INDEX:

---EDITOR'S NOTE--

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

·	Council on Environmental Quality Reports on Progress Achieving the Presidents Wetland Goal
·	May is American Wetlands Month
·	Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 1998 to 2004
·	Empirical Study Finds Wetland Mitigation Banking Shortchanges Urban Areas
·	EPA, Corps Move to Improve Wetlands Restoration and Conservation

---NEWS OF NATIONAL SCOPE---

·	Restoration of Wetlands Key to Reducing Future Threats of Avian Flu
·	National Wetlands Awards Ceremony May 10th
·	Corps Sued To Force Release Of Wetlands Protection Records

---LEGISLATIAVE NEWS---

·	Great Lakes Restoration – Legislation

---NEWS FROM STATES---  

·	N.J. Court Upholds Water Protection Regulation
·	New York, New Jersey Get $27 Million Urban Wetlands Program
·	Michigan Legislature Re-Evaluating Beach Grooming Legislation
·	Judge: Corps Failed Glades
·	Washington Wetlands Protection To Be Improved
·	Wisconsin Wetland Association’s Wetlands and Taxes project
·	Public Notice on Effective Date of Interim Alaska Supplement to Delineation Manual
·	Hilton Head At Odds With South Carolina Wetlands Bill
·	Federal Judge Orders Government To Boost Klamath River Flow To Protect Salmon
·	FL: Wetlands Regulations Clash
·	Everglades Headwaters to Reclaim Original Path with Restoration Project
·	2005 Coastal Louisiana Aerial Photography Now Available

---REPORTS, PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES---

·	Wetland Restoration Manual
·	EPA Publishes New "EPA Watershed Training Opportunities" Booklet
·	New Online Herpetology Journal
·	New Chesapeake Bay Report Highlights Restoration Challenges and Successes
·	Shallow Water Seagrass Beds Are Vanishing
·	Welcome to the April 2006 Edition of the Playa Post!
·	Welcome to the Spring 2006 Issue of Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV) News

---EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES --

·	Hudsonia Ltd. (NY) Seeking Field Biologist [CLOSES 4/28]
·	Environmental Scientist (Wetlands) – Mid Level
·	Lake Almanor Basin Watershed Coordinator, Sierra Institute for Community and Environment
·	Job Postings For The Louis Berger Group
·	Job Postings for the TVA

---POTPOURRI---

·	Fungal Frog Killer
·	CSSF Issues RFP On Science To Management
·	Chemical Attractants Draw Weevil to Invasive Aquatic Plant
·	Audubon Society Names America's 10 Most Endangered Birds
·	Alternative Practices for Highway Stormwater Management Webcasts

---MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES---

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

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This is the first year since 1997 (!) that I did not attend the New York State Wetlands Forum Annual Conference and Meeting, and I am saddened at the thought of missing my friends and colleagues at our annual “reunion”. To those of you who had attended, I hope you had a great time. We received some very welcome rain this past weekend, a nice, steady rain that broke a long spell of nothing but empty clouds and sunshine.  My daughter is out collecting her nightly quota of toads and, if she’s lucky, the occasional frog. We can’t introduce them to her brother yet because everything goes right into his mouth and I understand that toads aren’t too tasty ;~) Rest assured, it is a catch and release program that spares the lives of a few bugs but otherwise leaves the backyard ecosystem undisturbed. Thank you so much to the contributors to this Edition, including Bill Wilen, USFWS; Kate Tully, NHBS; Judy Bailey, US EPA; Barbara Tiner, IWEER; Craig Pittman, ST. Petersburg Times; Earle Cummings, CA Fisherman [sorry I didn’t get this out in time!]; Gwen Arnold, ELI; John Mack, OH EPA; Pat Riexinger, NYSDEC; James Robb, IDEM; Randy Davis, USFS; Steve Wilson, HRES; Gretchen Stevens, Hudsonia; Jane Awl, TVA; and Suzanne Bolton, NOAA Happy Earth Days. May your May be swampy! Jennifer Brady-Connor Editor, Wetland Breaking News

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Council on Environmental Quality Reports on Progress Achieving the Presidents Wetland Goal

From Jeanne Christie, ASWM--A new report to Congress--Conserving America's Wetlands; Two Years of Progress Implementing the President's Goal report's the 1,003,000 acres of wetlands were restored, created, improved, or protected in the past 12 months.  This report summarizes progress towards meeting the wetlands goal of protecting, restoring or enhancing three million acres of wetlands in five years set on Earth Day 2004 by President Bush.  This report should not be confused with the recent FWS Status and Trends report.  That report was a statistically based summary of wetland gains and losses nationally over a six year period.  This report summarizes the acres that have been protected, restored, or enhanced under a variety of federal, state, tribal, and private programs and activities over the past year.  The full report is available on CEQ's website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/wetlands_200604.pdf

May is American Wetlands Month During the month of May, the Nation will celebrate American Wetlands Month, focusing on the economic benefits that wetlands provide.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joins with other federal, state and local agencies and private partners to recognize the wonderful ways that wetlands enrich the environment and society.  Events are scheduled all across the country to educate and involve Americans in better understanding the importance of one of Earth=s most valuable and fragile ecosystems. To learn more about activities for American Wetlands Month, please visit www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/awm/ and the Izaak Walton League of America’s website at www.iwla.org.  Information about wetlands is available at www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands.

Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 1998 to 2004

The fourth in a series of reports to congress that cover the last 50 years, Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 1998 to 2004 measured wetland trends in the conterminous United States between 1998 and 2004.This study found that there were an estimated 107.7 million acres (43.6 million ha) of wetlands in the conterminous United States in 2004. Ninety-five percent of the wetlands were freshwater wetlands and five percent were estuarine or marine wetlands. Despite the net gains realized from restoration and creation projects, human induced wetland losses continued to affect the trends of freshwater vegetated wetlands— especially freshwater emergent marshes which declined by an estimated 142,570 acres (57,720 ha). The report states that “wetland area increased by an average 32,000 acres (12,900 ha.) annually”. However, numerous questions have risen regarding the quality and/or condition of the nation’s wetlands, information that the report does not provide. http://wetlandsfws.er.usgs.gov/status_trends/national_reports/trends_2005_report.pdf  Additional study and status and trends documents http://wetlandsfws.er.usgs.gov/status_trends/index.html and http://wetlandsfws.er.usgs.gov/index.html Ponds Proliferate, but Wetlands Losses Continue, ASWM Press Release. The good news in the recently-released report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States: 1998 to 2004-is the continued decline in the rate of wetland loss. The bad news is that while the rate of wetland loss has declined, tidal salt marshes and shrub swamps continue to be lost at significant http://www.aswm.org/fwp/pressrelease2006.htm#press Are These Both Wetlands? St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg,FL,USA. A federal report touting a big gain in wetlands counts artificial ponds. But US and state agencies don't weigh them equally. By MATTHEW WAITE and CRAIG PITTMAN. ... http://www.sptimes.com/2006/03/31/Worldandnation/Are_these_both_wetlan.shtml Wetlands Report Ruffles Feathers Of Conservationists. Columbus Dispatch - Columbus,OH,USA ... Ducks Unlimited, have taken issue with a Bush administration report released 10 days ago that claims the national goal of no net loss of wetlands has been ... http://www.columbusdispatch.com/outdoors/outdoors.php?story=dispatch/2006/04/06/20060406-C16-00.html

Empirical Study Finds Wetland Mitigation Banking Shortchanges Urban Areas
ELI news release, 3/30/06. Two legal experts have determined that wetland mitigation banking redistributes wetland resources from urban areas to rural ones, leaving city dwellers with fewer important environmental services such as water filtration, erosion protection, and flood control. In their article "The Effects of Wetland Mitigation Banking on People," published by the National Wetlands Newsletter, J. B. Ruhl and James Salzman assert that the wetland mitigation banking industry has a systematic, pervasive environmental downside: mitigation banking shifts environmental services away from urban areas and to rural communities. The article documents the first comprehensive empirical study of demographic changes prompted by wetland mitigation banking, a rapidly growing industry in the United States. http://www2.eli.org/pressdetail.cfm?ID=144 J. B. Ruhl is the Matthew and Hawkins Professor of Property at the Florida State University College of Law in Tallahassee, Florida. James Salzman is a professor at the Duke University School of Law and the Nicholas School of the Environment. The National Wetlands Newsletter, the nation's only wetland law, policy, and science journal, is published by the Environmental Law Institute. The research is also available as a working paper at: Ruhl, J.B. and Salzman, James E., "The Effects of Wetland Mitigation Banking on People" (January 2006). FSU College of Law, Public Law Research Paper No. 179 Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=878331
EPA, Corps Move to Improve Wetlands Restoration and Conservation
Waterheadlines for March 30, 2006. Swamps, bogs, fens, and marshes - in short, wetlands - are as vital to our environment as coral reefs and rain forests. On March 28, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) proposed a new rule to ensure more effective wetlands restoration and preservation nationwide by codifying compensatory mitigation requirements. The agencies' rule, being published for public comment, proposes improved science and results-oriented standards to increase the quality and effectiveness of wetlands conservation practices under the Clean Water Act (CWA). For more information regarding compensatory mitigation and how to provide comments on the proposed standards, visit http://www.epa.gov/wetlandsmitigation. Information about the importance of wetlands is available at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/ Additional information about the Corps' regulatory program can be found at: http://www.usace.army.mil/inet/functions/cw/cecwo/reg/  To read the full press release click here: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/27166bca9a9490ee852570180055e350/e79b20a2b974a1dc8525713e0062cd23!OpenDocument
Additional Note from ASWM:  The deadline for comments on the proposed rule is May 30, 2006.  If the proposed rule is finalized in its current form it would phase out in lieu fee programs, establish procedures and deadlines for developing mitigation banks, and incorporate a watershed approach into compensatory mitigation procedures.  It codifies many existing policies, integrates recommendations of a National Resources Council report on compensatory mitigation and attempts to set similar, consistent standards for all forms of mitigation.

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NEWS OF NATIONAL SCOPE

Restoration of Wetlands Key to Reducing Future Threats of Avian Flu

Nairobi, 11 April 2006 - Restoring tens of thousands of lost and degraded wetlands could go a long way towards reducing the threat of avian flu pandemics a new report today says. The loss of wetlands around the globe (see notes to editors) is forcing many wild birds onto alternative sites like farm ponds and paddy fields, bringing them into direct contact with chickens, ducks, geese, and other domesticated fowl. Close contact of wild birds and poultry species is believed to be a major cause behind the spread of avian influenza. Clearing intensive poultry rearing units from the ‘flyways’ of migratory birds would also be prudent. “Intensive poultry operations along migratory wild bird routes are incompatible with protecting the health of ecosystems that birds depend upon. They also increase the risks of transfer of pathogens between migrating birds and domestic fowl,” says the study. The report has been commissioned by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) from a team led by leading Canadian academic Dr David Rapport. http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=475&ArticleID=5255&l=en

National Wetlands Awards Ceremony May 10th

Please join the Environmental Law Institute in honoring the 2006 National Wetlands Awards recipients at a reception and ceremony on May 10th, 2006. The ceremony will be held from 6:00 - 8:00 pm in the Cannon House Office Building Caucus Room on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. This year's awardees are: Royal Gardner (Florida) for Education and Outreach; Curtis Richardson (North Carolina) for Science Research; Alan Ammann (New Hampshire) for Conservation and Restoration; The Higel  Family (Colorado) for Landowner Stewardship; Francisco Abarca (Arizona) for State, Tribal, and Local Program Development; and Chester McConnell (Alabama) for Wetland Community Leadership. Please RSVP, acceptances only, by May 5, 2006, to ELI by providing your name, affiliation, and phone number to wetlandsawards@eli.org or (202)939-3842.  You can view the full invitation at http://www2.eli.org/pdf/nwa/nwa_2006_invite.pdf For more information about this year's winners, or the National Wetlands Awards program visit http://www2.eli.org/nwa/nwaprogram.htm.

Corps Sued To Force Release Of Wetlands Protection Records

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) news release, 4/11/06. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is refusing to release records documenting a continuing decline in America's shrinking base of natural wetlands, according to a lawsuit filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The Corps is the principal agency overseeing development of what are supposed to be federally protected bogs, marshes, swamps, estuaries and lowlands but the suit filed contends that the Corps stopped responding to PEER requests for permit and enforcement records under the Freedom of Information Act several months ago. http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_34210.shtml

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LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Great Lakes Restoration – Legislation

Excerpt from Northeast-Midwest Weekly Update -- 10 April 2006. Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Carl Levin (D-MI) and Reps. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) and Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) recently introduced legislation (S. 2545 and H.R. 5100) to protect and restore the Great Lakes ecosystem.  The legislation reflects the recommendations from the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration, a partnership of federal, state, and local government officials and program managers, scientists, and interested private stakeholders.  The legislation would [among many other goals] restore fish and wildlife habitat by reauthorizing the Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Restoration Act at $20 million per year … Contact:  Joy Mulinex with the Great Lakes Task Forces (202/224-1211).

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NEWS FROM STATES

N.J. Court Upholds Water Protection Regulation
Thursday, April 13, 2006. “The New Jersey Appellate Division of Superior Court ruled yesterday that a state Department of Environmental Protection regulation for water protection is legal, despite a New Jersey Builders Association claim to the contrary. In a case stemming back to 2004, the association argued that state lawmakers never empowered DEP to establish a 300-foot ‘no build zone’ around the state's waterways, effectively putting 300,000 acres off limits to construction development. The association claimed the rule illegally hampered development in the state. However, a three-judge panel disagreed yesterday, saying DEP did have the authority to impose the rule due to a number of laws that have been passed by the state legislature since 1981 that specified the agency's ability to ‘regulate stormwater management … ’” [For the remainder of this article please e-mail news@aswm.org and I’ll send it to you. / Editor]
New York, New Jersey Get $27 Million Urban Wetlands Program
NEW YORK, New York, April 25, 2006 (Environmental News Service) – “To mark Earth Day 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today broke ground on a $4.3 million Woodbridge Creek Ecosystem restoration project to build and preserve wetlands in New Jersey. Land for the site was donated by the Township of Woodbridge and property access granted by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. This project is part of the ongoing $27 million environmental mitigation program in the Hudson Raritan Estuary and being implemented in conjunction with the $1.6 billion New York and New Jersey Harbor Deepening Project. The overall program will require more than 1.5 million plants to be placed throughout the region … “http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/apr2006/2006-04-25-09.asp#anchor5
Michigan Legislature Re-Evaluating Beach Grooming Legislation
Michigan Wetlands Action Coalition, 4/21/06. “In June 2003, Michigan’s Legislature passed PA 14 which amended Michigan’s wetland law to allow certain types of  “beach grooming” activities on exposed Great Lakes bottomlands and to authorize limited removal of coastal wetland vegetation in specified pilot areas under a letter of authorization from the DEQ director. The new law also requires the DEQ to evaluate these activities and report back to the Legislature and the Governor with findings and recommendations.  The DEQ recently released the ‘Report on the Impacts of Beach Maintenance and Removal of Vegetation under Act 14 of 2003.’” There is a public hearing on this topic on Tuesday, May 9. Contact the Michigan Wetlands Action Coalition at jenniferm@watershedcouncil.org for complete details. The report can be viewed at: http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3313_3687-10202--,00.html
Judge: Corps Failed Glades
By CRAIG PITTMAN and MATTHEW WAITE, 3/24/06. “A federal judge ruled this week that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to protect the environment when it approved permits allowing limestone miners to blast to bits more than 5,000 acres of wetlands in the Everglades. In a scathing, 186-page decision issued Wednesday, Senior U.S. District Judge William Hoeveler said the corps rushed its decision, ignored science, shut out the public and failed to consider less-damaging alternatives. Hoeveler found that corps officials acted from the start as if the mining permits would be approved. That ‘sense of inevitability’ he wrote, resulted in the corps bending the rules to give the miners preference over the public interest. While the miners may lose money by having the permits denied, he wrote, ‘these losses cannot be justification for the ... deleterious environmental effects caused by this mining.’ … ” http://www.sptimes.com/2006/03/24/State/Judge__Corps_failed_G.shtml
Washington Wetlands Protection To Be Improved
3/28/06. OLYMPIA -State and federal agencies have developed new guidance on how to restore, replace and enhance wetlands for fish, wildlife, clean water and flood control as land is converted for road building and commercial and residential expansion. The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have developed joint guidance that will improve wetland "mitigation" and help applicants save time and money by clearly outlining what information needs to be provided to the agencies that need to decide whether a permit can be issued. The new guidance provides predictability and consistency by aligning the three agencies' requirements and expectations for how wetlands are managed in the face of construction projects. Local governments can now adapt their local ordinances to be consistent with the new state/federal guidance and know that they are using the most current and best available wetland science. The guidance document, Wetland Mitigation in Washington State, is available at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0606011a.html
Wisconsin Wetland Association’s Wetlands and Taxes Project
Excerpt from Wisconsin Wetland News, 4/4/06. “As reported in previous issues of Wetland News and WWA’s quarterly membership newsletter Wisconsin Wetlands, one of Wisconsin Wetlands Association’s (WWA) current policy priorities is to encourage the state to remove economic barriers to wetland restoration and conservation. These barriers are most evident in agricultural landscapes where per acre property taxes on lands in agricultural production are often substantially lower than on adjacent lands set-aside to improve water quality, soil-erosion control and other features (e.g., restored wetlands and buffers). WWA research suggests that tax concerns discourage enrollment in the Wetlands Reserve Program and other federal programs, and also discourage other voluntary on-farm conservation practices ...” Click here for more information on WWA’s Wetlands and Taxes project  http://www.wiscwetlands.org/taxes.htm
Public Notice on Effective Date of Interim Alaska Supplement to Delineation Manual
On March 22, 2006 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District, announced the publication and trial implementation period of the Alaska Interim Regional Supplement (Supplement) to the 1987 Wetland Delineation Manual (1987 Manual). This interim document will be tested for one year prior to finalization. Submit comments on this supplement to Katherine Trott, 1987Manual@usace.army.mil. The public notice states that 30 days after March 22, 2006 the Supplemental will be in effect for a trial period. To participate in an orientation session contact the Alaska District office by April 22 via e-mail at regpagemaster@poa02.usace.army.mil or by calling Mr. Mike Holley toll free (within Alaska) at 1-800-478-2712 or 907-753-2712. http://www.usace.army.mil/inet/functions/cw/cecwo/reg/reg_supp.htm.
Hilton Head At Odds With South Carolina Wetlands Bill
BY PETER FROST, The Island Packet, Published Monday, April 3, 2006. “A bill moving to the state Senate floor that aims to protect South Carolina's freshwater wetlands is stirring opposition among Hilton Head Island officials, who say the bill does the exact opposite. The bill's supporters say it's the most comprehensive and balanced wetlands bill drafted, with support from both the South Carolina Association of Realtors and the Coastal Conservation League. But Hilton Head officials say the bill undermines the town's ability to protect the small, isolated freshwater wetlands that make up 80 percent to 85 percent of the town's total freshwater wetlands … “ http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/5634938p-5058783c.html
Federal Judge Orders Government To Boost Klamath River Flow To Protect Salmon
By Matt Weiser -- Sacramento Bee Staff Writer. Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, March 28, 2006. “Embattled Pacific Coast salmon fishermen won a key court victory Monday against the federal government, but it probably comes too late to save this year's fishing season. A federal court in Oakland on Monday ordered the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to boost flows in the Klamath River as soon as Saturday. It marks a major setback for federal water policy on the river, where water diversions in 2002 have been blamed for killing thousands of fish and touching off a population crash that could force a closure of this year's ocean salmon season. … http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14235721p-15056929c.html
FL: Wetlands Regulations Clash
3/29/06, Aaron Deslatte, Pensacola News Journal capital bureau. TALLAHASSEE – “After years of citizen pressure, Escambia County enacted a rule [requiring developers] to pay for wetlands lost to construction [that] was necessary because Panhandle state lawmakers for years resisted creating the same regional wetlands permitting program in place in the rest of Florida. This year, House Speaker Allan Bense, a Panama City homebuilder, has pledged to reverse that political trend and impose the permitting rule in the Panhandle. But that would block a tougher Escambia County guideline already in place… The bill as drafted would nullify an Escambia County requirement that developers build 30-foot buffers of vegetation around wetlands on lands they want to build on, officials said. It could also block the county from enforcing its wetland mitigation program, where developers pay into a county fund to fill in wetlands. http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060329/NEWS01/603290340/1006
Everglades Headwaters to Reclaim Original Path with Restoration Project
April 12, 2006 — By Brian Skoloff, Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — “State water managers have acquired about 103,000 acres of land as part of a plan to reflood 43 miles of the Kissimmee River bed, allowing the water to reclaim its original meandering path toward Lake Okeechobee and on into the Everglades. Development and farm land encroachment have shrunken the Everglades to half its original size of 4 million acres. The Kissimmee River project, authorized by Congress in 1992, will fill a 22-mile flood control canal between the headwaters of the river near Orlando and Lake Okeechobee at the top of the Everglades. Seven miles already have been filled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers… “ http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=10251
2005 Coastal Louisiana Aerial Photography Now Available
Coastal Louisiana post hurricane aerial photography taken in October-December 2005 is now available on the LaCoast website at http://www.lacoast.gov/maps/2005doqq/index.htm. The 1-m color infrared digital ortho quarter quads (DOQQ) are served in both jpg and tiff formats. This photography extends from Gulfport, Mississippi to Sabine Lake, Louisiana and includes areas impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This imagery is provisional. Although reasonable efforts have been made to ensure correctness, the imagery is still in the process of being verified to meet National Map Accuracy Standards. This process should be completed in June.

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REPORTS, PUBLICATIONS and RESOURCES

Wetland Restoration Manual

Wetland Restoration Manual, The Wildlife Trusts' Water Policy Team, 660 pages, b/w photos illus, figs, tabs. Ringbound | 2005 | $78 | The Wildlife Trusts' definitive work on wetland restoration, creation and management, this 16-chapter, 660-page, ring-bound manual contains all the information a conservation professional needs to work effectively on wetland projects. The manual contains guidance on: the background to wetland issues; water-level control; physical works; the main UK wetland habitat types, their protection and restoration; post-industrial land opportunities for wetlands; invasive species; survey and monitoring; and canals. Copies can be ordered through customer.services@nhbs.co.uk, online at www.nhbs.com, by phoning +44 (0) 1803 865913.

EPA Publishes New "EPA Watershed Training Opportunities" Booklet

EPA recently published a new  EPA Watershed Training Opportunities booklet, EPA 841-B-06-001.   This 27-page booklet highlights watershed training opportunities sponsored by EPA’s Office of Water and the Watershed Academy.  The booklet provides brief information on EPA-sponsored live training courses, Web-based training opportunities including Webcasts, training materials such as documents and videos, and watershed-related Web sites that are available to EPA staff and others. This booklet updates an earlier version of the booklet also called EPA Watershed Training Opportunities, EPA 841-B-01-002, published in March 2001. Copies are available at no charge from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) at: 800-490-9198 or 513-489-8190 (please include the document number when you request copies- EPA 841-B-06-001).   The booklet is also available on the Watershed Academy Web site at http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/wtopps.html

New Online Herpetology Journal

Malcolm L. McCallum, Texas A&M University Texarkana, has announced the release of the new journal, "Herpetological Conservation and Biology." This journal is dedicated to the conservation, natural history, and ecology of amphibians and reptiles. The journal has no page charges and no download fees and is run by a group of 50 scientists from around the world. HCB follow ICZN guidelines for deposition of permanent copies of the journal and has been carefully orchestrated to qualify for inclusion in the ISI journal impact ratings.  The journal is/will be indexed by biosys, google scholar, medline, and others. Please check out the HCB webpage www.herpconbio.org

New Chesapeake Bay Report Highlights Restoration Challenges and Successes

CBF news release, 3/31/06. The Chesapeake Bay 2005 Health and Restoration Assessment seeks to provide a clear and concise synopsis of Chesapeake Bay health and the on-the-ground restoration efforts taking place across its 64,000-square-mile watershed. This year's report marks the first step in a three-year plan to expand and improve the Program's annual reports on the Bay. Future assessments will integrate mapping components to detail geographic variations in Bay and watershed health with the overall goal of helping watershed residents better understand conditions in their part of the Bay watershed. http://www.chesapeakebay.net/2005assessmentpress.htm

Shallow Water Seagrass Beds Are Vanishing

DURHAM, New Hampshire, March 28, 2006 (ENS) - Around the world, seagrass beds are in decline, says a scientist who has been studying the shallow water ecosystems for decades. As these underwater meadows disappear, so do commercially valuable shellfish and fish, waterfowl and other wildlife, water quality, and erosion prevention. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2006/2006-03-28-03.asp

Welcome to the April 2006 edition of the Playa Post!

In this issue: 1.  What is Capacity? The PLJV Perspective 2.  Nebraska Game and Parks Jump Starts Capacity in Pine Ridge 3.  Kansas Awarded NAWCA Grant for Jamestown Wildlife Area 4.  KAWS Seeks Landowners and Community Leaders for Playa Conservation 5.  Playa Country Radio features CRP and Mountain Plovers 6.  Follow the Money: State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan Grant Program; State NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants, Small NAWCAs 7.  Happenings Around the PLJV Follow this link for the Playa Post: http://www.pljv.org/newsarchive/PlayaPost/post040601.html

Welcome to the Spring 2006 issue of Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV) news

In this issue: 1. Twenty-four NAWCA Grants Receive Final Approval in ACJV 2. ACJV Management Board and Integrated Bird Conservation Committee Hold Winter Meetings 3. The South Carolina Ivory-billed Woodpecker Working Group 4. The Atlantic Marine Bird Conservation Cooperative 5. Partners in Southern Maine Target Grant Programs to Protect Highest Priority Bird Habitat 6. Upcoming Meetings and Grant Deadlines Click on this link for the ACJV NEWS: http://www.acjv.org/documents/enews4-06.pdf

Introducing the new Massachusetts Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Manual:

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) has developed an updated version of the Massachusetts Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Manual.  In addition to providing updated technical information, the new NPS Manual has been developed as a robust, interactive web-based document, loaded with useful links, a searchable glossary of terms, and an interactive "BMP Selector Tool" that helps users identify the best BMPs for specific NPS management problems. The Manual is available online at http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/resources/nonpoint.htm

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Hudsonia Ltd. (NY) Seeking Field Biologist [CLOSES 4/28]

Hudsonia Ltd., a nonprofit scientific research institute, is seeking a field biologist to carry out habitat mapping projects, and conduct other biological field work in southeastern New York. Candidate must be familiar with northeastern U.S. botany, and have excellent writing skills. Other field biology knowledge and experience with GIS and with stereoscopic aerial photo interpretation are preferred. Responsibilities include map analysis and air photo interpretation for predicting habitats, GIS mapping, field habitat assessments and biological surveys, data management and analysis, writing reports and scientific papers, giving public presentations and educational workshops, and working with municipal agencies. Candidate must be able to work independently on their own projects, and to work closely with other staff in a small organization. Personal vehicle and ability to conduct field work alone on foot year-round required. Send letter, resume, three scientific or technical writing samples, and names and contact information for at least three professional or academic references to: Gretchen Stevens, Hudsonia Ltd., PO Box 5000, Annandale, NY 12504, or e-mail to stevens@bard.edu. Closing date: 4/28 or when position is filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Environmental Scientist (Wetlands) – Mid Level

Responsibilities: Geo-Marine, Inc., has an immediate opening for an Environmental Scientist (Wetlands) to provide expertise as part of a team. Education, Experience, and Skills Required:  Minimum of a B.S. (M.S. preferred) in one of the following disciplines is required: environmental science, wetland sciences, natural resources, biological sciences, ecology, forestry or related field. Additionally, two to five years work experience preferably for, but not limited to, a regulatory agency, consulting firm, or military environmental group. Experience in one or more of the following disciplines are required: wetland delineation, wetland hydrology, wetland mitigation, state and federal wetland regulatory procedures, plant identification or soil classification. The successful candidate will possess strong technical writing and editing, organizational, and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to manage multiple tasks concurrently, while functioning in an environment of changing priorities and time constraints.  Fieldwork in difficult terrain and harsh conditions and extensive travel may be required. Location: Hampton, Virginia. Interested candidates should submit a scientific writing sample and specific project work experience with their resume. Visit our web site to post your resume and submit your application:  www.geo-marine.com/careers.

Lake Almanor Basin Watershed Coordinator, Sierra Institute for Community and Environment

The Sierra Institute for Community and Environment is offering the position of Watershed Coordinator for the Lake Almanor Basin under a California Proposition 13 grant. The position is based in Taylorsville, California and will involve extensive work with a wide variety of people, groups, and agencies to advance sustainable management of the Lake Almanor Basin. The Watershed Coordinator will help establish, coordinate, and serve as staff to the Lake Almanor Advisory Committee which will be working with Plumas County, consultants, and others on the development of a comprehensive watershed plan for the Lake Almanor Basin. For complete details visit http://www.sierrainstitute.us/HTML/Jobs.html

Job Postings For The Louis Berger Group

The Louis Berger Group, Inc. seeks persons experienced in botany, landscape ecology, stream restoration, plant material selection and specifications, material review and acceptance, handling, and installation procedures.  Positions require experience with both tidal and non-tidal systems.  The positions require a B.S. or advanced degrees such as a masters degree in a related discipline or Ph.D. or P.E. and three years experience.  Technical writing skills must be demonstrated. The selected candidates will be skilled in wetland and stream restoration, wetland delineations, wetland permit applications and the development of mitigation plans.  Positions require the ability to perform the identification and analysis of stream and wetland systems including characterization of vegetative communities, soils, and hydrology.  These skills will be required to develop appropriate design plans and specifications for wetland and ha