family Farms, Rural Landscapes, and the Farm Bill
- Social Science for Coastal Decision-Making
- 2012 Delaware Wetlands Conference
- Call for Abstracts: Environmental Restoration of Climate Change
- Biodiversity Informatics Training Workshop
- SWCS Annual Conference
EDITOR'S NOTEDear friends and colleagues, Good tidings! It took me three months to stack a cord of wood—counting the four weeks of November while I was miserably sick but I’m glad I completed the task. In high school, an English teacher gave me the nickname of “Ms. Thoreau” and it caught on in my other classes, even during roll call. My pedantic writing was probably influenced by Hawthorne, my teacher lamented, but I was truly Thoreauvian in my arguments. At the time, I had glamorous designs to study sharks and live on a remote island, immersing myself in another culture, Margaret Mead-style. But life is funny. I live alone in the Maine woods, record observations of wildlife and admire my half-obscured view of the pond as it begins to freeze. Mine is a sublime sanctuary punctuated by the call of a wild dog, or coyote, or my own dog’s silly antics. When I get home from work, I build a fire and chuckle to myself that Mr. Murphy saw something Thoreauvian in my nature, too, that I didn’t expect to manifest as it did. It’s a quiet little life that inspired this holiday wetland poem, “Winter Solstice in the Wetlands.” I hope you enjoy it.
ASWM has published a new webpage to help State legislators and their staff better understand wetland issues ranging from policy to property rights, watershed management and water quality standards, to wetlands protection and restoration. This webpage provides a number of useful fact-sheets and articles that could be applicable in educating local government officials, too. It is found on the ASWM website under “I am a Legislator.” The Association of State Wetland Managers would like to thank the Orchard Foundation for its generous support in making these webpages possible.
Blessings for a peaceful Christmas and good wishes for the new year. See you in 2012! Leah Stetson
Editor, Wetland Breaking News
EDITOR'S CHOICEWI: Wetland or Wasteland?
By Bill Lueders – The Daily Page – December 15, 2011
Call it Bud Harris' theory of environmental relativity. The professor emeritus of natural and applied sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has found that when people look at the Bergstrom wetland, "They see what they want to see," depending on their perspective. For wetland experts like Harris, the little patch of land less than a mile down the road from the stadium that hosts the world champion Green Bay Packers is a rare and valuable resource that provides environmental benefits while supporting a rich array of flora and fauna. To others, including members of the state Legislature, it's an obstacle in the way of job creation, a sadly degraded patch of wasted opportunity. For full article, go to: http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=35464
Renewing America’s commitment to clean water
By Jan Goldman-Carter – The Hill blog – December 14, 2011
Nearly forty years ago, Republicans and Democrats passed the Clean Water Act to keep our river, lakes, streams and wetlands from becoming open sewers and garbage dumps that burned from a whirlpool of nasty chemicals. Lawmakers understood clean water meant healthy people, a healthy economy and a healthy environment. Ultimately, they also understood that these factors ensured a stronger country. Protecting clean water wasn’t controversial – it was commonsense. For full blog post, go to: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-a-environment/199447-renewing-americas-commitment-to-clean-water
The Compleat Wetlander: Are Wetlands Saving Us from a Changing Climate?
By Jeanne Christie – The Compleat Wetlander – December 13, 2011
It is a good news~bad news week for wetlands and climate change following the close of the Durban Climate Change Summit. The good news is that for the first time there is an incentive for restoring and protecting peatlands included in an international agreement addressing climate change. For full blog post, visit: http://aswm.org/wordpress/the-compleat-wetlander-are-wetlands-saving-us-from-a-changing-climate/
CBF: New USDA standards to help farmers, waterways
By Associated Press - Delmarvanow.com – December 13, 2011
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation says new federal agriculture recommendations for fertilizer and manure application will lead to better water quality in rivers and streams while also helping farmers increase profits. A new standard for the waterway comes as Maryland environmental officials back off plans to meet bay restoration goals ahead of other states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the new nutrient management standard on Tuesday. The standard will be used by the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service to help farmers and ranchers apply fertilizer and manure more efficiently. The release of the new standard follows assessments in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Upper Mississippi River basin, and the Great Lakes basin. For full article, go to: http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20111213/NEWS01/111213024/CBF-New-USDA-standards-help-farmers-waterways For more information on nutrient management and standards, visit: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/landuse/crops/npm
Southeast Facilities Ordered to Comply with Clean Water Act; Costs of Restoration and Civil Penalties Total Nearly $1 Million
Contact: Davina Marraccini – EPA News Release – December 8, 2011
Over the past fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2010 to Sept. 30, 2011), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 has cited 16 entities throughout the Southeast for depositing dredged and/or fill material into waters of the United States in violation of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Such unauthorized discharges threaten water quality and damage habitats. As part of the settlements, the responsible parties in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina will spend an estimated $672,000 on restoration and monitoring activities. Four entities in Florida and Georgia were additionally assessed a total of $320,500 in civil penalties. For full press release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/f1650b8ffcee35f0852579600053e91e?OpenDocument
NDSU Professor Named Editor of Wetlands Journal
North Dakota State University – December 2, 2011
Dr. Marinus Otte, professor of biological sciences at North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D., USA, has been named the new Editor-in-Chief of Wetlands, (http://www.sws.org/wetlands/) an international scientific journal. The Society of Wetland Scientists Board and Executive announced the appointment, which begins immediately and extends to 2016. Dr. Otte succeeds Dr. Darold Batzer who served as Editor-in-Chief from 2006 to 2011. For full story, go to: http://www.newswise.com/articles/ndsu-professor-named-editor-of-wetlands-journal
NATIONAL NEWSAgriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces $50 Million for Gulf Coast Restoration
USDA News Release - December 5, 2011
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is launching an innovative water and wildlife conservation effort along the Gulf Coast of the United States. This action is part of the Obama Administration's efforts through its Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force. The Task Force today released its final strategy for long term ecosystem restoration for the Gulf Coast. "The Obama Administration is committed to ensuring our coasts are healthy and resilient," Vilsack said. "Helping agricultural producers voluntarily improve the health of their land will sustain and enhance the production of food and fiber, while also improving water quality upon which communities depend. This initiative also will benefit the estuaries, fisheries and wildlife so integral to jobs and the economy in the Gulf." For full press release, click here. STATE NEWSKS: Wetlands topic of Kansas Natural Resource Conference
The Pratt Tribune - December 16, 2011
"This is the fifth year for the Kansas Natural Resource Conference," said Jessica Mounts, steering committee chairperson. "The conference presents a unique opportunity for natural resource professionals from all areas of conservation to get together." This year's plenary session will feature speakers to discuss "Wetlands: the Jewels of Kansas." "Interested
individuals should find that the conference speakers, concurrent sessions, and tradeshow will provide a variety of information about many natural resource topics, including the many aspects of wetlands," Mounts said. "A job fair has been added for those interested."
http://www.pratttribune.com/news/agriculture/x760075657/Wetlands-topic-of-Kansas-Natural-Resource-Conference
TN: Public can comment on Breland project ... after the fact
By Adam Smith – The News Courier – December 15, 2011
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comments regarding Huntsville-based Breland Companies’ discharge of fill material into a Limestone County wetland area. Whereas most calls for comments occur before the scope of work is completed, the public notice issued on Dec. 7 is an after-the-fact notice, meaning there’s little that can be done to reverse the work. The notice says Breland Companies discharged the material into 1.34 acres of wetlands for the construction of Phase III of the Ashbury subdivision in Madison-annexed portions of Limestone County. The wetlands were adjacent to an unnamed tributary of Hardiman Branch, a tributary to Beaverdam Creek, which is a perennial tributary to the Tennessee River. For full story, go to: http://enewscourier.com/local/x818655264/Public-can-comment-on-Breland-project-after-the-fact
CA: Wetlands restoration project nearing completion
By Karen Billing – Del Mar Times – December 14, 2011
Fish, fowl and trail users are flocking to the San Dieguito Lagoon, where the five-year wetlands restoration project is finally winding down. The restoration has allowed for the community to have a real asset, safe from development where native species can again thrive in their wetlands and marshland habitats, according to Natalie Borchardt, a park ranger with the San Dieguito River Park JPA. For full story, go to: http://www.delmartimes.net/2011/12/13/wetlands-restoration-project-nearing-completion/
MD: Men at work: Recreating what nature used to do (Living shorelines) By Tom Zolper – Chesapeake Bay Foundation blog – December 14, 2011
Like so many streets in Annapolis, Parkwood Avenue terminates at a creek. But something unusual is happening where Parkway meets Back Creek. An indication of that is the sight of a Hitachi earth excavator piling up boulders just off the shore. The residents of Parkwood Civic Association, a community of modest homes and tree-lined streets that slope to Back Creek, have decided to build a “living shoreline” along their waterfront. For full blog post, click here.
PA: Comments now being sought on proposed pipeline upgrades
By Greg Little – Wayne Independent – December 14, 2011
Comments are now being sought from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concerning the proposed upgrade of the natural gas pipeline owned and operated by Tennessee Gas Pipeline. The proposal impacts portions of Wayne and Pike counties in this region. The company has submitted to the Crops a permit application for wetland and waterway crossings associated with the Northeast Upgrade Project (NEU) in Pennsylvania. The proposal consists of five separate loops totaling more than 21 miles in northeastern Pennsylvania and more than 18 miles in New Jersey. For full story, go to: http://www.wayneindependent.com/features/x760075150/Comments-now-being-sought-on-proposed-pipeline-upgrades
LA: Trustees approve projects to restore wetlands, rebuild oyster beds using BP money
By Mark Schleifstein - The Times-Picayune – December 14, 2011
In a small nibble at what is expected to be a very large apple, federal and state officials announced approval Wednesday of the first $57 million for projects to reverse the damage caused by the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, including $28 million for Louisiana projects. Louisiana's share will build more than 100 acres of wetlands in Plaquemines Parish, place oyster cultch on six public seed beds in several parishes, and upgrade an oyster hatchery on Grand Isle. For full story, go to: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/12/trustees_approve_projects_to_r.html
WA: County planning commission mulls Birch Bay wetland mitigation program
by Jeremy Schwartz – The Northern Light – December 14, 2011
Landowners in Birch Bay could have more environmentally friendly options open to them when building on their land, but Whatcom County’s planning commissioners still think the proposed program needs tweaking. The core of the voluntary program is a collection of incentives available to developers who utilize low-impact development practices, such as preserving trees and forestland and protecting wetlands and streams, senior county planner Peter Gill said. The incentives would include an accelerated permitting process and the option to pay a fee instead of improving wetlands on-site. For full story, go to: http://www.thenorthernlight.com/news/article.exm/2011-12-14_county_planning_commission_mulls_birch_bay_wetland_mitigation_program
OH: Ohio Must Keep Vigilant to Make Sure Destroyed Wetlands and Streams are Being Replaced By Trent A. Dougherty – Ohio Environmental Law Center Blog – December 13, 2011
The first three installments of the Ohio Environmental Law Center’s Series on the State of Clean Water Act enforcement in Ohio has been focused on the large number of NPDES discharge violations. Yet, there is another big problem facing the Ohio EPA’s enforcement process – acres of wetlands and thousands of linear feet of streams being filled, requiring mitigation, but mitigation projects not being constructed. In fact, when we asked Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water management what were the big enforcement issues facing Ohio EPA — lack of mitigation second only to the great number pollutant discharge violations. For full blog post, go to: http://ohioenvirolawcenter.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/ohio-must-keep-vigilent-to-make-sure-destroyed-wetlands-and-streams-are-being-replaced/
WI: Milwaukee Riverkeeper Weighs in Against Mining Bill
By James Rowen – The Political Environment – December 13, 2011
Here’s a cogent explanation of the unprecedented problems embedded in the Assembly’s fast-tracked bill to fast-track mining and cause widespread degradation of the state’s publicly-managed waterways – - up to and including re-routing rivers or filling wetlands, without public hearings. For full blog post, go to:http://thepoliticalenvironment.blogspot.com/2011/12/milwaukee-riverkeeper-weighs-in-against.html For a related article, Assembly Republicans unveil bill to streamline permitting, go to: http://host.madison.com/news/local/environment/assembly-republicans-unveil-bill-to-streamline-mine-permitting/article_9a05d8a4-21c0-11e1-855a-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1gRFzx5PG
IA: Lime Creek and Winnebago Oxbow Habitat Project restores wetlands/prairie
By Mike Webb – Globe Gazette – December 11, 2011
The Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board (CGCCB) is continuing with habitat improvements projects at the Lime Creek Conservation Area and The Winnebago Oxbow Wildlife Area. Previously, four additional wetlands were created at these areas. Three new wetlands totaling 4 acres were developed at the Lime Creek area and one wetland totaling 3 acres was developed at Winnebago Oxbow. The next habitat improvement phase will be the conversion of cool season vegetation to more desirable prairie vegetation at each location. The Lime Creek project will involve planting 20 acres of prairie vegetation while 10 acres of prairie vegetation will be planted at Winnebago Oxbow. The cool season vegetation is being replaced as its value to wildlife is much lower than prairie vegetation. For full story, go to: http://globegazette.com/news/local/lime-creek-and-winnebago-oxbow-habitat-project-restores-wetlands-prairie/article_4cf0c27a-246a-11e1-a94f-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1giZ1B69K
UT: Go Birding: Tundra swans migrating through Great Salt Lake wetlands
By Kristin Purdy – Standard-Examiner – December 12, 2011
Tundra Swans are moving through Great Salt Lake's ecosystem by the tens of... I was walking my daughter's dog near sunset one afternoon a couple Sundays ago when the distant cries of fans at a ball game wafted to me: "Who-whoo! Oo-ooo! Who!" This was an excited group, cheering constantly, their cries overlapping. For full story, go to: http://www.xploreutah.net/story/tundra-swans-migrating-through-great-salt-lake-wetlands
NJ: Gov. Christie recognizes conservation group for its work at Burlington County nature preserve By Lee Procida – Press of Atlantic City – December 8, 2011
When the New Jersey Conservation Foundation bought 9,400 acres of forest and wetlands in the heart of the Pinelands in 2003, it was the largest private land acquisition in New Jersey’s history.
Now the group is promoting its Franklin Parker Preserve as an unrivaled network of nature paths and observation platforms for the public’s enjoyment, having completed more than $1 million worth of work to restore the picturesque property. For full story, go to: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/gov-chris-christie-recognizes-conservation-group-for-its-work-at/article_fdad137a-2208-11e1-8722-0019bb2963f4.html
MA: DEP fines builder $200K: ‘Blatant' blow to wetlands
By Karen Nugent – Telegram & Gazette – December 8, 2011
Developer James L. Xarras and two realty trusts have 60 days to pay a $200,000 fine for clear-cutting 100 acres for a subdivision five years ago and damaging bordering wetlands, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Martha Coakley said yesterday. Mr. Xarras, N.M.J. Realty Trust, Learned Hand Realty Trust, and trustees Margot Xarras and Debra Delaney were fined by the state Department of Environmental Protection and ordered to pay for illegally hiring timber harvesters for the proposed 251-home Crown Point development off Legate Hill Road on the Sterling line. For full story, go to: http://www.telegram.com/article/20111208/NEWS/112089626/1237
ID: Property owners tangle with EPA over wetland
By John Miller – Associated Press/Spokesman Review – December 6, 2011
An Environmental Protection Agency dispute with a North Idaho man over whether he illegally destroyed a wetland has attracted the attention of Gov. Butch Otter and U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador – and again made North Idaho a focal point of concern among some residents who feel they’ve become victims of a heavy-handed federal government. Priest Lake-area property owner Jack Barron successfully fought off a criminal indictment last year. A jury declared him not guilty in U.S. District Court of violating the federal Clean Water Act, but Barron still faces a separate EPA civil order to restore wetlands he filled in on his property – or be forced to pay $37,500 daily fines. For full story, go to: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/dec/06/property-owners-tangle-with-epa-over-wetland/
MD: State Fines So. Marylanders for Alleged Water Pollution Violations
Southern Maryland Online – December 3, 2011
The Maryland Department of the Environment recently announced three major enforcement actions for alleged violations of MDE requirements for water and wetlands against individuals or entities in the tri-county area. For full story, go to: http://somd.com/news/headlines/2011/14682.shtml
MA: Assault on invasive plant waged anew
by John Macone – Newburyport News – December 3, 2011
The war on a pernicious plant that has been overtaking local salt marshes entered a new stage this fall, as a coalition of groups experimented with herbicides and retrofitted ski trail grooming equipment in an effort to beat it back. Phragmites (pronounced frag-might-eze), has been spreading through the marshes for decades, said local wetlands experts. The invasive European or African plant grows up to 8 feet tall in dense groves that kill native plants that have inhabited the marsh for millennia. For full story, go to: http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x910013476/Assault-on-invasive-plant-waged-anew
FL: Bob Graham: Florida lawmakers 'reversed 40 years of Florida's progress in water and land conservation'
By Mary Ellen Klas – Tampa Bay Times – December 1, 2011
Surrounded by environmental officials who served under previous governors, former Gov. Bob Graham forcefully urged Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday to reverse the environmental damage done by lawmakers in the last legislative session and "now lead." In a rare rebuke, Graham said the 2011 Legislature "reversed 40 years of Florida's progress in water and land conservation." For full story, go to: http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/bob-graham-florida-lawmakers-reversed-40-years-of-floridas-progress-in/1204230
MD: Another tiff brews over Constellation ash landfill
By Tim Wheeler – B’More Green – December 1, 2011
A new dust-up is brewing over the coal-ash landfill on Hawkins Point in South Baltimore. Nearby residents, who waged a vain fight to keep power plant waste out of the landfill, now are girding to oppose a proposal to expand it. Constellation Energy recently began dumping ash there from its three local coal-burning plants, Brandon Shores, H.A. Wagner and C.P. Crane. Meanwhile, the company has applied to the Maryland Department of the Environment for a permit to operate the disposal site and to expand it, bulldozing an acre of wetlands in the process. For full blog, go to: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/green/2011/12/constellation_seeks_to_expand.html
ME: Conservationists Fight Plan to Loosen Maine Wetland Regulations
By A.J. Higgins – Maine Public Radio – December 1, 2011
The Maine Board of Environmental Protection has been handed another contentious issue: This time the seven-member panel must decide whether it makes sense to relax rules governing some development around wetlands. Wildlife conservationists say the proposed new rules endanger waterfowl and wading bird habitat. But real estate developers, excavating contractors and some business owners want to be allowed to use larger tracts of their property near wetlands without being subjected to a full state environmental review. For full story, go to: http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/19209/Default.aspx For related testimony/comments submitted, see: http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=4493 For related article, “BEP scrutinizes plan to expedite wetlands permitting,” go to: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/state/2011/12/16/bep-scrutinizes-plan-expedite-wetlands-permitting/1128639
RESOURCES & PUBLICATIONSWetland Restoration and Construction-A Technical Guide
By Thomas R. Biebighauser, 2011 published by The Wetland Trust
Clear, logical, step-by-step instructions explain how to design and build naturally- appearing and functioning wetlands for wildlife and fish habitat, cleaning run off, replacing groundwater, and preventing flooding. Biebighauser reveals practices used to restore over 1,400 wetlands in 18 states and two Canadian provinces, answering questions asked by thousands of who have taken the hands-on wetland restoration workshops he has taught across North America. Find this book on the Wetland Bookshelf, here: http://www.aswm.org/wetlands/wetland-bookshelf/1333-wetland-science-ecology-books#biebighauser
WETLAND SCIENCEDeal or No Deal for Peatlands in Durban
By Susanna Tol, from the UN Climate Summit in Durban
Wetlands International is in Durban to advocate for emissions reductions through the conservation of undisturbed peatlands as well as the rewetting of drained peat areas. Unfortunately, the negotiations on the rules for emissions reductions from land use that causes peatland drainage, such as forestry and cropland management under the follow up of the Kyoto Protocol, is not looking positive at this point. Strongly supported proposals on the table would allow countries to hide emissions from logging and only include voluntary accounting for emissions from other land uses that result in emissions. This includes the drainage of peat soils. Wetlands International campaigns for all significant sources of emissions to be mandatorily accounted for in the land use sector and no logging loopholes; therewith creating incentives to reduce emissions. For full blog post, click here. Sounding the Waters: Is the Bay Area Prepared for Sea Level Rise?
By ClimateWatch Correspondent - KQED News - December 8, 2011
Sea level rise will irrevocably change life near the San Francisco Bay. That’s the premise of RISE: Climate Change and Coastal Communities, a documentary that starts airing this week on KQED Public Radio. Producer Claire Schoen sets the stage on a personal note. I confess that their complaint has some validity: I can bring up the topic of climate change in pretty much any conversation. But really, what other topic is there? I do care deeply about war, immigration and famine. But all of these are affected by climate change which is a major cause of increasing drought, which in turn will create more and more wars to be fought over less and less arable land, pushing greater numbers of people to become environmental migrants the world over. This is not science fiction. And it is not the future. It is happening right now and it is being meticulously measured. For full piece, go to: http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2011/12/08/sounding-the-waters-is-the-bay-area-prepared-for-sea-level-rise/
Human Impacts in Estuaries Damage Carbon Sink Potential
By Steve Emmett-Mattox - Restore America's Estuaries - December 1, 2011
A new research article in Global Change Biology, "Paleoreconstruction of estuarine sediments reveal human-induced weakening of coastal carbon sinks," reports that human impacts have reduced the carbon sink potential of coastal ecosystems. "We have effectively gone back in time and monitored carbon capture and storage by coastal ecosystems, finding a 100-fold weakening in the ability of coastal ecosystems to sequester carbon since the time of European settlement. This severely hampered the ability of nature to reset the planet's thermostat." said Dr. Peter Macreadie, University of Technology, Sydney Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow. The Scientists used core samples from Botany Bay in Sydney to reconstruct the sedimentation changes in the past 6000 years, highlighting the changes in the ecology. The plant samples in the sedimentation changed as rapid industrialisation occurred around Botany Bay during the 1950s. "Unfortunately, this outcome is common to urbanized estuaries throughout the world, therefore the study adds further support for the inclusion of Blue Carbon habitats (seagrasses, saltmarshes, and mangroves) in greenhouse gas abatement schemes," concluded Dr. Peter Macreadie. (source). To go to article or to leave a comment, click here. POTPOURRINC: Students Wow Judges With Wonderful Wetland Posters
By Bill Poston – Wake Public School News – December 15, 2011
The Friends of Wake Soil and Water Conservation District honored 10 fifth-grade Wake County students as winners of the “Wetlands Are Wonderful” poster contest at the 46th Annual Conservation Awards Celebration on Dec. 8. Judges found the students’ posters outstanding for balancing accurate science and original artwork, while illustrating different types of NC wetlands, describing the benefits wetlands provide people and the environment, and showing ways people are protecting them from being harmed, altered or destroyed. For full story, go to: http://www.wcpss.net/announcements2/2011/12/students-wow-judges-with-wonderful-wetland-posters/
Dead zones decline in Chesapeake bay
By Meghan Russell – Southern Maryland News – December 14, 2011
Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts appear to be working, according to a study released recently analyzing 60 years of water quality data. The study, conducted by Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, found that statewide measures to reduce the flow of fertilizers, animal waste and other bay watershed pollutants have worked to reduce the size of mid- to late-summer oxygen-starved “dead zones,” areas where plants and water animals cannot live, in deep channels of the bay. These dead zones have been on the decline since the 1980s, when the state and federal government started the Chesapeake Bay Program, aimed at cutting nutrient pollution and restoring water quality and the health of the bay. For full story, go to: http://www.somdnews.com/article/20111214/NEWS/712149823/1057/dead-zones-decline-in-bay&template=southernMaryland
Restoring the Gulf: difficult and expensive
By Opinion Staff – Houston Chronicle – December 13, 2011
A week ago Monday, a federal-state task force laid out a sweeping new initiative to restore the environmental integrity of the Gulf Coast area after years of abuse and neglect. Its goals include improving marine habitat protections, better water quality, and rebuilding the shrinking Mississippi Delta wetlands, which comprise about 25 percent of the nation's wetlands. The same day, the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi began a four-day summit meeting in Houston. For full opinion article, go to: http://www.chron.com/opinion/editorials/article/Restoring-the-Gulf-difficult-and-expensive-2400930.php
Wetlands provide backdrop for films
By Ann Mazzaferro – Calavera Enterprise – December 13, 2011
A documentary filmmaker from Angels Camp will have his film seen by viewers across northern California this weekend. Long-time Angels Camp resident Greg White will be debuting his documentary, "Wetlands Gone Wild," at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on KVIE2 (Channel 190 for Comcast users). Focusing on wildlife observed on man-made wetlands across the San Joaquin Valley, "Wetlands Gone Wild" was compiled from footage shot between the winter of 2009 and January of 2011. This is not the first documentary that White has aired on KVIE. His 1975 film, "Exploring Lime-stone Caves" and his 1989 film "Wild Sierra" also aired on PBS and KVIE outlets, as well as being shown in classrooms to educate students on the natural world around them. For full story, go to: http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/article_b297cc30-25b0-11e1-9216-0019bb2963f4.html
MEETINGS AND TRAININGWebinar: 2012 Wetland Status and Trends
The Swamp School is pleased to announce that it will be sponsoring this webinar on the 2012 Wetland Status and Trends Conference on January 10, 2012 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. The new year starts with some major announcements regarding wetland identification and regulation. This conference will present the latest updates to the wetland delineation approaches as well as news on the changes to the Clean Water Act and Jurisdictional Determinations. If you are a teacher, property manager, plant manager, engineer, surveyor, developer, architect, scientist, utility manager, geologist, environmental scientist, real estate agent, or anyone else whose interest is in land development you need to participate in this conference! For more information, click here.
Wetland Delineation and Regional Supplement Training
January 16-20, 2012 – Fort Meyers, FL. For more information, visit: http://SwampSchool.org
Webinar: Family Farms, Rural Landscapes, and the Farm Bill
January 18, 2012, 01:30pm - 03:00pm. This webinar, Family Farms, Rural Landscapes, and the Farm is hosted by The Horinko Group’s Water Division, will explore some of the issues and opportunities tied to moving our nation forward on a path of sustainable agriculture practices, while strengthening small family farms and diversifying rural economies to foster more livable rural communities. For more information on this webinar, click here. To register, click here.
Social Science for Coastal Decision-Making
February 15-16, 2012. Join the NOAA Coastal Services Center as they host the first Social Coast Forum in Charleston, South Carolina. The Social Coast Forum is your opportunity to hear from both coastal managers and social scientists and discuss ways to integrate social science into coastal decision-making. For more information, click here.
2012 Delaware Wetlands Conference
Wednesday, February 29, 2012. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will hold their 2012 Wetlands Conference: Protecting Our Communities & Coasts for the Future at the Dover Downs Hotel in Dover, Delaware. Call for abstracts deadline is January 6, 2012. The goal of this conference is to join scientists, decision makers, and natural resource managers to share current research on the value of Delaware's wetland services and the impact their management has on the community, tidal and non-tidal wetlands, and the effects of sea level rise. For more information, click here. Call for Abstracts: Environmental Restoration of Climate Change
May 22-24, 2012. The Tahoe Science Consortium and Sierra Nevada College will host the 2012 Tahoe Science Conference on the scenic campus of Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, Nevada. The theme of the Conference will be “Environmental Restoration in a Changing Climate.” Lake Tahoe and many other high alpine lakes around the world are being increasingly stressed by climatic changes and urban development. Compounding these factors are economic stresses on government agencies, local communities, the environmental community and the public. The 2012 Tahoe Science Conference will encourage creative dialogue among scientists, artists, environmental managers, public officials, and the general public about how to protect high alpine ecosystems under changing environmental and social climates. Call for abstract deadline is Tuesday, January 17, 2012. For more information, click here.
Biodiversity Informatics Training Workshop
June 24-30, 2012. To Saturday, June 30, 2012Call for applications for VertNet’s first biodiversity informatics workshop: Biodiversity Informatics Training Workshop (BITW) to be held at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado. This workshop will provide participants with the training and experience to work with primary biodiversity data sources and new tools necessary to become proficient in biodiversity informatics and conduct biodiversity research. Led by experienced informaticians and researchers, the BITW will emphasize the use and analysis of aggregated biodiversity data from VertNet, and other sources, for a wide of variety of research.
Acceptance to the BITW is a competitive process and the workshop is limited to 25 participants. All applications materials and recommendations must be received by 11:59 pm PT on January 10, 2012 for consideration. Accepted participants will be notified in March 2012. Individuals selected for participation will receive support to cover reasonable costs for transportation, accommodations, and per diem. Accommodations will be provided on the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) campus. For more information, click here.
SWCS Annual Conference
July 22-25, 2012. The 67th International Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference Choosing Conservation: Considering Ecology, Economics, and Ethics will be held in Fort Worth, Texas. The conference includes workshops, concurrent sessions, symposia, posters, plenary sessions, and technical tours designed to raise the awareness of conference participants to recent developments in the science and art of natural resource conservation and environmental management on working land — the largely privately-owned land comprising working farms, ranches, forests, and rural and urban communities. For more 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
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
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"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
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