INDEX:

---EDITOR'S NOTE--

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

·	Permit Suit Tests EPA Plan To End In-Lieu Fees For Wetlands Mitigation
·	Justices Uphold State Rules in Decision on Dam Licenses
·	Extension of Mitigation Rule Comment Period in Federal Register May 23
·	House Vote Supports Clean Water Protection for Isolated Wetlands (USA)
·	The End of the Everglades?  Supreme Court Case Jeopardizes 90 Percent Of U.S. Wetland
·	Turning the Tide – Documentary on New Jersey’s Urban Wetlands

---NEWS OF NATIONAL SCOPE---

·	$300,000 Awarded To Five Coastal County Restoration Projects
·	GAO Report: How States Allocate Revolving Funds and Measure Their Benefits
·	EPA Proposes Rule: Permits Not Needed for Water Transfers
·	USDA Study Shows Decline in Erosion in All Major River Basins
·	Par for the Corps: A Flood of Bad Projects
·	The North American Waterfowl Management Plan Celebrates 20 Years

---LEGISLATIAVE NEWS---

·	EPA Faces Budget Cuts
·	Future for the Wetlands Reserve Program Uncertain
·	US House Votes for Oil Drilling in Alaska Refuge

---NEWS FROM STATES---  

·	MI: Bill To Exempt Wetland Mitigation
·	WI: Governor Doyle Uses Veto to Uphold Wetland Protection
·	MN DNR Takes To The Air To Find Wetlands Violations
·	WI Presents a Draft Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation (CELC) Plan
·	Ohio EPA releases report on Ecological Assessment of Ohio Mitigation Banks.
·	Florida to Remove Manatee from Endangered List
·	CO Launches New Funding Stream for Habitat Protection
·	MN: Lawmakers Disappoint Supporters Of Dedicated-Funding Bill
·	CA: Misconduct Alleged In Bay Salt Ponds Deal
·	Repeat Hurricanes Test Coastal Recovery
·	More Swans To Be Moved From Wyoming To Montana
	Truman Lake Wetlands Restoration Complete
·	Lawmakers Tighten Panhandle Environmental Rules

---REPORTS, PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES---

·	New NACo Brochure Available: Benefits of Wetlands
·	New DU Book Answers Age-Old Questions About Waterfowl and Wetlands
·	New Document Aimed at Improving Wetlands Monitoring Programs
·	NEW: WRP & Wetlands Regulatory Assistance Program (WRAP) Publications
·	Report: Policy Dilutes Clean Water Act
·	Water Primrose: Aquatic Invader Targeted
·	Welcome to the June 2006 edition of the Playa Post!
·	Great Lakes National Program Office's Significant Activities Report
·	6/15/06 Webcast: Planning Highway Projects (Alternative Practices for Stormwater Management)
·	Watershed Planning Handbook Helps Protect the Nation’s Water Resources
·	New and Revised National Menu of BMPs
·	EPA Stormwater Webcast Series: Financing a Municipal Stormwater Program 7/12/06
·	EPA to Sponsor Webcast on June 28th
·	NEW: A Handbook for Stream Enhancement & Stewardship
·	Shellfish Restoration Guide Published
·	EPA Unveils First-Ever Assessment of U.S. Wadeable Streams
·	Ducks Unlimited Announces History’s Largest Wetlands Conservation Campaign

---POTPOURRI---

·	Great Lakes National Program Office's Significant Activities Report
·	What Price Nature? Bogs $6,000, Reefs $10,000
·	Chesapeake Bay Targeted Watershed Grants Announced
·	[WHPRP] Funding Opportunities for Wildlife Habitat Conservation
·	MDE Hiring Four Natural Resources Planners

---MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES---

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

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

ASWM is knee-deep in preparations for Wetlands 2006, and we have posted registration forms and the draft agenda to our website. Early registration ends July 10. Mark your calendars for ASWM's annual meeting: Wetlands 2006: Applying Scientific, Legal, and Management Tools to the Great Lakes and Beyond. August 28-31, 2006, Pre-day, August 28 for field trips, a GIS Remote Sensing Workshop and a special legal symposium: Wetlands and Other "Waters of the U.S." Legal Issues and Challenges. This meeting will take place at the Grand Traverse Resort, near Traverse City, Michigan.  Visit http://www.aswm.org/calendar/wetlands2006/wetlands2006.htm for complete details!  New this year is a poster for Wetlands 2006 by local Michigan Artist Glenn Wolff that will be available for sale as numbered signed prints before and during the conference.  Special thanks to this edition's contributors, including Daniel Montella, US EPA Region 2. Craig Hanlon, The Louis Berger Group, Inc.; Amy Jacobs, DE Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control; Leah Miller, Izaak Walton League of America; Denise Clearwater, MD Dept. of Environment; Kathy Hurld, EPA; John Mack, OH EPA; and Nina Hadley, The Nature Conservancy. Jennifer Brady-Connor Editor, Wetland Breaking News

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Permit Suit Tests EPA Plan To End In-Lieu Fees For Wetlands Mitigation

Copyright InsideEPA, 6/5/06. Reprinted with permission. “A recently filed lawsuit challenging a Clean Water Act (CWA) permit allowing the payment of "in-lieu" fees to compensate for destroying wetlands could force EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to defend provisions in a proposed rule that seeks to eliminate the fees. The National Mitigation Banking Association (NMBA) last month filed a suit (http://insideepa.com/secure/data_extra/dir_06/epa2006_0933a.pdf) arguing that the Corps failed to require adequate mitigation in a permit it issued late last year for wetlands destruction to allow for expansion of O'Hare International Airport because it allowed the in-lieu fee arrangement rather than a mitigation bank. The permit allows the city of Chicago to pay a nonprofit conservation group, CorLands, $26 million in an in-lieu fee arrangement rather than directly replacing the wetlands. In-lieu fees allow money to be paid to non-profit associations, which use the fees to develop mitigation sites, rather than mitigation banks, where replacement wetlands have already been created … “ http://www.aswm.org/wbn/060605z.htm

Justices Uphold State Rules in Decision on Dam Licenses 16 May 2006, by Linda Greenhouse, The New York Times - The Supreme Court ruled that operators of hydroelectric dams must meet a state's water quality requirements in order to qualify for a federal license. The unanimous decision was the court's first ruling in an environmental case under Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., and it came as a relief to environmental advocates... http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/16/washington/16scotus.html?ei=5090&en=c486688a39ca4ede&ex=1305432000&part · Syllabus - S.D. Warren v. Maine Board of Environmental Protection, et. al.  http://www.aswm.org/fwp/sd_warren_syllabus.pdf  · Opinion of the Court - S.D. Warren v. Maine Board of Environmental Protection, et. al.  http://www.aswm.org/fwp/sd_warren_opinion.pdf · Transcript of Oral Arguments - S.C. Warren v. Maine Board of Environmental Protection, et. al. (PDF) http://www.aswm.org/fwp/oral_arguments_sd_warren.pdf

Extension of Mitigation Rule Comment Period in Federal Register May 23

On March 28, 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) and the Environmental  Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule to revise regulations governing compensatory mitigation for activities authorized by permits issued by the Department of the Army. The Corps and EPA announce the extension of the public comment period for this proposed rule until June 30, 2006. The 30-day extension of the comment period is a result of requests from a number of entities to allow more time to comment on the proposed rule. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they have already been incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in the final rule. Public comments are now due by June 30, 2006. You may submit comments, identified by docket number EPA–HQ–OW–2006–0020 and/or RIN 0710–AA55, via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (recommended method of comment submission): http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.

House Vote Supports Clean Water Protection for Isolated Wetlands (USA)
22 May 2006, Environmental News Service, Washington, DC - In what conservationists are calling a "huge victory for clean water," the House of Representatives voted [222-198] to accept an amendment to the FY 07 Interior/EPA Appropriations bill that will force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop using a policy that has put millions of acres of wetlands, streams, lakes and ponds at risk across the nation. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2006/2006-05-22-09.asp#anchor3
The End of the Everglades?  Supreme Court Case Jeopardizes 90 Percent Of U.S. Wetland
By Sara Beardsley, Scientific American. May 22, 2006. AT RISK: “U.S. wetlands, such as this one in Medfield, Mass., could lose federal protection if the Supreme Court rules in favor of plaintiffs who say that the Clean Water Act goes too far. On February 21, his first day on the job, Justice Samuel Alito settled into one of the nine high-backed chairs at the Supreme Court to hear Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers--a pair of cases that, though not as well publicized as Jose Padilla's antigovernment petition nor as high profile as federal wiretapping, will probably eclipse their importance. Bundled together, the cases ask the justices (and Alito in particular, a projected swing vote) to declare whether national agencies can patrol the soggy patches of earth between dry, developable land and federally protected wetlands. A decision in favor of the plaintiffs could put most of the nation's watery habitats at risk … “ http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?SID=mail&articleID=000997CF-938F-146C-91AE83414B7F0000&chanID=sa004
Turning the Tide – Documentary on New Jersey’s Urban Wetlands
Rivers and streams wind through open space, under bridges and roadways, past towns and historic sites, and near habitat that is home to numerous bird species. Since the time of the pilgrims, more than half of the wetlands in the lower 48 states have been destroyed. Often misunderstood, America’s wetlands are commonly seen as wastelands – too wet to be easily built upon or farmed, yet a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Now recognized as a critical natural resource, the tide is turning for wetlands. This change in attitude has inspired individual action as well as major policy changes to help protect, preserve and revitalize these special places. Shot in High Definition video, this half-hour documentary showcases the hidden beauty of the tidal areas in and around the Hackensack Meadowlands of northern New Jersey and the Hamilton -Trenton Marsh just south of the state capital of Trenton. Travel these wetlands with NJ Public Radio and Television and be surprised at what you see. Appearing in the Program:
- Don Smith, Retired Senior Naturalist with the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission; - Ralph Tiner, Nationally Recognized Expert on Wetlands and Author; - Bill Sheehan, Executive Director and Founder of the Hackensack Riverkeeper; - Gabrielle Bennett-Meany, Outreach Naturalist for the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission; - Dr. Charles Leck, Retired Professor of Ecological Sciences at Cook College, Rutgers University; - Dr. Mary Allessio Leck, Retired Professor of Biology at Rider University; - And More http://www.njn.net/community/specialinterest/turningthetide/

Return to Top of Page


NEWS OF NATIONAL SCOPE

$300,000 Awarded To Five Coastal County Restoration Projects

National Association of Counties news release, 6/1/05. NACo, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Community-based Restoration Program, have awarded more than $300,000 to five outstanding community-led projects to support marine habitat restoration in coastal counties across the nation. The newly created Coastal Counties Restoration Initiative (CCRI) provides grants for marine habitat restoration projects on a competitive basis to innovative, county-led or supported projects.  The 2006 grantees are:  Humboldt County, Calif. ($100,000) for its Indian Creek upstream fish passage project; Coos Watershed Association, Coos County, Ore., ($63,000) for its aquatic habitat project; Mid Puget Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group, Kitsap County, Wash. ($60,000) for its culvert replacement project; Manatee County, Fla., ($50,000) for its wetlands and open water reef habitat project; and Sea Turtles at Risk, Inc., Franklin County, Fla., ($28,350) for its St. George Island Dune system project. For more information, contact Erik Johnston at 202-942-4246 or ejohnston@naco.org.  http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Media_Center&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=20261

GAO Report: How States Allocate Revolving Funds and Measure Their Benefits

On June 5 the Government Accountability Office released the report, Clean Water:  How States Allocate Revolving Funds and Measure Their Benefits. Given the states’ flexibility in determining how to spend CWSRF dollars, GAO was asked to examine (1) the extent to which states use their CWSRF dollars to support conventional wastewater treatment infrastructure versus other qualifying expenses, (2) the strategies states use to allocate their CWSRF dollars among qualifying expenses, and (3) the measures states use to ensure that their allocation strategies result in the most efficient and effective use of CWSRF dollars. EPA reviewed a report draft, providing technical comments that were incorporated. GAO-06-579, June 5 http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-579 Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d06579high.pdf

EPA Proposes Rule: Permits Not Needed for Water Transfers

EPA news release, 6/1/06. Washington, DC - A rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would clarify that permits are not required for transfers of water from one body of water to another. Such transfers include routing water through tunnels, channels, or natural stream courses for public water supplies, irrigation, power generation, flood control, and environmental restoration. Thousands of water transfers currently in place across the country are vital to the water infrastructure. Whether a permit is needed under the Clean Water Act's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) has been an issue in numerous court cases in recent years.  The proposed rule would define such transfers as the movement of water between bodies of water without subjecting the water to intervening industrial, municipal or commercial use. In 2004, the question of whether NPDES permits were necessary for water transfers went before the U.S. Supreme Court in South Florida Water Management District v. Miccosukee Tribe of Indians. The court did not rule directly on the issue, generating uncertainty about the need for a permit. EPA concluded in 2005 that Congress intended water resource-management agencies and other state authorities to oversee water transfers, not the NPDES permitting program. This rulemaking codifies that conclusion. EPA will accept comments on the proposed rule for 45 days.  http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-8814.pdf

USDA Study Shows Decline in Erosion in All Major River Basins

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2006 - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced that according to USDA's National Resources Inventory (NRI), a statistical survey of natural resource conditions and trends on non-federal land, that total soil erosion on cultivated and non-cultivated cropland in the U.S. decreased 43 percent between 1982 and 2003, sheet and rill erosion decreased 42 percent, and wind erosion decreased 44 percent. The NRI shows that the total tons of soil erosion declined in all major river basins. For more information on the results of the cropland erosion study, visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/NRI. For soils information, visit http://soils.usda.gov/. For full story: http://www.usda.gov/2006/05/0170.xml

Par for the Corps: A Flood of Bad Projects

By Michael Grunwald, Sunday, May 14, 2006; Page B01, The Washington Post. In 2000, when I was writing a 50,000-word Washington Post series about dysfunction at the Army Corps of Engineers, I highlighted a $65 million flood-control project in Missouri as Exhibit A. Corps documents showed that the project would drain more acres of wetlands than all U.S. developers do in a typical year, but wouldn't stop flooding in the town it was meant to protect. FEMA's director called it "a crazy idea"; the Fish and Wildlife Service's regional director called it "absolutely ridiculous." Six years later, the project hasn't changed -- except for its cost, which has soared to $112 million. Larry Prather, chief of legislative management for the Corps, privately described it in a 2002 e-mail as an "economic dud with huge environmental consequences." Another Corps official called it "a bad project. Period." But the Corps still wants to build it. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/13/AR2006051300037.html?sub=AR

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan Celebrates 20 Years

USFWS news release, 5/12/06. May 14, 2006, marks the 20th Anniversary of a historic turning point in wildlife conservation -- the creation of the world’s first continental waterfowl conservation strategy. On this date in 1986, the Governments of the United States and Canada signed the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), a partnership designed to reverse alarming declines in waterfowl populations and their wetland habitat that were then occurring.  In 1994, Mexico joined this partnership, fulfilling the continental vision of the Plan. The plan established science-based population and habitat conservation goals.  “In the last 20 years, joint ventures have invested $4.5 billion to conserve 15.7 million acres of waterfowl habitat,” said Service Director Dale Hall. “These partnerships are the model for how diverse agencies, organizations, landowners, companies, and scientists can work together for wildlife conservation.” http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/NAWMP/20.shtm

Return to Top of Page


LEGISLATIVE NEWS

EPA Faces Budget Cuts

Excerpt from Natural Resources Defense Council's LEGISLATIVE WATCH May 30, 2005. On 5/18, the House approved the FY07 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill (H.R. 5386) by a vote of 293-128. The $26.1 billion spending bill includes a cut of more than 10 percent for conservation programs, including $275 million in cuts to the Department of the Interior, Forest Service and Environmental Protection Agency. Despite the major funding cuts to environmental programs, the House approved a number of positive amendments, including those that would prohibit government funding for new logging roads in Alaska's Tongass National Forest; reinstate the ban on offshore natural gas drilling that had been removed in committee; limit royalties that could be collected by offshore oil and gas producers when prices reach a certain level, which could save the government up to $10 billion; prohibit the EPA from weakening reporting requirements for industries that release toxics into communities; and reverse a three-year-old EPA policy limiting Clean Water Act protections for some streams and wetlands.

Future for the Wetlands Reserve Program Uncertain

Ducks Unlimited Magazine, WASHINGTON, May 22, 2006 – Despite President Bush’s request for full funding at 250,000 acres in the Wetlands Reserve Program, Congress is proposing to drastically cut the program to 144,776 acres. “Decreasing funding to the Wetlands Reserve Program, which has a track record of success and broad support from both the American public and the Bush administration, is unacceptable to the hunting, fishing, and conservation community,” said Ducks Unlimited Executive Vice President Don Young. “The fish and wildlife resources about which we care greatly depend on wetlands, and at a time when the United States continues to annually lose an average of 80,000 acres of our best naturally occurring wetlands resources, it makes little sense to gut a cost-effective program with successful projects in all 50 states.” http://www.ducks.org/news/740/FuturefortheWetlands.html

US House Votes for Oil Drilling in Alaska Refuge

May 26, 2006, WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives Thursday approved a plan to allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The House voted 225-201 to approve a plan sponsored by California Republican Richard Pombo that would allow drilling on 2,000 acres of ANWR out of the refuge's total 19 million acres. It was the 12th vote on the divisive ANWR drilling issue since 1995 in the House. The ANWR drilling plan faces a nearly certain filibuster threat in the Senate, where pro-drilling Republicans hold a slimmer majority. http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/36543/story.htm

Return to Top of Page


NEWS FROM STATES

MI: Bill To Exempt Wetland Mitigation
Michigan Wetland Action Coalition newsletter, 6/2/06. “The Senate Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee heard testimony from the MDEQ, environmental organizations including MEC, MUCC, and Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council in opposition of House Bill 4892 on May 30th.  HB 4892 would amend Part 303 of the Natural Resources Protection Act to specify that the DEQ could NOT impose conditions for mitigation for road work which is defined as the maintenance, repair, improvement, or reconstruction of a road.  Essentially, this bill exempts County Road Commissions from having to mitigate for any wetland destruction within the right-a-way of a road, which can be much wider than the existing roadway.  This exemption for mitigation would apply to roads already in existence and would not include the construction of new roads. Not only would the passage of this bill allow for the destruction of wetlands, it holds the potential to weaken wetland protection within the state of Michigan. The bill would jeopardize Michigan's assumption of the federal wetland program. Michigan has a proud tradition of being one of only two states to administer Section 404 Program of the Clean Water Act (wetlands protection). To keep the authority to administer Section 404, the state must maintain a program that is equivalent to the federal program. Broadening state exemptions beyond the specifications of the federal exemptions would reduce the current equivalency standards, therefore, putting the state's assumption in jeopardy. This destructive policy has already been passed by the House of Representatives … ” To learn more contact Jennifer McKay at 231.347.1181 ext. 114 or at jenniferm@watershedcouncil.org.
WI: Governor Doyle Uses Veto to Uphold Wetland Protection
Excerpt from Wisconsin Wetlands Association e-newsletter, 5/31/06. “Last Friday Governor Doyle honored American Wetlands Month by vetoing Senate Bill 551. This bill would have allowed one Kewaunee County landowner to fill a high quality cedar swamp for his construction project without receiving wetland or water quality permits. The project does not comply with the wetland laws that all other Wisconsin citizens are expected to follow. The bill would have set a bad precedent for wetland protection statewide for the benefit of just one property owner … “ For the complete article e-mail info@wiscwetlands.org
MN DNR Takes To The Air To Find Wetlands Violations
BY BRAD DOKKEN, GRAND FORKS (N.D.) HERALD. 5/26/06. THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. - From 2,000 feet, Don Murray usually can tell if something's going on in a wetland or along a lakeshore that shouldn't be. A pilot for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Division of Enforcement, Murray is part of a crew flying the state this summer looking for wetlands violations. It's part of a DNR initiative to reverse the loss of wetlands and lakeshore that provide clean water and habitat for fish, waterfowl and other wildlife … Between early April and May 1, DNR pilots tallied 368 potential wetlands violations in a dozen counties in central Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area. The goal of the flights is to get a better handle on the extent of the problem and at the same time educate landowners about the need to protect wetlands and lakeshore habitat… “  http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/14672576.htm
WI Presents a Draft Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation (CELC) Plan
[E-mail correspondence from Travis Olson, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program] The Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (WCMP), in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, has developed a Draft Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation (CELC) Plan. The CELC Plan will enable Wisconsin to participate in the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELC Program), which is a land acquisition grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The CELC Plan provides an assessment of priority land conservation needs and guidance for nominating and selecting for CELC grants land conservation projects within the state. The Draft CELC Plan is available for public review and comment until June 30, 2006. The plan document is available on the WCMP website: http://coastal.wisconsin.gov.
Ohio EPA releases report on Ecological Assessment of Ohio Mitigation Banks.
Mitigation banks are often considered to have multiple advantages over individual mitigations...  There are few assessments of multiple banks to determine whether these advantages are in fact producing a more successful or more consistently successful mitigation wetland.  And no attention has been paid to the main risk of mitigation bank: failure of large banks represents a substantial net loss of wetland acreage or function whereas failure of individual small mitigations usually represents a nominal loss.  Of the bank area assessed (nearly 400 ha), approximately 25% was not "wetland" but was primarily shallow unvegetated pond; of the remaining "wetland" acreage, approximately 25% was "poor" quality, 58% was "fair" quality, and 18% was "good" quality...Only one bank had areas where forest regeneration is occurring and no bank had restored common Ohio shrub swamp communities, e.g. buttonbush or alder swamps.  When amphibian communities are compared, the amphibian community composition and quality was significantly lower at banks than natural forest, shrub, or emergent wetlands.  Pond-breeding salamanders and forest dependent frog species were nearly absent...successful banks were defined as maximizing areas defined as "wetland," minimizing areas of open water, having hydroperiods which mimic hydroperiods of natural wetlands, maximizing cover of perennial native hydrophytes, minimizing cover of invasive plant species, and have mean VIBI scores of 40-60 (fair to good).  Based on these criteria, of the 12 banks assessed in Ohio, 3 were mostly successful, 5 were successful in some areas but failed in other areas, and 4 were mostly failed... Report can be downloaded from http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/wetlands/Bank_Report_Ohio_Final.pdf
Florida to Remove Manatee from Endangered List
June 08, 2006 — By Jim Loney, Reuters. MIAMI — “Florida's wildlife commission voted Wednesday to remove the manatee from the state's endangered species list, a move environmentalists fear could erode safeguards for the popular sea creature. State officials said the "downlisting" to threatened from endangered would have no impact on protections afforded the massive, lumbering marine mammal often called the sea cow . . . ” http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=10636
CO Launches New Funding Stream for Habitat Protection
The Colorado Division of Wildlife has announced a request for applications for funding habitat protection in Colorado. This new initiative will be known as the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Protection Program, which provides an avenue for private landowners, land trusts or other conservation organizations to conserve critical habitat throughout the state. Open enrollment for all program applications will be from 6/1/06 to 7/31/06. The emphasis will be placed on the purchase of easements to ensure that all reasonable avenues are pursued prior to fee simple acquisition. Main priorities include important habitat for sage dependent species including critical winter range and migration corridors for big game species, Gunnison and greater sage grouse habitat, Front Range riparian communities, important access for wildlife recreation opportunities, critical wetlands, shortgrass prairie species and lesser prairie chicken habitat. For more information visit: http://wildlife.state.co.us/LandWater/PrivateLandProgram/WildlifeHabitatProtectionProgram
MN: Lawmakers Disappoint Supporters Of Dedicated-Funding Bill.
BY CHRIS NISKANEN, Pioneer Press. “Supporters of a constitutional amendment asking voters to dedicate a portion of the state's sales tax to natural resources say they aren't giving up. Lawmakers in a conference committee came close to approving the measure in the final hours of the Legislature last week but failed to agree on how the ballot question would be worded and how the money would be divvied up. The impasse came even after lawmakers made pledges to pass the amendment this year and a second Duck, Wetlands and Clean Water Rally, attracting 3,000 people, was held on the Capitol Mall in April. Among the sticking points: Lawmakers couldn't agree whether the money should come from existing or new sales taxes and how much should be allocated to add-on proposals to support the arts, parks and public broadcasting . . .” http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/outdoors/14667587.htm
CA: Misconduct Alleged In Bay Salt Ponds Deal
6/2/06, By Paul Rogers, Mercury News. “Raising new questions about whether taxpayers overpaid by tens of millions of dollars to purchase the Cargill salt ponds three years ago, California's attorney general is pursuing misconduct charges against the appraiser in the deal. The accusations from Bill Lockyer's office allege 24 areas where Mill Valley appraiser Charles Bailey violated appraisal standards in his December 2000 appraisal of Cargill's properties. They also say he produced a ‘grossly misleading value’ in his report, done for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ... “ http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/14723376.htm
Repeat Hurricanes Test Coastal Recovery
May 29, 2006 — ”By Brian Skoloff, Associated Press. “Pelican Shoal has never been much of an island _ a quarter-acre patch of sand, bleached white coral and scrub seemingly adrift in crystal clear waters seven miles southeast of Key West. But it was one of two places in Florida where the threatened roseate tern flew once a year from the Caribbean and South America to breed. Now, after two years of pounding hurricanes, it's under water. Using decoys and recorded sounds, scientists are trying to lure the birds, which typically come in May, to an island in Dry Tortugas National Park. That's 70 miles away ... “ http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=10555
More Swans To Be Moved From Wyoming To Montana
KXLF-TV - Butte,MT, USA. GREAT FALLS – “Wildlife biologists plan to take 15 young trumpeter swans from Jackson, Wyoming, to Montana's Blackfoot Valley next month in hopes that some of the swans released in the area last year will return. The goal is to establish the valley's first self-sustaining population of trumpeter swans. Last year's transplants were from Jackson as well. Tom Hinz, of Montana Wetlands Legacy, says the new yearlings will give the existing population a shot in the arm. He says, of the ten swans transplanted last year, three are known to be dead; and the fate of another five is unknown. Greg Neudecker is a biologist with the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service. He says establishing a swan population in the valley may require biologists to release 100 birds over the next five to ten years.” http://www.kxlf.com/Global/story.asp?S=4872937
Truman Lake Wetlands Restoration Complete
Ducks Unlimited news release. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., May 16, 2006 – Ducks Unlimited (DU) and partners completed restoring 1,008 acres of wetlands and native wet prairie in Henry and St. Clair Counties, Missouri. This restoration project was made possible by a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) small grant and generous contributions from 13 partners. DU and its partners conducted restoration on nine sites within the flood basin of the Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir. Wetlands on several sites were restored using a technique that created gradual contours on the land by scouring shallow areas and forming raised mounds throughout the marsh. Partners planted mast producing trees on some of the mounds and allowed natural wetland plants to grow on the slopes and scours throughout the wetland. http://www.ducks.org/news/730/TrumanLakeWetlandsRe.html
Lawmakers Tighten Panhandle Environmental Rules
Aaron Deslatte, Published - May, 5, 2006, News Journal capital bureau. TALLAHASSEE – “Florida lawmakers ended years of environmental disparity Thursday by voting to place tougher wetlands and stormwater rules on Panhandle developers. The bill, when signed by Gov. Bush, would devote $2.7 million to phase in the Environmental Resource Permitting program in the 16 Northwest Florida counties from Escambia to Jefferson counties. The rest of Florida has used the program for a decade to force developers to pay into a preservation fund or build artificial wetlands elsewhere to compensate for wetlands paved over in their projects … “ http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060505/NEWS01/605050335/1006

Return to Top of Page

REPORTS, PUBLICATIONS and RESOURCES

New NACo Brochure Available: Benefits of Wetlands

Learn about wetlands and their benefits for local governments. Brochure Topics: What are Wetlands? Benefits: Economic, Public Health and Safety, Recreation and Education, and Wildlife and Habitat Types of Wetlands County Case Studies Related Resources for Local Governments The brochure is available at www.naco.org/techassistance, click on “Water Quality”.  To request a hard copy, contact Erik Johnston at ejohnston@naco.org or 202-942-4246

New DU Book Answers Age-Old Questions About Waterfowl and Wetlands

Ducks Unlimited news release, Where are they going, and where have they been? When it comes to North America’s waterfowl, the answers to these questions can be found in Ducks Unlimited’s new book, Flyways: A Celebration of Waterfowl and Wetlands. This book tells the story of the comings and goings of ducks and geese during their spring and fall migrations along the travel routes in the sky that biologists call flyways. http://www.ducks.org/news/755/NewDUBookAnswersAgeO.html