INDEX:

---EDITOR'S NOTE--

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

·	TPL to Produce Wetlands Protection Booklet
·	OH EPA Makes "Integrated Wetland Assessment Program" Document Available for Review
·	Federal Judge to Determine Next Step in Everglades Restoration
·	Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy Released

---NATIONAL UPDATES---

·	NRCS Provides $5 Million to Restore and Protect Wetlands
·	Salamander Species Has Deformities
·	Biologist Who Fought for Panthers is Reinstated to Job
·	Refuge Research Focuses on Aggressive Deeprooted Sedge Weed

---LEGISLATIAVE NEWS---

·	Congress Adjourns for Summer Recess After Progress on Appropriations
·	Senate Water Infrastructure Bill
·	Senate OKs Energy Bill, Bush to Sign it into Law
·	House Approves New Mississippi River Locks among $10 Billion in Corps of Engineers Projects

---STATES NEWS---  

·	New York State Releases Draft Report From Invasive Species Task Force
·	Corps: VA Parkway Would Harm Wetlands
·	EPA Fines CA Developer $47,500; Orders Restoration
·	NM: Oasis Purchase Could Save Endangered Sunflower
·	Protecting California Salamander to Cost $367 Million
·	LA: Saving Coastal Forests Discussed
·	NYS Senator Blocks Wetlands Bill
·	Tahoe Water Quality: Lake Clarity Improves
·	Corps Cites Seattle for Filling Wetlands
·	WA: Comments Sought On Construction Stormwater Permit
·	MD: Delmarva Wetlands Being Restored
·	MD: Chesapeake Developer Starts Bank For Wetlands

---PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES---

·	GLC Develops "Virtual Library" for Great Lakes Areas of Concern, More
·	Paper: Ecological Engineering For Successful Management And Restoration of Mangrove Forests
·	EPA Office of Water Program Mid-Year Performance Report Available On-line
·	Watershed Funding Workshop
·	Research On Pesticide Toxicity Finds 70 Per Cent Of Frogs Deformed In Agricultural Areas
·	Welcome To The Summer 2005 Issue Of The ACJV News
·	Prairie Duck Populations Respond to Wet Habitat Conditions

---POTPOURRI---

·	Position Announcement - Executive Director, Coastal States Organization
·	LA DNR Seeks Coastal Resources Scientist Supervisor
·	Indiana Engineering Firm Is Seeking An Environmental Resource Specialist
·	MA DFG Seeks River Restoration Planner
	MO Dept of Conservation Seeks Wildlife Biologists
·	CONSERVATION INTERNSHIP - Ducks Unlimited, Inc. Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office
·	Environmental Concern Inc. Seeks Wetlands Educator
·	CF Industries National Watershed Award Seeks Nominees
·	NFWF: Pre-Proposals Requested for Bring Back the Natives Aquatic Species Program

---MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES---

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

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear friends and colleagues,

While I was working in this in the middle of the night (after a much-needed afternoon nap) a loud sound from outside my open office window almost startled me into labor!  It was a lone Barred Owl calling loudly from very nearby, and he called about ten times before falling silent or flying off. And the crickets - how harmoniously they chirp on these warm summer nights, punctuated by the occasional call of a tree frog.  My musings are based on asense of pending loss - not because the forest around me is being razed or because the wetlands are being filled, but because our windows will be closed.  Yes - we are getting . . . AIR CONDITIONING!  After twelve years of being a staunch holdout my husband finally got me to say "maybe" and immediately went out and signed a contract for installation after making a large down payment.  Doesn't he know that I'm particularly vulnerable to indulging in creature comforts, especially during this unusually hot summer where every part of my pregnant body produces buckets of sweat? Yes, he does know. And he's not afraid to use it.

A HUGE thank you to people who contributed ideas for a vacation in Orlando that eschewed Disney World. We had a delightful time during a day trip to Alexander Springs in Ocala National Forest, swimming and snorkeling in the cool spring water. On a nearby trail we witnessed a Florida water snake shedding its skin. My snake-fearing husband bravely used a stick to retrieve the perfect snake skin, and it is now lounging on our kitchen counter. In between my mood swings, air-conditioning therapy and thunderstorms we also visited Sea World and had a healthy dose of marine life, and we spent hours and hours swimming in the pool. Now it's back to the grind but don't feel sorry for me - in seven weeks (or thereabouts) I'll have three months of vacation with this new baby. I hope you all get to take a bit of time off to reflect and reenergize as well.

Special thanks to John J. Mack, Wetland Ecology Group, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency; Earle Cummings, retired and loving it in California; Jamie Robb, Indiana DEM; Maria L. Cisco, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LTD; Bronwyn Mitchell, Environmental Concern; Grace Bottitta, Ducks Unlimited; Julie Sibbing, National Wildlife Federation; Vivian Newman, Sierra Club; Jammie Favorite, LA DNR; and Debra Reynolds, USFWS.

Until next time, Jennifer Brady-Connor Editor, Wetland Breaking News

EDITOR'S CHOICE

TPL to Produce Wetlands Protection Booklet

[From Kelley Hart, Program Coordinator] The Trust for Public Land is in the early stages of developing an inspirational booklet for landowners across New England regarding the value of wetlands protection/restoration.  They are trying to identify private landowners from the region whose stories can be included in this publication, and would like to explore the reasons why private landowners manage their lands to protect wetlands, using personal stories from them and their peers in geographically diverse landscapes.  They will focus on current landowner motivation, needs, benefits and values behind wetlands protection/restoration projects and programs. The publication will also showcase alternatives for promoting wetlands protection/restoration with voluntary tools and partnerships. The "role model" is a booklet called "Heroic Tales of Wetland Restoration" - see http://www.wetlandsconservancy.org/heroic_tales.html  These are the basic criteria: private landowner (individual or company), property/wetland located in New England, wetlands on property, landowner is steward of wetland, wetland is fully functioning or the landowner is working towards getting it into good condition.  For more information contact Kelley Hart, Program Coordinator, Trust for Public Land, 660 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20003, TEL:  (202) 543-7552, ext. 38, FAX: (202) 544-4723.

OH EPA Makes "Integrated Wetland Assessment Program" Document Available for Review

The following report is now available on-line.  The Wetland Ecology Section is requesting comment from interested persons on the following document. Please submit comments to John Mack at Wetland Ecology Section, Division of Surface Water, 4675 Homer Ohio Lane, Groveport, Ohio 43125 or john.mack@epa.state.oh.us. Integrated Wetland Assessment Program. Part 6: Standardized Monitoring Protocols and Performance Standards for Ohio Mitigation Wetlands. 2004. PDF (2,857K) WET/2004-6 http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/wetlands/WetlandEcologySection_reports.html [scroll down about halfway]

Federal Judge to Determine Next Step in Everglades Restoration

July 19, 2005. By Curt Anderson, Associated Press. THE EVERGLADES, Fla. "From the air, the endless Everglades appear to teem life . . . Despite the proximity to urban South Florida, few structures are visible in the lonely, flat landscape, with ruler-straight canals the only sign of man's presence. Yet beneath the placid surface is an ongoing life-or-death struggle over the chemical makeup of Everglades water, virtually ruined by decades of fertilizer runoff from 650,000 acres of mainly sugar farms southeast of Lake Okeechobee. The phosphorus-laden runoff promotes unhealthy growth of cattails and other unwanted vegetation, upsetting nature's delicate balance. The long-term health of South Florida's unique ecosystem, the 'river of grass' from Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Keys, depends on the outcome of a court-ordered cleanup . . . " http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=8271

Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy Released

DULUTH, Minn., July 7 - The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration released a draft strategy to restore and protect the Great Lakes ecosystem. More than 1,500 people from government and nongovernmental organizations participated in the six-month effort to draft the strategy. Teams worked on eight critical environmental priorities including aquatic invasive species, habitat conservation and species management, near-shore waters and coastal areas, areas of concern, non-point sources, toxic pollutants, sound information base and representative indicators and sustainability. The reports of these teams form the basis for the draft action plan. They include recommendations for action and focus both on the long-term restoration of the Great Lakes and on the steps that must be taken over the next five years to most effectively achieve results. Following a 60-day public comment period, including five town-hall style meetings, the collaborations leadership will consider the draft recommendations and public comments as they develop a final strategy for approval by the collaboration membership. http://www.glrc.us

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NATIONAL UPDATE

NRCS Provides $5 Million to Restore and Protect Wetlands

NRCS news release, July 19, 2005. NRCS is providing $5 million in Wetlands Reserve Program funding for restoration activities in 20 states to restore and protect nearly 40,000 acres of wetlands. States receiving the funds are California, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Vermont. http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1RD?printable=true&contentidonly=true&contentid=2005/07/0268.xml

Salamander Species Has Deformities

July 12, 2005. By Associated Press, KANSAS CITY, Mo. "The hellbender salamander's numbers continue to decline, and wildlife officials say more are showing up with unexplained deformities. The aquatic animals native to Missouri and Arkansas are considered endangered in Missouri, and the St. Louis Zoo's Center for the Conservation of the Hellbender said the population of one subspecies has declined 70 percent in the state over the past 10 years . . . Now, hellbenders are being found with deformities that include missing or misshapen limbs, wounds that will not heal, and skin lesions. Jeff Ettling, a curator of reptiles at the St. Louis Zoo, said the deformities have been found on adult hellbenders -- and are not birth defects . . . "

Biologist Who Fought for Panthers is Reinstated to Job

July 01, 2005 - By Craig Pittman, St. Petersburg Times. "For six years biologist Andy Eller reviewed development permits to make sure that subdivisions built in the western Everglades would not wipe out habitat for the endangered Florida panther. But Eller's bosses at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service overruled him and developers went around him, even calling Florida's U.S. senators to get approval for projects. Last year, Eller blew the whistle. He filed a formal complaint charging that the Fish and Wildlife Service was using flawed science and that its failure to oppose developers was jeopardizing the panther. He got fired. Three months ago, the Fish and Wildlife Service conceded he was right after all, and its science was flawed. On Wednesday, the 46-year-old Eller was reinstated . . . "  http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=8131

Refuge Research Focuses on Aggressive Deeprooted Sedge Weed

USFWS news, August-September. Deeprooted sedge is an invasive, non-native weed species that could become one of the worst plant threats to the wet coastal grasslands and coastal prairies of Texas and Louisiana. Research this summer at Texas' Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge is exploring ways to keep the weed under control. First reported in the United States in 1990, deeprooted sedge is a native weed of South America that reaches its highest densities in roadside ditches, pastures, and edges of rice fields. A typical plant produces 250,000 seeds per year. Because the weed can spread rapidly and has such high seed production, "this species has the potential to be a serious threat to native ecosystems," according to Matt Whitbeck, wildlife biologist at the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. http://www.fws.gov/news/tipsheet/aug-sep-2005/story04.html

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LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Congress Adjourns for Summer Recess After Progress on Appropriations, Senate Water Infrastructure Bill

Condensed information from The CSO Weekly Report ,  July 29, 2005, Coastal States Organization -- Congress adjourned today for the long district work session, known as summer recess. Congress will reconvene on September 6, 2005.   Although Congress has made steady progress on its Fiscal Year 2006 appropriation bills, it is unclear whether they will be able to complete the bills in time to start the next fiscal year on October 1. The House has considered and passed all of its appropriation bills, while the Senate has passed five out of 12 bills.  Still remaining, the Senate must consider bills to fund the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Transportation, among others. The chart below details the status of appropriation bills relating to environmental programs.  To access to the bills and reports, visit http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app06.html

On July 29, Congress adopted a $26.2 billion Fiscal 2006 Interior-Environment appropriations conference report this week that would cut funding for the Interior Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Forest Service. The bill (HR 2361 - H Rept 109-108) would provide $7.7 billion for the EPA, down $294 million from FY 2005. The EPA funding bill includes nearly $284 million in earmarks for 336 projects. For Interior, the bill provides $9.88 billion of which the U.S. Geological Survey would receive $963, an increase of $27 million, the National Park Service received $1.74 billion, an increase of $60 million, and the Minerals Management Service would receive $160 million, a cut of $14 million from last year.  This is the first appropriations bill to be sent to the President this year. Highlights of the conference report can be found at: http://appropriations.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=511&Month=7&Year=2005

On July 20, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved legislation, sponsored by Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), to authorize spending $38 billion over five years to help municipalities upgrade aging water infrastructure.  The bill, titled Water Infrastructure Financing Act (S. 1400), reauthorizes federal spending on State Revolving Funds (SRFs) to finance water treatment and other projects under the Clean Water Act (PL 92-500) and Safe Drinking Water Act (PL 93-523).  It also authorizes technical assistance for rural and small water treatment works, and places greater emphasis on watershed planning.  The grants would supplement revolving loans already available to municipalities.  To see the bill go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ and search for S. 1400.

Senate OKs Energy Bill, Bush to Sign it into Law

8/1/05. WASHINGTON - "The US Senate gave final congressional approval on Friday to a $14.5 billion energy bill championed by the White House as a way to boost domestic oil and gas supplies, but blasted by environmental groups and other critics as a giveaway to big energy companies. Supporters say the measure will revive America's nuclear power industry, boost oil drilling, convert coal into a cleaner-burning fuel and use home-grown, corn-based ethanol to stretch gasoline supplies. Environmental groups and some Democrats criticized its extensive tax breaks, subsidies and loan guarantees as a lavish gift to an industry enjoying near-record profits . . . http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/31871/story.htm

House Approves New Mississippi River Locks among $10 Billion in Corps of Engineers Projects

July 15, 2005. By John Heilprin, Associated Press. "The House voted on Thursday to approve the nation's costliest waterway navigation project, a $3.6 billion undertaking to ease shipping on the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Environmental and taxpayer groups have opposed the project  . . . "Pork is king. That's what this bill is cobbled together with," said Steve Ellis, a vice president of the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense, which counted 757 separate projects and studies in the $10 billion bill. . . Other major projects include $1 billion in coastal Louisiana projects mainly aimed at slowing erosion, $605 million for the Everglades and $512 million to fix Gulf of Mexico hurricane and storm damage." http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=8240

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STATES NEWS

New York State Releases Draft Report From Invasive Species Task Force

NYS DEC news release, 7/29/05. The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Agriculture and Markets are seeking public comment on the Draft Report of the New York State  Invasive Species Task Force (ISTF) released Thursday.  The Draft Report describes problems associated with invasive plants, animals and pathogens, and discusses existing efforts by government, conservation groups and industry.  The Draft Report also makes recommendations about how New York can more effectively combat this growing and expensive threat. The Draft Report is available in full on the web at www.dec.state.ny.us.  For those without access to the web, copies of the Draft Report can be obtained by calling DEC at 518-402-8924.  Comments will be accepted in writing through September 14,  2005.

Corps: VA Parkway Would Harm Wetlands

7/30/05, The Associated Press. NORFOLK - "Citing environmental and practical concerns, the Army Corps of Engineers has given a thumbs-down to the proposed Southeastern Parkway and Greenbelt, a move that could sideline the long-awaited project. If completed, the $1 billion, limited-access toll road  linking Virginia Beach and Chesapeake could destroy 243 acres of forested wetlands -- more than any highway project in recent state history. In a letter to state and federal transportation officials, the corps' Norfolk District questioned whether highway planners could set aside enough wetlands to offset what would be lost through construction. The lands provide habitats for animals and a natural filtration system for waterways. The proposed highway route could affect nearly 12,000 linear feet of streams in  the Gum Swamp and North Landing River watersheds . . . "http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_Basic Article&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784162936

EPA Fines CA Developer $47,500; Orders Restoration

EPA news release, July 22, 2005. SAN FRANCISCO - EPA has fined a Galt, Calif. developer $47,500 for dumping dredged and fill material without a permit into Cosgrove Creek, its tributaries, and wetlands in the Calaveras River watershed in Valley Springs, a violation of the Clean Water Act. CRV Enterprises and company owner Ryan Voorhees has agreed to protect and preserve 14 acres of similar habitat in the project vicinity, which includes the purchase of 6 acres worth of credits from a wetland mitigation bank and permanently preserving 8 acres of Cosgrove Creek at the violation site. The company will also maintain a 75-foot no-build habitat buffer zone around Cosgrove Creek tributaries while seeking permit authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Sacramento office. http://yosemite.epa.gov/r9/r9press.nsf/news?readform

NM: Oasis Purchase Could Save Endangered Sunflower

7/19/05. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - "The state has bought a desert oasis in Santa Rosa in an effort to protect habitat for the endangered Pecos sunflower -- the first time the state has purchased land to protect an endangered plant. The newly purchased area, known as Blue Hole Cienega, is one of New Mexico's last natural cienega wetlands. The wetlands, south of Blue Hole Park in Santa Rosa, holds one of a few large, existing stands of the Pecos sunflower, which the state listed as an endangered plant species in 1985. The federal government listed it as a threatened plant in 1999. 'Natural cienega wetlands are very rare and threatened habitats in New Mexico,' said Bob Sivinski, program manager for the state Forestry Division's rare and endangered plant program. 'A cienega is like an oasis in a desert that provides habitat for many unique native plants and animals. By preserving Blue Hole Cienega, we're protecting a rare habitat and providing a way to help the Pecos Sunflower recover its population.' he said. 'Our goal is to be able to remove this plant from the endangered and threatened lists.' ..  . " http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2005/07/19/news/ regional/b14971f24c6c9e8f87257042007433b8.txt

Protecting California Salamander to Cost $367 Million

July 18, 2005. By Associated Press, SACRAMENTO - "Protecting the California  tiger salamander as a threatened species will cost the state $367 million in  lost development opportunities over the next two decades, federal wildlife officials said Friday. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service analysis estimated the economic impact of designating about 382,000 acres in 20 California counties as the salamander's 'critical habitat' where development would be restricted. The critical habitat designations for the California tiger salamander's central population -- which includes populations in the San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast and San Francisco Bay area -- were proposed in August last year, and a final rule is due by Aug. 10 . . . " http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=8250

LA: Saving Coastal Forests Discussed

7/13/05. By Mark Schleifstein, Staff writer, Times-Picayune. HAMMOND - "Conservationists and timber industry officials agreed Tuesday night that preserving Louisiana's coastal cypress-tupelo forests is an important goal.  But the timber officials warned against expanding regulatory control over wetland forests not already included in the state's official Coastal Zone, and said they would not support a moratorium on cutting cypress in areas that scientists say hold little hope of regenerating. The comments came at a public hearing at Southeastern Louisiana University on a report by the Governor's Coastal Wetland Forest Conservation and Use Science Working Group. The group recommends a moratorium on harvesting from state-owned lands as well as offering tax credits or other incentives aimed at getting private landowners to agree to delay harvesting . . . " http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1121230588225730.xml

NYS Senator Blocks Wetlands Bill

7/3/05. By Michele Morgan Bolton, Staff writer, Albany Times-Union. ALBANY -  For more than a year, Senate Majority Leader  Joseph Bruno has blocked widely supported wetlands legislation that would limit development on luxury homesites his family's business recently sold for more than $1.1 million. A wide margin of senators -- three-fourths of them by some lobbyist counts -- were prepared to vote for the proposed law, called the Clean Water Protection/Flood Prevention Act, but Bruno refused to allow any full Senate vote. The state Assembly passed the bill 115-28 on Feb. 2. The act would have created basic state protection for small areas of wetlands -- ranging in size from one to 12.4 acres -- that the U.S. Supreme Court in 2001declared exempt from regulation by the federal Army Corps of Engineers . . . " http://www.citizenscampaign.org/news/news070305.htm

Tahoe Water Quality: Lake Clarity Improves

Tahoe Daily Tribune - 7/1/05. By Amanda Fehd, staff writer. "Tahoe's famed clarity fluctuates like the tides and this year is no different. Even though you can now see 73.6 feet deep into Tahoe's blue waters - a slight improvement over last year - scientists are reluctant to say the lake is anywhere in the clear. Once translucent down to 102 feet in the 1960s, the lake is one of the region's top environmental concerns. After millions of dollars have been spent on environmental restoration projects in recent decades, many are hopeful research will soon show those projects are having a positive effect. But no one has drawn that conclusion yet . . . "  http://td.us.publicus.com/article/20050701/News/107010036/-1/NEWS

Corps Cites Seattle for Filling Wetlands

7/6/05. By Jim Brunner, Seattle Times staff reporter. "Federal regulators have cited the city of Seattle for illegally filling wetlands and a portion of Hamm Creek in Southwest Seattle during a major construction project. Responding to a complaint lodged on Earth Day, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers notified the city May 12 that its $26 million Joint Training Facility project had filled a half acre of wetlands without obtaining a Corps permit - a violation of federal law, according to a letter signed by Col. Debra Lewis, head of the agency's Seattle district. City officials said they are cooperating with the Corps and may suggest wetlands restoration at other sites to make up for the error . . . " http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002359493_hammcreek06m.html

WA: Comments Sought On Construction Stormwater Permit

7/6/05. OLYMPIA - The Department of Ecology (Ecology) is inviting comments on revisions to a permit regulating stormwater runoff from construction activities. The primary proposed change in the permit is that construction sites that disturb one or more acres of soil must now obtain permits; the previous threshold was 5 acres and larger. The change is required by the federal Environmental Protection Agency's phase II stormwater rule, which went into effect on March 10, 2003. Other key changes include the requirement that construction operators sample their stormwater discharges and keep muddy water from running off construction sites during storm events.  The permit also will make sure that construction site runoff does not affect polluted water bodies or water bodies with pollution cleanup plans in place. ttp://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/construction

MD: Delmarva Wetlands Being Restored

07/17/2005. Associated Press. The News Journal. GOLDSBORO, Md. - "They are  called Delmarva bays, small Eastern Shore wetlands that existed for thousands of years as sanctuaries for a wide variety of plant and animal life before the first European settlers began to change the face of the land. Now scientists are restoring these small wetlands, also called coastal plain ponds, on 300 acres near Goldsboro in Caroline County. The restoration is part of a project sponsored by the Nature Conservancy with federal and state funding. Doug Samson, a Nature Conservancy scientist who is conducting research at the site, said Delmarva bays are believed to have been formed by winds that buffeted the area 10,000 years ago near the end of the last ice age. The bays are depressional wetlands that flood from time to time, usually during winter. Most dry out by summer, though some remain as small ponds . . . " http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050717/NEWS01/507170349/1006

MD: Chesapeake Developer Starts Bank For Wetlands

7/4/05. By SCOTT HARPER, The Virginian-Pilot. CHESAPEAKE - "It used to be a weedy, vacant lot where thousands of tires were illegally dumped. Now, this 7.5-acre tract in Chesapeake, just off the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River near a chemical plant and a junk yard, is being converted into the state's first tidal wetlands bank. Thomas Tye , a local developer and entrepreneur, is creating this modern environmental tool through a private venture, Chesapeake Land Development LLC. When completed later this summer, the wetlands bank will help compensate for waterfront marshes lost to new piers, bulkheads, boat houses and other shoreline developments . . . "  http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=88685&ran=46876

 

 

 

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PUBLICATIONS and RESOURCES

GLC Develops "Virtual Library" for Great Lakes Areas of Concern, More

Great Lakes Commission e-mail. The Great Lakes Commission has developed a  new web site that provides a "virtual library" of information on the Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC) program and associated Remedial Action Plans (RAP): http://www.glc.org/rap/resources/.  The site was developed under a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes National Program Office.  Information will be updated and expanded as needed as the RAP program evolves. For further information, or to provide updates for the site, please contact John Hummer, Great Lakes Commission, 734-971-9135, jhummer@glc.org.

Paper: Ecological Engineering For Successful Management And Restoration of Mangrove Forests

Roy R. Lewis III, Lewis Environmental Services, Inc., P.O. Box 5430, Salt Springs, FL 32134, USA. Published by Elsevier Press. Abstract: Great potential exists to reverse the loss of mangrove forests worldwide through the application of basic principles of ecological restoration using ecological engineering approaches, including careful cost evaluations prior to design and construction. Previous documented attempts to restore mangroves, where successful, have largely concentrated on creation of plantations of mangroves consisting of just a few species, and targeted for harvesting as wood products, or temporarily used to collect eroded soil and raise intertidal areas to usable terrestrial agricultural uses. Documented here is the importance of assessing the existing hydrology of natural extant mangrove ecosystems, and applying this knowledge to first protect existing mangroves, and second to achieve successful and cost-effective ecological restoration, if needed. Previous research has documented the general principle that mangrove forests worldwide exist largely in a raised and sloped platform above mean sea level, and inundated at approximately 30%, or less of the time by tidal waters. More frequent flooding causes stress and death of these tree species. Prevention of such damage requires application of the same understanding of mangrove hydrology. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. http://www.royrlewis.com/Ecol_Eng_Mangrove_Rest_Lewis_2005.pdf

EPA Office of Water Program Mid-Year Performance Report Available On-line

EPA Water news. The Office of Water has published an assessment of progress in implementing the water elements of EPA Strategic Plan at the mid point in FY 2005.  The new report, along with a cover memorandum from Deputy Assistant Administrator Michael Shapiro, are now available on the internet at www.epa.gov/water/waterplan.  The Report includes three major elements: - performance overviews, highlights, and next steps for each of the ten key subobjectives in the Strategic Plan related to the National Water Program; - overall conclusions and recommendations; and  - appendices including summaries of recent reports by the EPA Inspector General and the GAO, and a status report on PART studies of water programs. In general terms, water program implementation at the mid-point of FY 2005 is strong and is consistent across the EPA Regional office water programs. EPA and States are making progress toward more effective integration of programs and are expanding efforts to coordinate our work with that of other agencies implementing related programs.  At the same time, performance with respect to measures of environmental and public health improvements is mixed or not yet established.  In addition, in looking across all the subobjectives, more work needs to be done to improve tribal program implementation, to improve coordination with respect to compliance and enforcement, to respond to issues related to mercury in water, and to reduce lag times in reporting and analysis of key data.

Watershed Funding Workshop

EPA Waternews. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds Sustainable Finance Team is sponsoring a half-day Watershed Funding Workshop on August 3, 2005 12:30 to 4:30 pm for Washington, D.C. area watershed organizations.  There will be a demonstration of three watershed funding tools, including Plan2Fund, the Directory of Watershed Resources, and the Catalog of Federal Funding Sources.  Plan2Fund is a watershed planning tool that aids organizations in identifying necessary funding for their watershed program plan.  The Directory of Watershed Resources and the Catalog of Federal Funding for Watershed Protection are searchable online databases designed to help organizations learn about funding opportunities available for watershed projects.  There will also be a panel of funding professionals speaking about corporate, private, federal, and foundation funding options.  Please view http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/funding_workshop.pdf for further details and registration information.

Research On Pesticide Toxicity Finds 70 Per Cent Of Frogs Deformed In Agricultural Areas

WetKit. "Frogs are viewed by many environmental scientists as sentinels of our local environmental health because they are highly sensitive to environmental stresses. Pesticides, acid rain, fertilizers, and UV radiation are among the stressors that can disrupt metamorphosis leading to deformities in tadpoles such as extra or missing limbs