INDEX:

---EDITOR'S NOTE--

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

·	EPA Works with Partners on Hurricane Clean-up
·	Restoring Virginia's Wetlands, A Citizen's Toolkit
·	Protect Iowa's Precious Wetlands
·	U.S. In Need Of Comprehensive Wetlands Policy
·	9th National Mitigation & Conservation Banking Conference
·	New MAIA Publication On Vernal Pools Available
·	RI DEM Official Criticizes Proposed Accelerated Application Process

---NATIONAL UPDATES---

·	Native U.S. Turtles Gain International Protection
·	Report Calls for Huge Efforts on Great Lakes
·	Environmentalists To Appeal U.S. Border Fence Ruling
·	Nature Conservancy Pays $2.2 Million To Preserve Forestland in Maine
·	2005 in Review: Species Rediscovered in Protected Areas and Wildlife Refuges

---LEGISLATIAVE NEWS---

·	Senate Puts Arctic Drilling On Ice

---STATES NEWS---  

·	AK: Updated Wetlands Map Raises Permit Concerns
·	CT DEP: New Interactive Training DVD For Municipal Inland Wetlands Agencies
·	NY: Lewisboro Homeowners Sue Over Wetlands Law
·	WA: State "wetland bank" pilot program launched in Snohomish County
·	GA: Environmentalists Sue Corps Over Wetlands Mining Permit
·	FL: Easier Permits Endanger Wetlands
·	New York State Offers Hudson River Restoration Plan
·	Regulators Said Go Easy On Polluters, DEP Staff Say
·	WI Wetland Protection Regulations Under Scrutiny   Senate Hearings in Early January

---PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES---

·	New Book: Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems
·	Watershed Planning Handbook is Published
·	EPA Sponsors Webcast on Trading for Water Quality Protection
·	New Document on Rapid Response to Invasive Species - Now Available

---POTPOURRI---

·	USFWS Seeks Proposals From States For 2006 Endangered Species Grants
·	EPA Replaces Controversial Sewage Treatment Policy With Safer Alternative
·	Hundreds of Species Cling to Existence in Just One Place on Earth
·	Stormwater/Water Resources Engineer
·	Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants 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,

Whether for better or for worse, did any of you foresee the changes that happened in your lives over the past year? I for one did not anticipate many of the turns my life took, and it is both exhilarating and terrifying to think of how different December 2006 might look for the Brady-Connor household when compared to December 2005. One thing I’ve come to realize quite recently is how very finite everything is. It wasn’t that long ago that there was always time to take care of things, so much time that I could instead take long baths, read books, watch movies, or sleep ten hours a night. Or, there was more than enough money, and if there wasn’t I’d just work a few extra hours or moonlight for a while. But suddenly time and money are precious commodities, and those ten-hour sleep nights seem frivolous, as does dinner out for the fifth time in a week just because no one feels like cooking. I suppose that’s what happens when there’s a new baby and a new business, but I just never saw it coming.  My New Year’s resolution: to take a few moments each morning [I do mornings now!] to identify and think about how I can best spend the day to accomplish the important things, including spending precious moments with my husband and children. I welcome your New Year’s resolutions, too – perhaps next year we can compare notes and see just how well we did in sticking to them.  For you philatelists, the US Postal Service is focusing on wetlands for its next “Nature of America” stamp pane.  "Nature of America: Southern Florida Wetland" is the eighth in an educational series designed to promote appreciation of major plant and animal communities in the United States. It will be dedicated next fall in southern Florida. Twenty-one plants and animals illustrated on this imaginary setting reflect the abundance of species that could be encountered in or near this freshwater-saltwater scene. These stamps are fun to use, and are a nice change of pace from the other more generic postage stamps. CORRECTION: In the last edition, the link to EPA’s National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Urban Areas was incorrect. The correct link is http://epa.gov/nps/urbanmm; I’m sorry I let that one slip past. Happy New Year, everyone! Jennifer Brady-Connor Editor, Wetland Breaking News

EDITOR'S CHOICE

EPA Works with Partners on Hurricane Clean-up

Metairie, La. -The Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the Presidential natural disaster declaration, has activated emergency environmental resources to address hazardous materials and oil spill issues. This multi-agency effort, organized under the National Response Plan, comprises the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Coast Guard. The operations are based at a closed Louisiana Technical College facility in Metairie, Louisiana. "The federal environmental agencies with their state and local agency partners have done a remarkable job responding to environmental problems created by the hurricanes," said Deborah Dietrich, chair of EPA's National Response Team. "But even more post-hurricane work is needed in 2006." "We have effectively managed the disposal of eight million of the 22 million tons of debris generated by the hurricanes," said Chuck Brown, LDEQ assistant secretary. "As we continue our cleanup efforts in 2006, our partners are committed to properly disposing of each waste stream in the most efficient and environmentally sound manner." The Coast Guard, along with its agency partners, responded immediately following the hurricane to six major and three medium spills of about eight million gallons of oil. The spills all resulted from storm damage to facilities.  Since then, the Coast Guard has recovered about four million gallons of oil. The remaining oil was naturally dispersed, evaporated or burned off in a process known as in-situ burning.  In addition, pollution investigation teams responded to more than 100 spill reports. For more information about the combined response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, go to http://www.epa.gov/katrina/ , http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/ , or http://www.uscgstormwatch.com/go/site/1008/T . Please contact the National Response Center at 800-424-8802 to report any oil or chemical spills.

Restoring Virginia's Wetlands, A Citizen's Toolkit

12/19/05: With special thanks to the US Environmental Protection Agency's Wetlands Program Development Grant, VA DEQ and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay are pleased to announce the 12/19/05 release of Restoring Virginia's Wetlands, A Citizen's Toolkit. This document will provide the Citizens of Virginia with information concerning wetlands and to promote the voluntary protection, enhancement, restoration and creation of wetlands on private as well as public lands within the Commonwealth.  This ToolKit provides information to Virginia’s landowners, both private and public, on the status of wetlands, various options for the use and management of their wetlands, current regulatory protection as well as voluntary efforts, and technical and financial resources for protection, enhancement, restoration and creation projects.  The ToolKit also guides individuals through the background information necessary to understand wetland functions and values, as well as the basics regarding wetland identification and wetland monitoring. http://www.deq.state.va.us/wetlands/volrestor.html

Protect Iowa's Precious Wetlands
By REGISTER EDITORIAL BOARD, 12/10/05. “Anyone who has seen a pre-dawn mist rising from a wetland in the midst of endless farm fields should be glad the state plans for the first time to designate 700 of them for protection. In the mid-1800s, these natural jewels covered 4 million acres of the state. Today, 99 percent have been drained for agriculture. Remaining or restored wetlands are havens for wildlife and public recreation: hiking, hunting and bird-watching. Now, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has drawn up a list of wetlands that would be separated from future livestock-confinement operations by a 2,500-foot buffer. A 2002 law authorizes doing so. Only public wetlands are eligible for the designation. Wetlands in drainage or levee districts are not. And a new or expanding confinement may locate closer than 2,500 feet if an earthen berm is constructed to contain manure spills … “ To learn more about the proposal, go to: www.iowadnr.com/afo/newrules.html
U.S. In Need Of Comprehensive Wetlands Policy
Babe Winkelman is a nationally known outdoorsman who has been teaching people to fish and hunt for 25 years. He has composed the following op-ed on the lack of a comprehensive U.S. wetlands policy that was published 12/15/05 in The Pilot-Independent. - “Astute readers of this column will remember that President Bush made a pledge to all hunters, anglers and conservationists to preserve wetlands. The president not only reaffirmed his father's pledge of a no net loss of wetlands, but also committed his administration to a policy of gaining wetland habitat each year. Both pledges were lavished with considerable praise from the Usual Suspects of the conservation movement — from mainstream hook-and-bullet groups to hardcore environmental activists … But two General Accountability Office (GAO) reports released recently, not to mention actions taken by some federal lawmakers, illustrate just how far out in the wilderness we are as a nation on wetlands preservation … “ http://www.walkermn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=6&story_id=212537
9th National Mitigation & Conservation Banking Conference
The semi-final program for the 9th National Mitigation & Conservation Banking Conference is now available online at www.mitigationbankingconference.com. Of particular interest to this group is a presentation on “Working with Land Trusts” in a session on Long-term Stewardship.  The Conference is scheduled for April 24-27, 2006, in Portland, Oregon.  It is a truly worthwhile opportunity to understand and stay on top of current trends and issues surrounding the mitigation and conservation banking industry.  In addition to the interactive concurrent and plenary sessions, the conference offers Field Trips, Regulator & Banker Forums, and primers on Banking & Stream Banking, and more. www.mitigationbankingconference.com
New MAIA Publication On Vernal Pools Available
EPA Region 3 EnviroBytes for the weeks ending 12/09/05 and 12/16/05. “The Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA) (of which EPA is a partner) is a research, monitoring, and assessment program in the mid-Atlantic region. MAIA has issued a new publication: "Introduction to Mid-Atlantic Seasonal Pools," considered an important source of information on the region's seasonal/vernal pools, its dependent fauna and efforts to maintain them. Seasonal pools provide important ecological services to the mid-Atlantic region. For more information on MAIA and its publications visit http://epa.gov/maia “
RI DEM Official Criticizes Proposed Accelerated Application Process
December 26, 2005. PROVIDENCE, R.I. –“A permit supervisor for the Department of Environmental Management sharply criticized a state proposal that would speed up the application process for developers. The plan would allow developers seeking wetlands and septic-system permits to pay a fee of several hundred dollars to have their applications handled quicker. The DEM has said the accelerated program would reduce the time it takes to process a developer's application, with agency staffers working overtime to provide faster service. A report issued by the DEM says the processing time ranged from 30 to 100 days for the 2,500 septic-system applications submitted last year, while the agency took between 35 to 65 days to handle the 90 wetlands applications it received. The DEM says it could take one or two weeks to process the applications under the fast-tracked program. The agency would return the applicant's money if it could not process the application in the allotted time. Charles Horbert, a permit supervisor in the DEM's wetlands program, said during a public hearing Friday that the accelerated review process would foster a belief that money can buy special treatment from the state. The new fees, he said, would promote "reprehensible and inaccurate perceptions of our conduct being legally condoned," according to The Providence Journal. He said he had been offered "incentives" for faster service or favorable treatment at least a dozen times in his career, and had always turned them down. And Horbert said his staff did not want to work overtime to process the applications. Thomas D. Getz, assistant to the DEM director, said the program would allow developers who needed a permit quickly to go through a legitimate accelerated process and would take them out of the agency's regular workload. The DEM has implemented policies since the 1990s aimed at speeding up the permitting process. A second public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13 at 1 p.m.
Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.projo.com/ “

http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2005/12/26/dem_ official_criticizes_ proposed_accelerated_application_process/

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NATIONAL UPDATE

Native U.S. Turtles Gain International Protection

USFWS news release, 12/16/05. The alligator snapping turtle and all species of map turtles, which are native to the United States, are being given international protection by their addition to Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the USFWS announced.  The listing, which will allow the Service to work with States to regulate exports, marked the first time the U.S. has used Appendix III to protect native species. The alligator snapping turtle, the largest freshwater turtle in the world, is found in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The Appendix-III listing of these species requires a CITES export permit issued by the Service for all shipments of live specimens or products containing the turtle species.  http://news.fws.gov/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=3432C079-65BF-03E7-2EAF1C827CEA0EE1

Report Calls for Huge Efforts on Great Lakes

By FELICITY BARRINGER, NY TIMES. Published: December 13, 2005.  WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 - Cleaning up the Great Lakes will involve heavy investments in wastewater treatment facilities, wetlands restoration and barriers against invasive fish, a coalition of government officials, teamed with businesses and American Indian tribal groups, announced in a report made public Monday. But on the subject of paying for the work, which the task force estimated would cost $20 billion over 15 years, the partners in the effort delicately diverged … “ http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/13/politics/13lakes.html

Environmentalists To Appeal U.S. Border Fence Ruling

December 14, 2005 — By Reuters. SAN DIEGO — Environmental activists vowed Tuesday to appeal a ruling by a San Diego federal judge allowing the United States to finish building a fence along the border with Mexico despite concerns that it would threaten a wildlife habitat. The Department of Homeland Security won the right Monday to finish the remaining 5 miles of the border fence in southern California by invoking a little-known federal law that allows the agency to waive state and federal environmental laws in the name of security … Most of the 14-mile, triple-wide fence, begun in 1996, has been completed. But environmentalists have been fighting 5 miles of the fence, including a stretch that crosses Smugglers Gulch in the Tijuana Wetlands and the Tijuana Estuary, havens for endangered species … “ http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9456

Nature Conservancy Pays $2.2 Million To Preserve Forestland in Maine

December 30, 2005 — By John Richardson, Portland Press Herald. “The Nature Conservancy said this week that it paid $2.2 million to preserve nearly 10,000 acres of forestland in Hancock County, Maine, capping a busy year for groups working to conserve open spaces around the state. The land, called the Spring River block, sits next to state-owned conservation property northeast of Ellsworth and includes land along two rivers that are considered critical habitat for endangered Atlantic salmon … The project is one of many that made 2005 a successful year for conservation, according to Kidman and others, despite continuing development pressure, rising land values and increasing competition for funding … “  http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9569

2005 in Review: Species Rediscovered in Protected Areas and Wildlife Refuges

December 30, 2005 — By Center for Biological Diversity. Tuscon, AZ — “The year 2005 brought news of the rediscovery of seven extinct or extirpated species in the United States, according to a report by the Center for Biological Diversity. The most prominent of these was the ivory-billed woodpecker, sighted for the first time in 60 years in Arkansas’ Cache River National Wildlife Refuge. While the woodpecker dominated the headlines, there were several other announcements in 2005 of species that had emerged from extinction or extirpation to be rediscovered in their former territory. The least Bell’s vireo was observed nesting in the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge in central California after being extirpated from the central valley in the 1980s … “  http://www.enn.com/aff.html?id=1066

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LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Senate Puts Arctic Drilling On Ice

By J.R. Pegg. WASHINGTON, DC, December 22, 2005 (ENS) – “The U.S. Senate Wednesday blocked a rider to a $453 billion military spending bill that would permit oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The vote is a bitter defeat for drilling proponents who hoped to open the refuge by adding the provision to a defense appropriations bill that lawmakers are loathe to delay … “  http://www.ens-newswire.com CHRONOLOGY - Congress Wrestles With ANWR Oil Drilling http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/34139/story.htm World Environment News - December 21st, 2005 from Planet Ark

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STATES NEWS

AK: Updated Wetlands Map Raises Permit Concerns
Story last updated at 10:39 AM on Thursday, December 22, 2005. By Michael Armstrong, Staff Writer. “An updated, more accurate wetlands map completed earlier this year has been hotly debated among developers and builders working in Homer. Some builders used to a fast permit process at the city of Homer found themselves last fall having to go to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — and facing delays of a month or more. A multi-agency group led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing city of Homer wetlands and is working to have a new permitting plan ready by the 2006 construction season … “  http://www.homernews.com/stories/122205/news_20051222002.shtml
CT DEP: New Interactive Training DVD For Municipal Inland Wetlands Agencies
CT DEP news release, 12/13/05. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is hosting a "movie" premier tonight – to debut a special DVD that provides information and training for people who serve on municipal inland wetlands commissions/agencies. Following tonight’s "premier," DEP will immediately begin distributing a copy of the interactive DVD to each of the state’s 170 Inland Wetlands Agencies. The DEP provides workshops to educate members of the local commissions on how to carry out the municipal regulation of activities affecting wetlands and watercourses. The new interactive training DVD focuses on the Act and examines critical topics such as the definitions of inland wetlands and watercourses, the commission meeting, and timelines for applications and amendments. http://dep.state.ct.us/whatshap/press/2005/cc121305.htm
NY: Lewisboro Homeowners Sue Over Wetlands Law
By ROB RYSER, THE JOURNAL NEWS. 12/19/05. LEWISBORO — “[Since] the turn of the millennium, Lewisboro has been a vanguard of the open-space renaissance in northern Westchester, passing a preservation referendum, electing green candidates, buying 600 acres off the development market, and enacting a strict wetlands protection law that was the toast of Lower Hudson environmentalists. But the zeal that passed for progressive is now being labeled oppressive in a double civil rights lawsuit headed for trial in the summer. And the man among the most identified with the town's environmental sensibility — Supervisor James Nordgren — is on his way out after an election loss to a moderate Republican newcomer. The federal lawsuits accuse Nordgren and the town's environmental enforcers in the planning department of using the 2004 wetlands law Nordgren wrote as a Planning Board member as a pretext for illegal property searches, selective prosecution, and imposing heavy fines of $10,000 to $100,000 … “
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051219/ NEWS02/ 512190314/1025/NEWS09
WA: State "wetland bank" pilot program launched in Snohomish County
WA DOE news release, 12/12/05. OLYMPIA - A new wetland restoration project in Snohomish County will serve as the first "wetland bank" approved by state, local and federal agencies under a Department of Ecology (Ecology) pilot wetland mitigation bank program. Ecology, U-S Army Corps of Engineers and Snohomish County officials are cooperating on the project.  They say they hope the wetland bank will make it easier, faster, and more affordable for developers to meet wetland requirements successfully.
The memorandum of agreement was approved with Habitat Bank LLC for a 225-acre project located near the Snoqualmie River just north of the King County line. The privately funded project is open for business. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2005news/2005-294.html For more information: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/wetmitig/index.html
GA: Environmentalists Sue Corps Over Wetlands Mining Permit
12/12/05. RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press, SAVANNAH, Ga. – “Environmental groups are suing the Army Corps of Engineers for granting a permit for titanium mining on 100 acres of freshwater wetlands near the Satilla River in southeast Georgia. The suit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Waycross, accuses the Corps' Savannah district office of violating wetlands protection provisions of the federal Clean Water Act. According to the lawsuit, the Corps granted the permit in October to Florida-based mining company TE Consolidated, which began a $35 million mining operation last year on 1,500 acres near Lulaton in Brantley County. The Corps gave its permission without proof that the company had no feasible alternative to mining in the wetlands, as required by federal law, said Chris DeScherer, an attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center in Atlanta. He argued the Brantley County site has plenty of space for mining outside the wetlands … “ http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/politics/13391073.htm
FL: Easier Permits Endanger Wetlands
St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg,FL,USA. “Although federal officials rarely balk at building on Florida wetlands, developers are pressing for state authorities to get the final say for issuing half the permits. That's because developers believe the state will approve permits much faster than the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the agency that is supposed to protect Florida's swamps and marshes. If the state does get the final say on permits for projects of 10 acres or fewer - and it could happen next year - it could spell further trouble for Florida's waterways. State officials dispute that suggestion, but a St. Petersburg Times examination has found that when the state reviews proposals for building on wetlands, it fails to protect against serious water pollution …
“http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/26/Statebylinecraigpittmanand matthewwaite/ Easier_permits_endang.shtml
New York State Offers Hudson River Restoration Plan
ALBANY, New York, December 24, 2005 (ENS) – “People would be able to fish and swim the entire 315 mile length of the Hudson River under the Hudson River Estuary Program's newly released final draft Action Agenda to honor exploration of the river by Henry Hudson nearly 400 years ago. By restoring and protecting the whole river, the plan aims to safeguard the Hudson River Estuary, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean under the Verrezano Narrows bridge in New York Harbor … “  http://www.ens-newswire.com [NYS DEC news release, http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/press/pressrel/2005/2005145.html]
Regulators Said Go Easy On Polluters, DEP Staff Say
By MIKE SALINERO, Tampa Tribune, Dec 17, 2005. TAMPA – “High-level environmental regulators in the Florida Panhandle told their employees to go easy on polluters, stopping inspectors from levying fines and other penalties, according to sworn statements from state workers. Employees with the Northwest District of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection say they were discouraged from taking tough action against chronic polluters. Some employees said their efforts to crack down on violators disappeared into a "black hole" at the Pensacola headquarters. Their testimony was given under oath as part of an internal investigation in June by DEP's Office of Inspector General, detailed in documents recently obtained by The Tampa Tribune … “  http://tampatrib.com/floridametronews/MGBATSOGBHE.html
WI Wetland Protection Regulations Under Scrutiny   Senate Hearings in Early January
WI Wetlands Association has been keeping people up to date on challenges to the state’s wetland protection laws via their e-newsletter.  On December 5th, the WWA sent a Wetland News email notice that a Select Committee on DNR Regulatory Reform had been convened to seek input from Wisconsin landowners on “problems” they had experienced with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (WDNR) implementation of land and water protection regulations, including wetland protections. According to WWA, the examples provided by the committee as evidence that WDNR regularly oversteps its regulatory authority largely involved cases where the agency had protected existing wetlands from development or initiated enforcement actions for illegal wetland fills. To stay abreast of this issue subscribe to the WWA e-newsletter by e-mailing wetlands@wiscwetlands.org

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PUBLICATIONS and RESOURCES

New Book: Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystem

Larry R. Brown, Robert H. Gray, Robert M. Hughes, and Michael R. Meador, editors. As human populations continue to grow, the effects of urbanization on streams and other habitats will become increasingly important to aquatic resource managers and land use planners. Urbanization of watersheds is almost invariably accompanied by loss and alteration of aquatic habitats, two of the most frequently mentioned causes for losses of aquatic biota. This book includes a variety of case studies addressing the effects of urbanization on stream ecosystems at locations ranging from Brazil to Southern California to New York. Of special interest is a group of five papers resulting from an interdisciplinary comparative study of urbanization in Boston, MA, Birmingham, AL, and Salt Lake City, UT. These papers address regional variations in study design and responses of habitat, benthic algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish to urban development. 423 pages, December 2005. Available online through the American Fisheries Society bookstore, www.fisheries.org

Watershed Planning Handbook is Published

EPA's Office of Water has published a guide to watershed management to help various organizations develop and implement watershed plans. The Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters is aimed toward communities, watershed groups, and local, state, tribal, and federal environmental agencies. The 414 page handbook is designed to take the user through each step of the watershed planning process. The handbook is intended to supplement existing watershed planning guides that have been developed by agencies, universities, and other nonprofit organizations. This handbook is more specific than other guides about quantifying existing pollutant loads, developing estimates of the load reductions required to meet water-quality standards, developing effective management measures, and tracking progress once the plan is implemented. The handbook is available online at http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbook  You can order a free copy from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications by calling 800-490-9198 or e-mail ncepimal@one.net. When ordering, please refer to EPA document number: EPA 841-B-05-005.

EPA Sponsors Webcast on Trading for Water Quality Protection

WaterNews for December 22, 2005. EPA's Watershed Academy sponsors monthly Webcasts to offer free training and information for watershed practitioners around the globe. The next Webcast is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2006, and will cover a new draft Watershed Planning Guidance.  This guidance, due to be released soon, will be a very useful resource for practitioners developing and implementing comprehensive watershed plans to meet water quality standards and protect water resources. Registration is available on a first-come/first-served basis. Each Webcast includes a Web-based slide presentation with a companion audio portion that can be accessed either by phone or by streaming audio broadcast. For more information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts. The Academy hosted a Webcast on Introduction to Trading for Water Quality Protection on Dec. 14.  The Webcast attracted more than 270 participants from 32 states and Canada.  Audio versions of this and past Webcasts are available at: http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts.

New Document on Rapid Response to Invasive Species - Now Available

WaterNews for December 22, 2005. The Office of Water has released a publication entitled “Overview of Authorities for Natural Resource Managers Developing Aquatic Invasive Species Rapid Response and Management Plans.” This publication provides an overview of EPA authorities that may apply to aquatic invasive species rapid response or control actions.  This is a tool designed for natural resource managers developing aquatic invasive species rapid response and management plans.  The document can be accessed online at www.epa.gov/owow/invasive_species

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POTPOURRI

USFWS Seeks Proposals From States For 2006 Endangered Species Grants

USFWS news release, .  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is now seeking proposals from states and U.S. territories interested in acquiring land or planning for endangered species conservation. Through the fiscal year 2006 appropriation from Congress, more than $70 million is available in the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund for conservation planning activities and habitat acquisition for federally protected species. Proposals must be submitted to Service Regional Offices by March 20, 2006. For more information visit http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/.

EPA Replaces Controversial Sewage Treatment Policy With Safer Alternative

NRDC news release, 12/19/05. WASHINGTON - The EPA today announced a proposal based on a draft by a top U.S. environmental group and a national wastewater utility trade association that will protect the public from exposure to inadequately treated sewage in their drinking water and on their beaches. The new plan is an alternative to an earlier EPA proposal that generated protest from public health and environmental organizations for being dangerously inadequate. In an unusual move, EPA responded last April by encouraging the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) to work together to solve the problem. The two organizations delivered the plan to EPA in late October. For a copy of the NRDC-NACWA plan, visit  http://www.nrdc.org/media/docs/051027.pdf

Hundreds of Species Cling to Existence in Just One Place on Earth

WASHINGTON, DC, December 13, 2005 (ENS) - Animals, birds and plants are going extinct more quickly now than they have for thousands of years. To help save as many species as possible, scientists working with the 52 member organizations of the Alliance for Zero Extinction have identified endangered species whose global populations are reduced to just one primary site. If that site can be protected with "immediate and direct" action, the Alliance believes, the species living there can be saved. …The sites where these 794 species cling to existence are called "centers of imminent extinction" in the study published Monday in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences." http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2005/2005-12-13-06.asp

Stormwater/Water Resources Engineer

Posted by Lauren Lasher to Nonpoint Source Info list-serve. Join the Center for Watershed Protection team and use your skills to make a real difference in watershed practices on the ground across the nation. We are looking for a creative individual with a proven track record to perform and manage a wide range of technical projects, including: stormwater BMP design, applied stormwater research, watershed restoration plans, and writing of innovative guidance manuals on stormwater and watershed practices. The ideal applicant will have between five and ten years of experience in developing stormwater management, and watershed restoration solutions, and have outstanding technical and project management skills. More information on the position and application process can be found on our website - www.cwp.org

Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants Program

The National Association of Counties, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Wildlife Habitat Council, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other sponsors, are pleased to solicit applications for the Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants Program. The Five-Star Restoration Program provides modest financial assistance on a competitive basis to support community-based wetland, riparian, and coastal habitat restoration projects that build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach and training activities. http://www.nfwf.org/programs/5star-rfp.cfm

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MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES

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