INDEX:
---EDITOR'S NOTE---

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

Activists Face High Hurdles In Forcing EPA To Withdraw Wetlands Guide

Corps Begins Process of Identifying Lead District in each State to Address Program Consistency

Corps NJDS Posted; Tell Congress To Support CWARA

Bush Vs. Kerry: Exclusive Interview in Outdoor Life Magazine

Wetland Professionals Platform Launched

Panel Abandons Wetlands Law Repeal Plan After Governor Intervenes

Fort Belknap Indian Community Members Receive EPA Award

Proposed Hydro Rules Enshrines Energy Political Industry Access

---NATIONAL UPDATES---

$70 Million In Grants Support Land Acquisition And Conservation Planning For Endangered Species

Agreement Signed for Multi-Species Conservation Program on Lower Colorado River

Extinct Species Take Others Along, Study Finds

Bush Administration Appeals Mountaintop Removal Ruling

NAWCA Funding for Wetlands Projects, Additions to National Wildlife Refuges

Bush Officials Order Rewrite Of Protected Seabird Report

---LEGISLATIAVE NEWS---

Natural Resources Defense Council's LEGISLATIVE WATCH, 9/23/04

Country "Cannot Afford To Wait Any Longer" For Drought Preparedness Law

---STATES NEWS---  

MI: Agency to Designate Habitat for Dragonfly

NRCS, Pokagon Tribe to Restore Indiana Wetland

CA: EPA Settles Wetlands Enforcement Case In Tulare County AZ: Chandler Unveils Plans For $8 Mil Wetlands Park

MD: State Wildlife Official Pushes Notion that Beautiful Mute Swan Can Be a Beast

MI: Humbug Marsh Protection Completed

New National Wildlife Refuge is Colorado's Largest

VA: Judge Rules Against Conservation Groups In Wetlands Suit

NY: Dreams Park Will Make $250,000 Environmental Benefit Donation

NY: Amended Wetland Maps for Westchester County

Bay States More Than Half-Way To New Wetlands Goals

EPA Virginia State Office Awarded Grant To Develop Wetland Monitoring Program

---PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES---

New Online Publications on Northeast Wetlands Available From USFWS

An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century Final Report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy

International Joint Commission Report on Great Lakes Water Quality Issued

EPA Releases Two New Wetland Fact Sheets

New Mexico District Is Out To Get The "Guzzler" [Salt Cedar]

Measuring The Success Of Conservation Programs

World Wetland Day (WWD) Materials Ready for Distribution mid-October 2004

Weevil Wreaks Havoc on Giant Salvinia

Snakehead In Your Inbox? Welcome To The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Alert System

Proceedings: Restoring Fish and Wildlife in Michigan's Great Lakes Areasof Concern

---POTPOURRI---

ESA SEEDS Program to Visit National Wetlands Research Center

The Bill Comes Due For Our Life In Sunshine

---EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES---

Wetland Ecologist - Southeast USA

Senior Scientist - Stone Mountain, Georgia

Environmental Scientist - NC

Soil Scientist - NC PRBO's Wetlands Ecology Division Seeks GIS Specialist

---MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES---

For a rolling calendar of meeting, conferences, and other events visit the ASWM calendar.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear friends and colleagues,

We launched my daughter's elementary school debut earlier this month.  Her grandparents and Aunt Toni joined us to send her off on the school bus the first day (an event that involved one still camera and two video cameras). It is important occasions like this that cause me to pause and reflect on the events of the past five years . . .

When my daughter Autumn Rose was born in 1999, Jon Kusler (then ED of the AS WM) came up with a plan to keep me working but provide the flexibility I needed to care for an infant child.  He had been mulling the idea for a while of tying the wetland community together using a relatively new vehicle, an electronic newsletter.  The first edition was composed and distributed in November 1999, an event I recall all too well as the time I e-mailed EVERYONE's e-mail addresses to the entire list.  I had forgotten to select "BCC" [blind carbon copy].  Most people took it lightly, expressed interest and appreciation, and even asked for a list of the "bounce backs" so they could update their own e-mail lists.  That is one indication of the general good humor, acceptance, and understanding you all have shown over the years.  I've managed to keep almost all the comments sent to me over the years.  Some are so sweet and supportive that I leave them in my inbox to "accidentally" rediscover them when doing the latest edition of Wetland Breaking News, providing a much-needed motivator and inspiration in the wee hours of the morning when I'm tired, frustrated, and want to quit, never doing this again.

It has been my privilege to serve you, and hopefully serve you well.  It is not clear how much longer I will be the Editor of Wetland Breaking News, although there are no plans to retire it or me any time soon.  There are many improvements to the formatting and technology that could be made, for one who had more time and/or experience in those matters.  But I'll sally forth for as long as you and ASWM will have me, and as long as I am able.

Jennifer Brady-Connor Editor, Wetland Breaking News

P.S. For the "power(s) that be," how about laying off the southeast for while and toss a little-rain-over-a-long-period for our drought-stricken friends in the west?

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Activists Face High Hurdles In Forcing EPA To Withdraw Wetlands Guide

InsideEPA September 23 Environmentalists could face an uphill battle in forcing the Bush administration to withdraw a controversial guidance that activists say narrowly interprets what waters are subject to federal regulation, despite arguments in a recent EPA legal filing that support a broad definition of waters protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The activists say EPA's Sept. 15 brief in oil industry litigation over the agency's oil spill prevention rule makes the case for broader protection of waters under the CWA than specified in the guidance the agency and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers have been using since January 2003 to determine their CWA jurisdiction over wetlands. However, environmentalists say it could be difficult to use the EPA brief to challenge the guidance on its face because it will likely be difficult to prove the agencies are using it to decline jurisdiction. "It may be somewhat difficult to prove that the guidance is the determining factor," one environmentalist says. "Unless they have a memo in a file, it won't be a clear case." http://www.aswm.org/wbn/archive/04/040929x.htm

Corps Begins Process of Identifying Lead District in each State to Address Program Consistency

Jeanne Christie, ASWM.  "In September the Corps Informed the field it was initiating a process to establish a lead district in each state and that this was potentially the first step in realigning the Corps' Wetland Regulatory program so that eventually there will be ONLY one district charged with implementing the Section 404 program in each state.  There is a lead district proposed but not confirmed for each state and these may be changed based on recommendations from the field, states, and perhaps other interests.  While there has been a Lead Corps District for each state in the past, this leadership role was largely confined to consistency relative to renewal of the nationwide permits every five years.  Under the current initiative Lead District responsibilities are expanded."

Corps NJDS Posted; Tell Congress To Support CWARA

Michigan Wetland Action Coalition e- Newsletter 9/10/2004.  "The Army Corps of Engineers recently ordered its district offices to begin posting information to the internet on all instances in which they have declined to extend Clean Water Act protections to various water bodies and wetlands. Most districts have complied with this directive and are now making public a brief data form on each "non jurisdictional determination" (NJD). Links to these forms from many of the Corps districts is available here - http://www.michiganwetlands.org/NJDs_links.pdf - thanks to the Clean Water Network . . . "

Bush Vs. Kerry: Exclusive Interview in Outdoor Life Magazine

Outdoor Life Magazine has published an exclusive interview with the two presidential candidates on wetlands, gun rights, conservation and other issues that affect hunting and fishing.  http://www.outdoorlife.com/outdoor/news/article/0,19912,696240,00.html

Wetland Professionals Platform Launched

WetKit news - sept/oct 2004.  "At the closing session of the 7th INTECOL Conference in Utrecht, The Netherlands, on 30 July 2004, Dr Gordana Beltram, the Chair of the Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention, officially launched the 'Wetland Professionals Platform'. The platform, a joint initiative between the RIZA institute, Lelystad, and UNESCO-IHE (Institute for Water Education), Delft in the Netherlands, will provide space for wetland professionals worldwide to interact, exchange information, announce events, training opportunities, and much more. All wetland professionals are invited to become members of the platform. As a member, you can find news and information on wetland management and restoration, and you can meet colleagues in wetland management, restoration, policy and science. In the Wetland Professionals Database, people involved in wetlands present themselves and their work area. If you like, you can become a member of the Wetland Professionals Platform and make yourself traceable through the database. You can search for interesting persons with experience, skills or information that is relevant for you. You can update your own profile. You can also take part in discussions on wetland topics or start a discussion yourself. As a member of the Platform you can log in and leave your note on  the notice board or respond to other notes, find interesting and inspiring cases, tools, and formats, etc., and take part in (future) online events and projects. To find out more visit the platform http://www.wetkit.net/modules/1/showtool.php?tool_id=1512

Panel Abandons Wetlands Law Repeal Plan After Governor Intervenes

BY DENNIS LIEN, Pioneer Press, 9/23/04.  "Looking for a way to cut its budget, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources was poised Thursday to consider a proposal to undo the state's Wetland Conservation Act. But the Pawlenty administration, which had asked the agency to look for ways to trim its budget for the next biennium, intervened, telling the board to back off and consider other approaches instead. 'The governor sent a clear message -he supports wetlands wholeheartedly,' said Doug Thomas, assistant director of the agency, which administers a variety of statewide soil and water programs, including the Wetland Conservation Act . . . " http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/9742584.htm?1c

Fort Belknap Indian Community Members Receive EPA Award

EPA recognized, during an awards ceremony on Sept 8th at 1 p.m. in the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council Chambers, three members of the Fort Belknap  Indian Community for their outstanding efforts to protect tribal aquatic lands. Dennis Longknife, Morris Belgard and Daniel Kinsey were presented with the EPA's Frank DeCouteau Award for their actions to protect the environment of their Reservation through the development of an Aquatic Resource Protection Ordinance.  The ordinance, approved by the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council in January 2003, will support the nationwide goal of no net loss of wetlands by developing protection and mitigation measures. The Fort Belknap Indian Community's move to protect tribal wetlandsthrough the ARPO is significant. The efforts of these men will help provide an opportunity for future generations to enjoy, learn about and benefit from the unique wetland resources on the Fort Belknap Reservation.

Proposed Hydro Rules Enshrines Energy Political Industry Access

American Rivers news release, 9/9/04.  (Washington, DC) The Interior Department is poised to hand the energy industry another favor at the expense of fish restoration, outdoor recreation, and public lands protection, conservation and recreation advocates warned today. A new departmental rule, released for public comment today, provides electric utilities exclusive rights to appeal environmental and recreational requirements at hydropower dams. This policy provides hydroelectric dam owners with direct access to upper echelons of the Interior Department - but not other interested parties such as states, tribes, conservationists, anglers, boaters, local governments, and irrigators.http://www.amrivers.org/index.php?module=HyperContent&func=display&cid=2971

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NATIONAL UPDATE

$70 Million In Grants Support Land Acquisition And Conservation Planning For Endangered Species

USFWS news release, 9/23/04. The USFWS announced more than $70 million in grants to 28 states and one territory to support conservation planning and acquisition of vital habitat for threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plant species.  The grants will benefit species ranging from the Delmarva fox squirrel in the East to peninsular bighorn sheep in the West. Funded through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund and authorized by Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, the grants will enable states to work with private landowners, conservation groups and other agencies to initiate conservation planning efforts and acquire and protect habitat to support the conservation of threatened and endangered species.  http://news.fws.gov

Agreement Signed for Multi-Species Conservation Program on Lower Colorado River

US DOI news release, 9/14/04.  PHOENIX, Arizona - Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton and representatives of Arizona, Nevada and California signed a Memorandum of Agreement on the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program that will result in completion of a long-term, comprehensive initiative to recover endangered species and protect wildlife habitat on the Colorado River from Lake Mead to the U.S.-Mexico border. The proposed 50-year initiative would create more than 8,100 acres of riparian, marsh and backwater habitat for 31 endangered species. http://www.doi.gov/news/040914b

Extinct Species Take Others Along, Study Finds

PlanetArk World Environment News, 9/13/04.  WASHINGTON - "More than 6,000 species of butterflies and other insects, as well as mites, fungi and  assorted unloved but important species, will also be wiped out when listed endangered species go extinct, scientists said.   "We estimate that 6,300 affiliate species are 'coendangered' with host species currently listed as endangered," an international team of researchers wrote in their report, published in the journal Science . . . " http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/27082/story.htm

Bush Administration Appeals Mountaintop Removal Ruling

WASHINGTON, DC, September 9, 2004 (ENS) - "The U.S. Justice Department is appealing the latest federal court ruling that imposes a strict permit  process on mountaintop removal coal mining . . . Lawyers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Thursday appealed the July 8 ruling by U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin enjoining many coal mining projects in southern West  Virginia to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals . . . Assistant Attorney  General Thomas Sansonetti said the government is appealing because the order does not affect coal mining in any other portion of West Virginia or any other state. "The court's ruling means there are now inconsistent standards for coal mining in the U.S," he said . . . " http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2004/2004-09-09-09.asp#anchor3 [Statement from the Dept. of Justice: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/September/04_enrd_593.htm ]

NAWCA Funding for Wetlands Projects, Additions to National Wildlife Refuges

USFWS news release, 9/8/04.  The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission approved more than $27 million for wetland habitat conservation in the United States and Canada to benefit migratory birds and other wildlife. At the same time, the Commission also approved the acquisition of nearly 16,000 acres of important migratory bird habitat to be added to units in the National Wildlife Refuge System.  The Commission's action will provide funding to states and other partners through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) to conserve habitat for migratory birds. Also, the Commission used money from the sale of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, the Duck Stamp, to purchase key tracts of land for the Service's National Wildlife Refuge System in six states.  http://news.fws.gov

Bush Officials Order Rewrite Of Protected Seabird Report

By MICHAEL MILSTEIN, The Oregonian, 9/2/04.  "The Bush administration took what could be a first step Wednesday toward removing federal protections for a small seabird that has stood in the way of Northwest logging.  The  administration concluded that the estimated 21,900 marbled murrelets in Oregon, Washington and California are not different enough from some 925,600 birds in Canada and Alaska to warrant special protection under the U.S.  Endangered Species Act.  That determination, however, overrides the findings of federal biologists and independent scientists who found clear differences between the bird populations and the way they are managed . . . " http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1094126218322350.xml

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LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Natural Resources Defense Council's LEGISLATIVE WATCH, 9/23/04

This is a status report on congressional action on the environment. The  information in this bulletin is also available on our website at http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/legwatch.asp (the web version links to the text of bills and congressional web pages). (The following are excerpts of interest) 1)  Budget/Appropriations: The House has approved its versions of all but two of the 13 spending bills that Congress must pass each year. Still in the queue for House floor action are the appropriations bill that funds the EPA (H.R. 5041) and the transportation spending bill (H.R. 5025). As the end of the legislative year winds down, House appropriators may roll these remaining bills into a comprehensive omnibus spending package with any bills that have not passed the Senate . . . On 9/14, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed the bill that sets FY05 funding levels for the Department of Interior (S. 2804). The $19.7 billion bill contains $552 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which pays for land acquisition for parks and wildlife refuges and provides grants for land restoration and conservation. The House Interior spending bill (H.R. 4568), however, contains almost no funding for this popular conservation program. 2) Water: On 9/15, the Senate passed by unanimous consent a compromisebill that would authorize the California Bay-Delta Restoration program, or CALFED. CALFED is a joint project between California and the federal government to restore the Bay-Delta system and improve water management in the state.

Country "Cannot Afford To Wait Any Longer" For Drought Preparedness Law

Western Governors Association news release, 9/22/04.  DENVER -- Western Governors, saying the country "cannot afford to wait any longer," have urged congressional appropriators working on emergency drought relief to also include a proactive, drought preparedness measure that could reduce future spending. The letter was signed by the Western Governors' Association's lead governors for drought. They said members of the conference committee working  on homeland security appropriations should consider including provisions of the National Drought Preparedness Act. The appropriations measure currently provides $3 billion for drought-related crop and livestock losses. The governors called this emergency spending "just the tip of the iceberg."  http://www.westgov.org/wga/press/drought9-21-04.htm

STATES NEWS

MI: Agency to Designate Habitat for Dragonfly

AP, TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. Sept. 21, 2004 - "Prodded by a lawsuit, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to designate critical habitat for an endangered dragonfly found in only a few Midwestern wetland areas. The agency reached a settlement with five environmental groups that accused the government of shirking its responsibility to protect the Hine's emerald dragonfly.  A federal judge in Washington, D.C., signed an order last week to implement the agreement, said Brent Plater, an attorney for one of the groups, the Center for Biological Diversity . . . " http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20040921_2349.html

NRCS, Pokagon Tribe to Restore Indiana Wetland

NRCS This Week, 9/22/04.  DOWAGIAC - "Officials with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians have maintained since they bought property near North Liberty three years ago that the land wouldn't be used for a casino. Now, that promise has been fulfilled. Tribal Chairman John Miller has reported that the Pokagons several months ago signed a contract with the federal  government to have all but about 200 of the tribe's roughly 1,400 acres in northern Indiana enrolled in a wetlands restoration program . . ." http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/thisweek/2004/040922/inpokagonwetland.html

CA: EPA Settles Wetlands Enforcement Case In Tulare County

EPA news release, 9/22/04.  SAN FRANCISCO -- As part of a settlement with EPA over wetlands violations along Cottonwood Creek north of Visalia, the Leyendekker family will convey a nearby 300-acre parcel of land to a regional land trust for permanent protection and management.  The parcel, known as "Westside 300", supports 40 acres of rare, alkali vernal pools in  the proximity of the ancient shoreline of the drained Tulare Lake.  In June 2000, the Leyendekkers converted 75 percent of a nearly pristine 320-acre parcel along Cottonwood Creek from wetlands into cultivated farmland. Workers destroyed approximately 33 acres of vernal pools and swales by deep-ripping, disking, and land-leveling without appropriate federal and state permits.  http://yosemite.epa.gov/r9/r9press.nsf/news?readform

AZ: Chandler Unveils Plans For $8 Mil Wetlands Park

Edythe Jensen, The Arizona Republic, 9/21/04.  CHANDLER - "A public fishing lake, migratory bird habitat and sites for student science projects are part of the city's plan to build an $8 million, 113-acre wetlands park northeast of Lindsay and Chandler Heights roads. The plan, made public Monday, [combines] the city's need to store and recharge wastewater with residents' demands for parks and recreation. It includes a police substation, an education building and horse trails . . . " http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0921evwetlands21.html

MD: State Wildlife Official Pushes Notion that Beautiful Mute Swan Can Be a Beast

By RACHAEL JACKSON, Capital News Service, 9/17/04.  WASHINGTON - "State wildlife manager Jonathan McKnight concedes that a beauty contest between the long-necked, graceful mute swan and the toothy, slimy snakehead fish is no contest. But both are invasive species that need to be controlled so they do not harm native plants and wildlife, he said. That's an easy sell with the snakehead, but a different story with the swan and its defenders . . ." http://www.journalism.umd.edu/cns/wire/040917-Friday/SwanDefenders_CNS-UMCP.html

MI: Humbug Marsh Protection Completed

Trust for Public Land news release, Detroit, MI, 9/16/04 - U.S. Congressman John Dingell, the Trust for Public Land, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today the sale of Humbug Marsh, 410 acres of marsh and upland located along the Detroit River. This marks the final transaction that completes the conservation effort. The property will be owned and  managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. Located on the western banks of the Lower Detroit River, the land will provide birdwatchers, boaters, anglers, hunters and hikers with a rare urban opportunity to experience the natural habitat of the river. http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=16515&folder_id=666

New National Wildlife Refuge is Colorado's Largest

National Park Service news release, 9/13/04.  MOSCA, COLORADO - Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton announced the creation of the new Baca National Wildlife Refuge adjacent to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.  At the same time, Secretary Norton also signed historic documents creating the Great Sand Dunes National Park, the nation's 58th national park. Both actions were made possible when the Department of the Interior last Friday reached agreement on acquisition and management of the 97,000 acre Baca Ranch. Some 31,000 acres of the Baca Ranch are being made part of the new Great Sand Dunes National Park. The remaining acres will be transferred tothe Baca National Wildlife Refuge. http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=523

VA: Judge Rules Against Conservation Groups In Wetlands Suit

By the Associated Press, Published September 9, 2004.  RICHMOND, Va. - "Two conservation groups lack standing to challenge a state permit that allows the destruction of 145 acres of wetlands in Chesapeake, a judge said in an opinion made public Thursday . . . In his ruling, Richmond Circuit Judge Randall G. Johnson said state law does not allow a party to act in a representative capacity in asking a court to review a decision by the board. Ray Hoagland, Virginia executive director for the bay foundation, said the group will appeal.  Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch." http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--brf-wetlandssuit0909sep09,0,4053190.story

NY: Dreams Park Will Make $250,000 Environmental Benefit Donation

9/9/04.  By JIM AUSTIN, Editor.  HARTWICK SEMINARY - "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has accepted a settlement offer from Cooperstown Dreams Park CEO Louis Presutti in regard to a wetlands violation which occurred at the park. According to George Casey, a geologist and regulatory specialist at the Corps of Engineers' Albany office, Presutti has agreed to make a voluntary $250,000 donation to the Nature Conservancy for the preservation, creation or maintenance of wetlands. . . " http://www.coopercrier.com/news/stories/2004/09/09/ccdreams.html

NY: Amended Wetland Maps for Westchester County

Environment DEC newsletter, September 2004. "New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M. Crotty announced revised state freshwater wetland maps for northern Westchester County, which includes portions of the New York City Watershed . . . Within the New York City Watershed portion of Westchester County, 3,370 wetland acres were added and an additional 2,380 acres of wetlands were added just outside the New York City Watershed . . . " http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/environmentdec/2004b/wetlandmaps728.html

Bay States More Than Half-Way To New Wetlands Goals

EnviroBytes for the week ending September 3, 2004.  In the Chesapeake 2000 agreement, the Chesapeake Bay Program partners committed that by 2010, they would try to: "achieve a net resource gain by restoring 25,000 acres of tidal and non-tidal wetlands" and  "achieve a no-net loss of existing wetlands acreage and function in the signatories' regulatory programs." Since 1998, 14,317 acres were restored in the Chesapeake Bay watershed portions of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.   (In order to achieve the 2010 goal, 10,683 additional acres need to be restored).  Since 1998, there was no-net loss in the regulatory programs; in fact an additional 1,312 acres were gained.  The new indicator, "Wetlands Protection, Restoration, and Enhancement," can be viewed at the Chesapeake Bay Program web site:  http://www.chesapeakebay.net/status.cfm?sid=198

EPA Virginia State Office Awarded Grant To Develop Wetland Monitoring Program

EPA Region 3 EnviroBytes, 9/3/04.  "EPA Region 3 awarded a $395,620 grant to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Virginia to develop a comprehensive wetland monitoring strategy for the state which they believe can be accomplished within a 10-year time frame.  The goal of the wetland monitoring and assessment strategy is to develop a long-term implementation plan for a program that protects the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of Virginia's wetland resources. This grant addresses the region's objectives to increase the capabilities of states, and local governments to report on the health of their wetland resources."

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PUBLICATIONS and RESOURCES

New Online Publications on Northeast Wetlands Available From USFWS

The following is a list of publications from the Service's National Wetlands Inventory that have been recently posted on the web at the Service's Conservation Library.  They contain color maps and photographs that highlight various features.  They were produced by the NWI Program in the Northeast with support from other agencies including the State of Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Program.   The library also has many other wetland and naturalesource publications posted on their website (http://library.fws.gov)   1)  Eelgrass Survey for Eastern Long Island Sound, Connecticut and New York  http://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/eelgrass_report_v2.pdf   2)  An Inventory of Coastal Wetlands, Potential Restoration Sites, Wetland  Buffers, and Hardened Shorelines for the Narragansett Bay Estuary: An Assessment Report from the National Wetlands Inventory Program.  http://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/RIcoast03.pdf   3)  Historical Analysis of Wetlands and Their Functions for the Nanticoke River Watershed: A Comparison Between Pre-settlement and 1996 Conditions.  http://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/Nanticoke04.pdf 4)  Watershed-Based Wetland Characterization for Delaware's Nanticoke River Watershed: A Preliminary Assessment Report.  http://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/DEnanticoke01.pdf   5)  Parker River Watershed: An Assessment of Recent Trends in Salt Marshes, Their Buffers, and River-Stream Buffer Zones (1985-1999). http://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/parkerriver02.pdf   Maps: http://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/parkerriver_map1.pdf http://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/parkerriver_map2.pdf  http://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/parkerriver_map3.pdf http://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/parkerriver_map4.pdfhttp://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/parkerriver_map5.pdf  Wetland Status and Trends for the Hackensack Meadowlands: An Assessment Report from the National Wetlands Inventory Program. http://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/Hackensack.pdf   HTML version. http://library.fws.gov/Wetlands/meadowlands02.htm

An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century Final Report of the U.S. Commission  on Ocean Policy

Released by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy on September 20, 2004, An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century contains the Commission's final recommendations for a new, comprehensive national ocean policy. The other documents listed below are supporting documents, including the Special Addendum to the Final Report, appendices printed in the main report and  appendices printed as separate documents. http://oceancommission.gov/documents/welcome.html

International Joint Commission Report on Great Lakes Water Quality Issued

IJC news release, 9/13/04.  The International Joint Commission released its Twelfth Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality, which not only addresses the current issues facing the health and vitality of the Great Lakes - it triggers the official review, by the United States and Canada, of the historic Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.  Fact sheets providing detailed information and the IJC's recommendations about each individual topic and illustrations and graphics for use from the Twelfth Biennial Report are available at www.ijc.org. Available in hard copy or CD in both English and French free of charge, the report may also be obtained on IJC's  website at www.ijc.org.

EPA Releases Two New Wetland Fact Sheets

In mid-August, EPA released two new wetland fact sheets, "Constructed Treatment Wetlands" and "Wetlands and West Nile Virus."  For a complete list of all 40+ fact sheets available and links to PDF versions of the fact sheets, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/facts/contents.html.

New Mexico District Is Out To Get The "Guzzler" [Salt Cedar]

NRCS This Week, 9/9/04. The Socorro Soil and Water Conservation District's cedar control project is ready to treat more than 2,000 acres of salt cedar, an invasive that special projects director Nyleen Troxel Stowe, calls a "water guzzler" that's keeping much-needed water out of the Rio Grande. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/thisweek/2004/040908/nmsaltcedardistrict.html

Measuring The Success Of Conservation Programs

AmberWaves September 2004 (New information @ ERS).  Due to the influence and interactions of many factors, evaluation of conservation programs is a data-intensive and technically challenging process. This article provides an overview of the steps necessary for evaluating the success of conservation program. These steps must address two questions: 1) How do different farm operators in different circumstances decide what production and conservation practices to implement, in the presence and absence of the conservation program being evaluated, at different levels of incentives provided by that program?; and 2) How do the farm practices attributable to conservation program incentives affect environmental quality? See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/September04/Features/measuringsuccess.htm

World Wetland Day (WWD) Materials Ready for Distribution mid-October 2004

For the first time, Ramsar is offering free materials for WWD 2005 on CD's. With this year's WWD theme and supporting messages on a disk, local organizers can customize their information into national and/or local languages and more easily promote WWD. A poster as well as stickers with the slogan "There's wealth in wetland diversity - don't lose it!" will be available in October. For further details go to: http://ramsar.org/wwd2005_cds.htm   WWD takes place on or about the 2nd of February each year (the Ramsar Convention's anniversary) to raise public awareness.

Weevil Wreaks Havoc on Giant Salvinia

By Alfredo Flores, 9/7/04.  Giant salvinia, a free-floating invasive fern sometimes referred to as one of the world's worst water weeds, may have met its match, thanks to the efforts of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. ARS scientists at the Invasive Plant Research Laboratory in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-led by entomologist Phillip W. Tipping and center director Ted D. Center-have been getting good results from releasing a diminutive weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae, that loves to consume salvinia. Just one-tenth-inch long, this dark-colored, long-nosed biological control agent  is proving itself effective against S. molesta.  Read about this research in the September 2004 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.  http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep04/weevil0904.htm

Snakehead In Your Inbox? Welcome To The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Alert System

USGS news release, 9/9/04.  Want to know how many new species have been found in your state in the past six months, or where the latest sighting of snakeheads occurred? You can find the answers to both these questions at the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Alert System.  USGS developed the  new NAS Alert System to track the spread of invasive species nationwide.  Now, users can report nonindigenous and invasive aquatic species they sight, automatically receive email alerts, or perform searches on aquatic species -  such as American alligators in Pennsylvania, Asian carp in Colorado, or snakehead fishes in Virginia.  To sign up for the free service go to http://nas.er.usgs.gov/AlertSystem/register.asp.  Archives of past alerts are available at http://nas.er.usgs.gov/AlertSystem and can be queried by state, date, and/or taxonomic group.

Proceedings: Restoring Fish and Wildlife in Michigan's Great Lakes Areas of Concern

Proceedings from the July workshop, Restoring Fish and Wildlife in Michigan's Great Lakes Areas of Concern:  Establishing a Pathway for Action, are now online at http://www.glc.org/spac/proceedings/fish-wildlife.html.  The workshop outlined a process for achieving restoration goals and delisting fish and wildlife impairments in Michigan's Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Workshop presentations assessed the status of restoration efforts for fish and wildlife in the Areas of Concern and provided a recommended "pathway" for establishing measurable targets for fish and wildlife habitat, populations, and benthic communities.

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POTPOURRI

ESA SEEDS Program to Visit National Wetlands Research Center

From Earle Cummings.  The Ecological Society of America's (ESA) SEEDS program is sponsoring a Student Field Trip from November 18-21, 2004 to the National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC) in Lafayette, Louisiana.  The mission of NWRC is to develop and disseminate scientific information needed for understanding the ecology and values of United States wetlands and for managing and restoring wetland habitats and associated plant and animal communities.  The ESA's Strategies for Ecology Education, Development and Sustainability (SEEDS) Program was established in 1996 to promote ecology opportunities for underrepresented students.  The program's mission is to stimulate and nurture underrepresented students' interest in ecology in order to diversify