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

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

Partnership Between Minnesota And USDA Will Restore Wetlands

Call for Nominations for 2005 National Wetlands Awards

Amphibian Extinctions Sound Global Eco-Alarm, Says Study

Nearly 30 Percent of North America's Birds are in Significant Decline

RAMSAR Handbooks For The Wise Use Of Wetlands

---NATIONAL UPDATES---

Great Lakes: Organizational Leadership and Restoration Goals Need to BeBetter Defined for Monitoring Restoration Progress

Lawsuit Accuses Feds of Mismanaging Conservation Program

Leavitt Announces Progress in Asian Carp Control on Great Lakes

USDA Releases $2.1 Million To Restore And Protect Wetlands In 12 States; CREP Funds Too

United States Reauthorizes North American Waterfowl Management Plan

---LEGISLATIAVE NEWS---

Natural Resources Defense Council's LEGISLATIVE WATCH

Senate Extends Coastal Wetlands Restoration Bill

---STATES NEWS---  

NH: Study Identifies Portsmouth Area Wetlands, Provides Resource For Preservation

Florida Sportsmen Call for Stronger Action on Wetlands Conservation

Snakehead Fish Discovered in Chicago Harbor Salt Marsh Dedicated in Maine's Cascade Brook

LA: State Officials Announce Initiative To Promote Fertile Eco-Cultural Tourism In Louisiana

Everglades: Eight Key Environmental Projects To Be Completed 10 Years Ahead of Schedule

LA: Five Wetlands Projects Get Go-Ahead; Money Comes From Breaux Act Task Force

OR: Valuable Willamette Valley Wetlands Get Protection

ND: Group Asking Hunters To Sign Petition

WRP Helps Preserve Major Indiana Waterfowl Area

CA: Bolsa Chica Wetlands Restoration Begins; 584-Acre Project Largest in Southern California History

---PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES---

September 2004 Massachusetts Wetlands Restoration Update Available

Tip Of The Mitt Releases "Restoring The Connections"

170 New Water Trails Miles Developed In Chesapeake Bay Watershed

North Coast Newsletter  (NCN) From the Ohio Lake Erie Commission

---POTPOURRI---

Mark Anderson Gets The Vote In The 2004 Federal Duck Stamp Contest

PhD Assistantship in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at University of Florida

Northern California: Senior Salt Marsh Ecologist, Additional Staff Positions Available

Technical Guidance on CAFOs is Now Available

---MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES---

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

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear friends and colleagues,

It is the best of fall here in upstate New York, and we are squeezing every last bit of enjoyment outside before we hole up for winter.  We picked our 50 pounds of apples (that's how it feels when the bag's handle breaks and you still have a quarter mile to walk), vacuumed up the real spider webs sowe could safely weave fake spider webs into various nooks, and have carved lovely jack-o-lanterns from the pumpkins my daughter and I grew this summer.  We successfully navigated our first "corn maze," were spooked at the local amusement park's "Fright Fest," and have picked the last bounty from the garden.  Today revolved around a visit to Moreau Lake State Park with some dear friends, and then we returned home to craft a "magic wand" for Halloween out of wood, paint, and stickers.  It was a bittersweet moment,as I will be in Rhode Island on October 31 at the Land Trust Alliance Rally and will miss the actual dressing up, the trick-or-treating, and Halloween parties.  But my husband will ably step in although he shunned my efforts to teach him how to braid our daughter's hair while I'm gone - apparently a ponytail is just fine and I've gone through weeks of braiding for naught.  We'll see how it turns out when we get her school pictures (wouldn't you know it, my absence from home forces me to miss prepping her for class photos, too!).

Did you know: apples are a member of the rose family?  For more interesting apple trivia and recipes visit one of the following websites: University of Illinois Extension: Apples & More http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/apples/intro.html; Vermont Apples: Recipes http://www.vermontapples.org/recipes.html

Finally, thanks to all of you who responded to the previous Editor's Note (five year anniversary) with your support of this newsletter.  You make it all worthwhile . . .

Happy Haunting!

Jennifer Brady-Connor Editor, Wetland Breaking News

PS:  For those of you looking for an excuse to play hooky this week, hop on the next flight or drive to Atlantic City NOW to attend the 2004 Watershed & Wetlands Workshop.  This is a great event - I've been to one or two myself - and runs through Thursday afternoon at the Holiday Inn Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey.  If you do go, take my advice and spring for the few extra bucks to stay in a hotel located on the Boardwalk (don't even risk one block away, especially if you are hypersensitive and traveling with a small child.)  I've added the agenda to the ASWM website at http://www.aswm.org/wbn/atl-conf.rtf

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Partnership Between Minnesota And USDA Will Restore Wetlands

SAINT PAUL, Minn., Oct. 25, 2004-Minnesota's application to become the second state in the nation to participate in the USDA's Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) has been approved officials announced today. $4 million will help environmentally sensitive wetlands on more than 7,000 acres.  Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Agriculture Deputy Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment R. Mack Gray made the announcement during an event here to highlight the partnership that will accelerate the state's wetland restoration efforts.  Through Minnesota's WREP plan, the state will provide $1.2 million and USDA will provide $2.8 million. The state portion of funding will come from funds previously appropriated by the legislature to BWSR for the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Reserve program. The application submitted by the state also indicated that Minnesota will develop a long-range wetlands restoration strategic plan in coordination with USDA.  The targeted restoration funds will focus on approximately 7,250 acres throughout Minnesota. Goals and regions include:
1)		3,000 acres in the five Presidentially Declared Flood Disaster Counties of Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Mower, and Steele counties in southern Minnesota;
2)		1,750 acres along the Red River of the North main stem;
3)		1,500 acres in the Buffalo-Red River Watershed in northwestern Minnesota; and
4)		1,000 acres in the Grand Marais Creek Subwatershed in northwestern Minnesota.
Additional information can be found at http://www.usda.gov/2004/10/0467.xml.
Call for Nominations for 2005 National Wetlands Awards
Environmental Law Institute news release, 10/12/04.  "Each year the environmental community comes together to honor individuals who have dedicated their time and energy to protecting our nation's precious wetlands. Nomination forms for the 2005 National Wetlands Awards Program are now available. The deadline for submitting nominations is December 15, 2004.  The Washington, DC-based Environmental Law Institute has presented the National Wetlands Awards since 1989. The Awards program recognizes individuals from across the country who have demonstrated extraordinary effort, innovation, and excellence at the regional, state, or local level. The Environmental Law Institute recognizes six categories; they are: Education and Outreach, Science Research, Conservation and Restoration, Landowner Stewardship, State, Tribal and Local Program Development, and Wetland Community Leader. Organizations and federal employees are not eligible. A committee of wetland experts representing federal and state agencies, academia, conservation groups, and private sector organizations selects the Award winners. Awardees will be recognized at a Capitol Hill ceremony in National Wetlands Awardees individuals making a positive contribution to their communities. Their efforts serve to educate the public about the value of wetlands, the programs that are available to protect and restore wetlands, and th Program is directed and managed by the Environmental Law Institute, and enjoys the sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA Fisheries, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For a copy of the 2005 National Wetlands Awards nomination form, visit ELI's website at  http://www.eli.org/nwa/nwaprogram.htm and download the form.

Amphibian Extinctions Sound Global Eco-Alarm, Says Study

October 15, 2004 - By Ed Stoddard, Reuters.  BANGKOK - They may thrive on land and in water, but amphibians everywhere are in serious trouble, and up to one-third of species are threatened with extinction, a troubling new study said on Friday.  Scientists say this is an ominous sign for other creatures, including humans, as amphibians are widely regarded as biological 'canaries in the coal mine,' since their permeable skin is highly sensitiveto changes in the environment. In short, they go first, and others follow. The first comprehensive survey of a grouping that includes frogs, toads, and salamanders, the Global Amphibian Assessment says that at least nine species have become extinct since 1980. It says 113 more have not been reported in the wild in recent years and are believed to have vanished. The full detailswill be published in a few weeks in the respected journal Science . . . "  http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=193

Nearly 30 Percent of North America's Birds are in Significant Decline

Audubon news release.  New York, NY, Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - The National Audubon Society has released the first national "The State of the Birds" report documenting the health and abundance of North America's birds. Appearing in the October issue of Audubon Magazine, "The State of the Birds" paints a disturbing picture. Almost 30 percent of North America's bird species are in "significant decline." The overall state of the birds shows:70 % of grassland species are in statistically significant declines; 36 % of shrubland bird species are declining significantly; 25 % of forest bird species are declining significantly; 13 % of wetland bird species are declining significantly; 23 % of bird species in urban areas are declining significantly . .  . http://www.audubon.org/news/press_releases/index.html

RAMSAR Handbooks For The Wise Use Of Wetlands

European Water Management News, 20 October 2004.  The second edition of the "Ramsar Toolkit", the "Handbooks for the Wise Use of Wetlands", consists of 14 volumes containing all of the major guidance documents adopted by the Conference of the Contracting Parties through COP8 in 2002, combined with additional illustrative material such as background studies, case studies, photographs and tables. The compilation of the series, which is available in the three official languages of the Convention (English, French, and Spanish), was completed in September 2004, and the handbooks were posted on this Web site for download. http://www.ramsar.org/lib_handbooks_e.htm

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NATIONAL UPDATE

Great Lakes: Organizational Leadership and Restoration Goals Need to Be Better Defined for Monitoring Restoration Progress.

GAO-04-1024, September 28. As requested, this report (1) determines the extent to which current EPA monitoring efforts provide information for assessing overall conditions in the Great Lakes Basin, (2) identifies existing restoration goals and whether monitoring is done to track goal progress, and (3) identifies the major challenges to setting restoration goals and developing a monitoring system. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-1024 Highlights -  http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d041024high.pdf

Lawsuit Accuses Feds of Mismanaging Conservation Program

October 22, 2004 - By Elizabeth M. Gillespie, Associated Press.  SEATTLE -  The National Wildlife Federation has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that duck, pheasant, and other ground-nesting bird populations are being harmed by mismanagement of a government program that pays farmers to set aside croplands.  The lawsuit challenges a decision made by the Farm Service Agency, a division of U.S. Department of Agriculture, that allows haying and  grazing on millions of acres of land enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) during times when birds are likely to be nesting or rearing their broods in the inland West and Great Plains. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=231

Leavitt Announces Progress in Asian Carp Control on Great Lakes

EPA WaterNews for October 14, 2004. EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works John Paul Woodley, Jr. announced in Chicago on Oct. 13, that a funding package has been assembled to allow construction of an enhanced barrier to keep the invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.  The U.S. House and Senate voted to increase the cap on federal spending for the project, authorizing $6.825 million, which is 75percent of the $9.1 million needed to complete the barrier.  The Army Corps of Engineers, which is overseeing the project, says, with this authorization approved, it will be able to fund the federal share.  The State of Illinois has committed $1.7 million and the Great Lakes governors have committed to funding the remaining nonfederal share of $575,000. To read the press release visit http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/b1ab9f485b098972852562e7004dc686?OpenView&Start=1&Count=30&Expand=1.1

USDA Releases $2.1 Million To Restore And Protect Wetlands In 12 States; CREP Funds Too

USDA news release, 10/4/04.  WASHINGTON - USDA announced the availability of $2.1 million in Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) technical assistance funds for technical service providers and other third parties to conduct restoration activities on WRP lands in 12 states. These resources will help expedite wetland restoration and enhancement activities.  These funds will accelerate restoration of between 30,000 and 40,000 acres of wetlands. The use of third parties such as technical service providers, state governments and environmental groups expands the capability of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service to restore acres enrolled in WRP projects.  WRP is a voluntary conservation program that offers landowners the opportunity to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on their property.  The goal of the program is to achieve the greatest wetland functions and values and create optimum wildlife habitat on every acre enrolled in the program. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov

United States Reauthorizes North American Waterfowl Management Plan

USFWS news release, 10/6/04.  Portland, Maine - The United States reaffirmed its commitment to international waterfowl conservation efforts by signing an update to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.  The plan is a public-private approach to manage waterfowl in Canada, Mexico and the United States.  Partners have invested more than $2.2 billion to protect, restore or enhance more than 8 million acres of habitat in the plan's history. With final approval from the Canadian and Mexican environmental ministries, the 2004 North American Waterfowl Management Plan -- Strengthening the Biological Foundations will guide the three countries in waterfowl conservation.  The plan calls on the partners to manage sustainable landscapes, consult and cooperate with partners and use strong biological foundations to make decisions.  http://news.fws.gov

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LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Natural Resources Defense Council's LEGISLATIVE WATCH

October 20, 2004. This is a status report on congressional action on the environment. The information in this bulletin is also available on their website at http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/legwatch.asp (the web version links to the text of bills and congressional web pages). . . Congress sent the president three more FY05 appropriations bills (District of Columbia, Homeland Security and Military Construction) before recessing on 10/11 for election season. On 10/9, the House passed the Military Construction spending bill (H.R. 4837), which includes a provision added at the last minute to facilitate the development of a pipeline carrying natural gasfrom Alaska to the lower 48 states. The language, included by Republican leadership to help Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) in her tight election race, gives loan guarantees for construction costs, streamlines the federal permitting process and limits judicial review. The Senate approved the bill by voice vote on 10/11. The 10 remaining appropriations bills will be bundled into an omnibus spending package for the lame duck Congress to consider after the elections. For more information on the Bush administration's proposed FY05 budget, see NRDC's budget statement, and NRDC's analysis of the budget.http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/040204b.asp  http://www.nrdc.org/media/docs/040204.pdf  === Air, Energy and Climate - . . . The fate of the comprehensive energy bill (H.R. 6), which has been stalled by a Senate filibuster, remains uncertain. A bipartisan group of senators oppose the bill for its anti-environment provisions, its high price tag and the inclusion of a provision that would waive clean-up liability for groundwater contamination caused by the gasoline additive MTBE. Energy bill supporters, led by Sen. Stevens (R-AK),  Appropriations Committee chair, have spent weeks attempting to craft compromise MTBE language that would satisfy the bill's opponents, but no agreement was reached before Congress recessed for the election season. Some observers predict that Congress will not enact comprehensive energy legislation before the end of the year, but the lame duck session may provide an opportunity to finish the remaining sections of the bill.  === Water - On 10/6, the House accepted Senate changes to Rep. Calvert's (R-CA) California Bay Delta program (CALFED) authorization bill (H.R. 2828) and approved the bill by voice vote. The Senate dropped House language that would have allowed the Secretary of the Interior to "pre-authorize" the construction of new dams without congressional approval. While this change is an improvement over the original House bill, the final bill as passed by the House and Senate still contains many anti-environment provisions, including the transfer of up to $10 million from federal ecosystem restoration projects to other uses. It also creates a new reporting hurdle that will make it more difficult for the federal government to buy agricultural land for ecosystem restoration. The bill has been sent to the president, who is expected to sign it.

Senate Extends Coastal Wetlands Restoration Bill

Policy News from ESA's Public Affairs Office A Bi-Weekly Publication of the Ecological Society of America. "October 15, 2004The Senate moved to extend a landmark Louisiana coastal restoration bill for an additional 10 years. S. 2495 would extend until 2019 the Coastal Wetlands, Planning, Protection and Restoration Act -- more commonly known as the Breaux Act after Sen. John Breaux (D-LA). The Breaux Act is currently set to expire in 2009.  Since it became law in 1990, the Breaux Act -- which is paid for with gasoline taxes -- has generated about $50 million annually for more than 100 different restoration projects. However, that level of funding is far below the $14 billion that restoration advocates say is needed to restore the coast, which has washed away into the Gulf of Mexico at a rate of about 35 square miles per year for six decades."

STATES NEWS

NH: Study Identifies Portsmouth Area Wetlands, Provides Resource For Preservation

By Nancy Cicco, Portsmouth Herald, 10/21/04.  PORTSMOUTH - A new study about the city's wetlands could help the Conservation Commission and other city planners preserve these areas for future generations.  The study, called the "Freshwater Wetland Mitigation Inventory," identifies nine areas in the city that would benefit from wetland restoration or creation, or upland protection. Environmentalists hope the study will be a resource to the commission when members consider the impacts of proposed development within the city.  http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/10212004/news/44105.htm

Florida Sportsmen Call for Stronger Action on Wetlands Conservation

October 21, 2004 - By National Wildlife Federation.  Hunters and Anglers call on politicians to endorse new conservation agenda TALLAHASSEE - Over 100 Florida hunting and angling groups, bait and tackle shops, outfitters and fishing guide operations from Key West to Pensacola are calling on elected officials and candidates to stop delaying and start acting on plans to protect, defend and restore wetlands throughout Florida and the rest of the United States.  By signing onto the National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) Conservation Blueprint for America's Wetlands, sportsmen and women from around the state are urging elected officials to make wetlands conservation a top priority.  http://www.enn.com/aff.html?id=123

Snakehead Fish Discovered in Chicago Harbor

The northern snakehead, an invasive species of fish that can breathe air and move across land for short distances, has been found in a Chicago harbor, officials from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said this week. This is the first sighting of the fish in the Great Lakes, the world's largest body of fresh water.  A recent National Academies report examines how invasive species establish populations in new areas and recommend ways to deal with infestations. http://www.national-academies.org/headlines#sh1020

Salt Marsh Dedicated in Maine's Cascade Brook

NRCS This Week, 10/20/04.  "More than 50 people recently gathered in Scarborough, Maine, to dedicate the completion of an NRCS, Federal, State, and local conservation partner-salt marsh restoration at Cascade Brook . . . To increase tidal flow into the salt marsh restoration at Cascade Brook, the newly-completed restoration project required removal of 5,000 cubic yards of fill and peat piles, partial removal of an underwater berm, and control of invasive aquatic pants. The NRCS Wetlands Reserve Program provided 75 percent of the $208,000 required to implement and monitor the Cascade Brook Salt Marsh restoration project cost. Cascade Brook is one of five major  tributaries in the Scarborough Marsh system and includes 100 acres of salt marsh." http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/thisweek/2004/041020/cascadebrookmaine.html

LA: State Officials Announce Initiative To Promote Fertile Eco-Cultural Tourism In Louisiana

Tuesday, October 19, 2004, By Rebecca Mowbray. "In an effort to build tourism business while increasing awareness about the risks of Louisiana's disappearing wetlands, Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu announced an initiative Monday to promote 'eco-cultural' tourism in Louisiana.  The campaign, called 'A Place Called America's Wetland,' will develop more than 25 America's Wetland resource centers at tourist destinations and visitor centers across the state. Tourists visiting these locations will be able to watch a video on interactive kiosks, pick up brochures about the problem and causes of Louisiana's disappearing wetlands, and ultimately, learn about ways that they can experience Louisiana wetlands on their trip to the state . . . " http://www.nola.com/business/t-p/index.ssf?/base/money-0/1098163513216690.xml

Everglades: Eight Key Environmental Projects To Be Completed 10 Years Ahead Of Schedule

FL DEP news release, 10/14/04 - Joined by a host of environmental advocates, Governor Jeb Bush unveiled an ambitious plan to accelerate the restoration of America's Everglades. As part of the $8 billion state-federal partnership to restore the River of Grass, Florida is stepping up the pace to complete critical environmental projects more than a decade ahead of schedule.  The culmination of months of discussion with their federal partners, Florida is speeding up funding, design and construction to complete eight Everglades restoration projects over the next seven years. At substantial savings to taxpayers, the projects include construction of more than 8,000 acres of treatment marsh, which use plants to clean pollution from water flowing into the Everglades. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2004/oct/1014_01.htm

LA: Five Wetlands Projects Get Go-Ahead; Money Comes From Breaux Act Task Force

By Mark Schleifstein, Staff writer, Times-Picayune, 10/15/04. "Construction could begin as early as January on the first of five major wetlands restoration projects approved Wednesday by the federal-state Breaux Act Task Force. Two of the projects are aimed at strengthening 'landbridges,' mostly solid areas of wetlands and firm land south of the levee systems that protect the West Bank New Orleans area. The task force approved $59.7 million in federal and state construction money for the projects, using up almost all money available under the Breaux Act. Federal Breaux Act dollars pay 85 percent of each project, with the state paying the remaining 15 percent . . . " http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1097821665180630.xml

OR: Valuable Willamette Valley Wetlands Get Protection

From Bend.com news sources, 10/13/04.  October 13 - EUGENE - "A $1.4 million, 165-acre conservation easement purchase will safeguard valuable Willamette Valley wetland habitat forever. The agreement is between the Bonneville Power Administration and The Nature Conservancy. The cooperative effort also includes the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and the City of Eugene.  BPA purchased a conservation easement on four properties totaling 165 acres just west of Eugene, Ore. The acquired lands will become part of the West Eugene Wetlands/Willow Creek Wildlife Mitigation Area, which includes an existing 340 acres for a total of 505 acres of protected wetland managed by The Nature Conservancy . . . " http://www.bend.com/news/ar_view^3Far_id^3D18649.htm

ND: Group Asking Hunters To Sign Petition

By RICHARD HINTON, Bismarck Tribune, 10/4/04.  Just ahead of opening weekend of pheasant season, a statewide landowners group is asking hunters to sign a petition that favors farmer-friendly issues in return for being allowed to hunt.  Hunters who decline will be turned away, said Don Berge, the president of the Landowners Association of North Dakota . . . Swampbuster and other wetlands-related issues are primary concerns for LAND. Swampbuster, a provision of a 1985 farm bill, is designed to protect natural wetlands by denying farmers eligibility for federal programs if they convert wetlands to croplands. The loss of benefits covers all of a farmer's cropped land.  Berge said there are multiple ramifications with swampbuster. 'When it initially was brought forward, it was not intended for sloughs or potholes,' Berge said. 'It's become outright harassment of people. There's deep resentment here.'  He said several court cases were pending related to landowners and wetlands but declined to go into specifics . . . " http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2004/10/07/news/local/nws01.txt

WRP Helps Preserve Major Indiana Waterfowl Area

NRCS This Week, 10/4/06.  Work has been completed on the first phase of the $3.5 million Goosepond/Beehunter Marsh Wilder Farms Wetlands Reserve Restoration Project. This massive, nearly 8,000 acre project will restore one of the most significant waterfowl use areas in Indiana due to its size, historic use by wildlife, proximity to federal and state owned natural areas, and location near the Wabash and White rivers. Approximately 1,200 acres in the Beehunter Marsh have now been fully restored, according to Dan Luczynski, resource conservationist with the Greene County office of Natural Resources Conservation Service. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/thisweek/2004/041006/inbeehunterwrp.html

CA: Bolsa Chica Wetlands Restoration Begins; 584-Acre Project Largest in Southern California History

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Oct. 6 (AScribe Newswire) - The [California] State Lands Commission announced today the start of work to restore 584 acres of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, the largest such project in southern California history . . . In 1997 the State Lands Commission acquired 880 acres of the Bolsa Chica lowlands, 584 acres of which are being restored in the project starting today, and acts as the Restoration Projects banker . . The Bolsa Chica lowlands are the remnant of a much larger wetland area that once stretched along the northern Orange County coast . . . This wetland was historically a marsh interlaced with full tidal channels radiating from an ocean inlet . . . The restoration project includes construction of a 367-acre tidal basin, 178 acres of managed tidal areas, three new nesting areas for the snowy plover, and rehabilitation of dune plants on Rabbit Island. . . " http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/spew4th.pl?ascribeid=20041006.095746&time=10%2016%20PDT&year=2004&public=1

September 2004 Massachusetts Wetlands Restoration Update Available

The September 2004 Massachusetts Wetlands Restoration Update has been posted on the WRP web site.  Click the link below to view the update. http://www.mass.gov/czm/wrp/education/currentupdate.htm

 

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PUBLICATIONS and RESOURCES

Tip Of The Mitt Releases "Restoring The Connections"

MWAC newsletter, 10/2/04.  Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council has released a wonderful new publication: Restoring the Connections - Stories of Ecosystem Restoration in the Great Lakes. This 4 color, 44 page book features 18 successful ecosystem restoration projects from across the Great Lakes. The projects demonstrate many kinds of ecosystem restoration - from wetland restorations to the redeveloped Ford Rouge facility and from urban streambank stabilization with native vegetation to dredging contaminated sediments. To order a copy, please call (231) 347-1181 x. 100. Restoring the Connections will also be available at the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council website on Monday.

170 New Water Trails Miles Developed In Chesapeake Bay Watershed

EPA Region 3 EnviroBytes for the week ending October 15, 2004. "170 new water trail miles were developed in the Chesapeake Bay watershed during 2004. There are currently an estimated 1,669 miles of water trails in the Bay watershed and the goal to increase them by 500 miles has been achieved ahead of schedule. The network of water trails is being developed as part of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network, a partnership of diverse linked sites, water trails and other routes. Information about the water trails can be found at http://www.baygateways.net/paddling.cfm"

North Coast Newsletter  (NCN) From the Ohio Lake Erie Commission

The Ohio Lake Erie Commission is pleased to announce that its Fall 2004 edition of its electronic, North Coast Newsletter, is now available for download at http://www.epa.state.oh.us/oleo/ncn/ncn2004/septoct04web.pdf. Highlights in this issue for Sept / October are: Release of Ohio's 2004 State of the Lake Report ~ Lake Erie Quality Index; Second ProgressReport: Lake Erie Protection & Restoration Plan; Announcement of 2004 Lake Erie Protection Fund Grants Awards; 2004 Ohio Lake Erie Awards; "Life on Lake Erie" 2004 Photo Contest Winners Announced.  Please visit the Commission web site for updates on all of its Lake Erie programs and projects featuring the new Toledo Harbor Lighthouse License late commemorating its 100-year anniversary http://www.epa.state.oh.us/oleo/

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POTPOURRI

Mark Anderson Gets The Vote In The 2004 Federal Duck Stamp Contest

USFWS news release, 10/7/04.  Wildlife artist Mark Anderson, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was the winner in the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest on October 5. Anderson's acrylic painting of two male hooded mergansers bested 223 other entries and will grace the 2005-2006 Federal Duck Stamp, which goes on sale July 1, 2005.  The sale of Federal Duck Stamps raises approximately $25 million each year to fund waterfowl habitat acquisition for the National Wildlife Refuge System.  The Federal Duck Stamp Contest is sponsored each year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. http://news.fws.gov

PhD Assistantship in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at University of Florida

Ecology list-serve, 10/2004.  This assistantship is for a PhD student to conduct research on the ecology, reproduction and population biology of long-legged wading birds in the Florida Everglades. Full salary, tuition, field housing, and research funds are provided for four years beginning January 2005. The candidate will be expected to develop a research project within broadly established project guidelines, and to work part time as a team member surveying waterbird populations in the Everglades. There is the opportunity for research to build on databases of 18 years duration and collaboration with a variety of existing projects. See website at http://wwww.wec.ufl.edu/faculty/FrederickP/ Last date to apply is November 15, 2004.

Northern California: Senior Salt Marsh Ecologist, Additional Staff Positions Available

H. T. Harvey & Associates, Northern California, has an immediate opening for a senior salt marsh ecologist to assist with a 5-year effort to plan and design the largest tidal marsh restoration project on the west coast; this project covers the restoration of over 14,000 acres of former salt ponds in south San Francisco Bay. Work and research would involve studying tidal marsh ecology and restoration issues; and designing, implementing and monitoring large scale restoration projects both underway and proposed. For more information about H. T. Harvey & Associates and our areas of expertise, log on to http://www.harveyecology.com

Technical Guidance on CAFOs is Now Available

EPA WaterNews for September 30, 2004.  EPA has published a technical guidance entitled Managing Manure at Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). The guidance was prepared for the NPDES permit authorities, permittees, and technical service providers  who implement EPA's February 2003 revisions to the permit regulations and effluent guidelines for CAFOs. The 2003 regulations reflected unprecedented cooperation between EPA and USDA (Department of Agriculture) to help livestock and poultry producers meet their own and society's goals for environmental quality and profitability.  The detailed information in this guidance will help prevent billions of pounds of pollutants from entering America's waters. You can find the guidance document on EPA's web site at www.epa.gov/guide/cafo.

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MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES

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