INDEX:

---EDITOR'S NOTE--

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

·	Wetlands Reporting Earns Top Honor
·	Sudden Wetland Dieback
·	Gulf Coast Wetlands Being Destroyed, Critics Say
·	New Report on Wetland Mitigation Available

---NEWS OF NATIONAL SCOPE---

·	United States v. Johnson, No 05-1444: Cranberry Bog Case
·	Bush Administration Suppressed Global Warming Report, Conservation Groups File Suit
·	Secretary Kempthorne Announces New Members of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee
·	CHESAPEAKE BAY: Water Quality Better But Still in Jeopardy
·	Treatment Wetlands’ Clean Up Some Cities’ Sewage

---LEGISLATIAVE NEWS---

·	Environment Leaders Discuss 2007 Priorities with Media
·	Water Resources Development Act Makes it Through Both Houses
·	President Signs Wildlife Conservation Bills

---NEWS FROM STATES---  

·	MD:  Moyer backs tougher standard to cut runoff
·	KS:  Officials Celebrate Wetlands Expansion
·	WI:  Proposed Pipeline Presents Serious Threats to Wisconsin Wetlands
·	LA:  State Settles Lawsuit; Feds to Study Coastal Wetlands Damage
·	WI:  Clean Water Act Enforcement Falls to Active Citizens
·	GA:  Corps of Engineers Faces Suit for Allowing the Illegal Harvest of Cypress Trees in South Georgia
·	MT:  US Approves Montana Mine After Long Ecology Fight
·	WA: Report Looks at Columbia River Water Supplies, Future Demands
·	MT:  Engineers Sentenced for Placing Dirt in Wetlands

---REPORTS, PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES---

·	Final Maps of Impacts of the 2005 Hurricanes on Coastal Louisiana Now Available
·	WRI Policy Note: Agriculture and Climate Change: The Policy Context
·	Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s newsletter, the HELM Fall Issue Available

---POTPOURRI---

·	Funding Available for Community-Based Wetland Restoration Projects
·	Free Webcast on Integrating Drinking Water Into Watershed Protection
·	Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Has Land Protection Position
·	GIS course for Policy & Decision-Makers in Conservation
·	2007 National Wetlands Awards Call for Nominations
·	PISCES Awards for 2006 States' Clean Water Revolving Fund programs
·	CICEET: Pilot Study Assesses Nutrient Impacts in Gulf of Maine
·	Biodiversity Educator position at Hudsonia Ltd.
·	Rainforest Herpetology & Conservation Ecology Research positions

---MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES---

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

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I am new to Wetland Breaking News as of this month. I recently completed my graduate work in conservation and human ecology at College of the Atlantic. I previously worked as a writer-editor at Acadia National Park; as a field organizer for National Parks Conservation Association; and as a lands protection assistant at Maine Coast Heritage Trust. During my first week at Association of State Wetland Managers, I attended a Vulnerable Wetlands Forum hosted by New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, which was a good way for me to get my feet wet, or rather, to dive in to one of the hot topics in wetlands. I just moved to southern Maine and live near the Scarborough salt marsh, where I look forward to paddling next summer. I tend to gravitate toward salt marshes, islands and wetlands. I have only been in my new house for two weeks and already I have discovered the salamanders living in my cellar, peered into the vernal pools that border the field and worried about the salamanders’ potential migration across the busy road the past several rainy nights.  I hope my neighbors, the salamanders, have an easier time finding their way from one pool to another than I do finding my driveway, which looks like everyone else’s in the dark downpours that splash across my windshield as I squint to find my home. Please feel free to send comments to me directly if you have any suggestions or news for upcoming issues. I look forward to editing the Wetland Breaking News each month. Thank you. Special thanks to our contributors:  Bill Wilen, FWS; Jim Rives, Louisiana DNR; Zachary Sugg, World Resources Institute; Erik Johnston, National Association of Counties; Julie Sibbing, National Wildlife Federation. Have a great Thanksgiving. Leah Stetson Editor, Wetland Breaking News

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Wetlands Reporting Earns Top Honor

St. Petersburg Times – Tampa Bay, Florida – October 27, 2006 A St. Petersburg Times series on Florida's vanishing wetlands took top honors for investigative reporting from the Society of Environmental Journalists. Reporters Craig Pittman and Matthew Waite were awarded the Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding Investigative Reporting in Print for a series of stories that ran in May 2005. The judges honored the work for revealing a "pattern of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers catering to developers instead of upholding its legal duty to protect marshes and swamps needed for flood protections, to filter pollution and preserve wildlife." Also honored for investigative reporting were the Bergen Record, for stories about the legacy of industrial toxic waste in a New Jersey community, and the Wall Street Journal, for a story about toxic concerns emerging from old chemicals. Click http://www.sptimes.com/2005/webspecials05/wetlands/  to read their wetlands series.

Sudden Wetland Dieback Susan Adamowicz - USFWS Reporters Tip Sheet -- November 15, 2006 Researchers are investigating whether a pathogenic fungus may be partly responsible for the rapid death of wetland grasses in New England. Sudden Wetland Dieback has been recorded in several Gulf Coast and southeastern states as well as all New England states, and researchers suspect the latest outbreaks may be in the Mid-Atlantic, at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware, said Susan Adamowicz, salt marsh researcher at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Maine. Contact Susan Adamowicz, (207) 646-9226, for more information, or click on this link: http://www.fws.gov/news/tipsheet/november-december-2006/story06.html.

Gulf Coast Wetlands Being Destroyed, Critics Say

By Martin Kaste – All Things Considered, National Public Radio - November 6, 2006 Along with the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, critics say there is too little thought given to preserving wetlands, as developers fill in the areas. In response to criticism from environmentalists who say the Army Corps of Engineers isn't enforcing wetlands federal wetlands protection rules, the Corps is proposing that the rules be loosened. Developers in Mississippi and elsewhere say they need the added flexibility to meet the housing crunch. But environmentalists call the move shortsighted, citing the ability of wetlands to help slow and contain flooding during hurricanes. Copy and paste this link into your web browser to listen to the story on NPR's website: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6444171.

New Report on Wetland Mitigation Available

A new report “An Evaluation of Compensatory Mitigation Projects Permitted Under Clean Water Act Section 401 by the California State Water Quality Control Board, 1991-2002” by Richard F. Ambrose, John C. Callaway, and Steven F. Lee is now available at the following web site: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/cwa401/index.html#contracts direct link to report: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/cwa401/docs/wetlandmitstudy_rpt.pdf direct link to appendices: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/cwa401/docs/wetlandmitstudy_app.pdf The report was completed for the California State Water Resources Control Board, assessing wetland mitigation efforts across California, including evaluation of permit compliance and ecological conditions of over 100 wetland mitigation projects. The authors are seeking comments on the report; comments can be sent to swrcbmitigation@ucla.edu and should be sent by December 1st, 2006. If you have questions about the report, please contact John Callaway (callaway@usfca.edu) or Rich Ambrose (rambrose@ucla.edu). The purpose of this project, which was funded by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), was to evaluate the compliance and wetland condition of compensatory wetland mitigation projects associated with Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certifications throughout California. This was done by selecting, reviewing and performing field evaluations for 143 permit files distributed across the 12 Water Board regions and sub-regions of the State. For each permit file the authors assessed the extent to which permittees complied with their mitigation conditions, including acreage requirements, whether the corresponding mitigation efforts resulted in optimal wetland condition, and if the habitat acreages gained through compensatory mitigation adequately replaced those lost through the permitted impacts. The study found that permittees were largely following their permit conditions (although one-quarter to one-third of the time these were not met), but the permit conditions that were being met are not resulting in compensatory mitigation projects that are similar to natural wetlands.

Return to Top of Page

NEWS OF NATIONAL SCOPE

United States v. Johnson, No 05-1444

Julie M. Sibbing, National Wildlife Federation -- October 31, 2006 -- In a decision that was more treat than trick, the Federal Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled that Clean Water Act jurisdiction under the Rapanos decision attaches under "either Justice Kennedy's legal standard [the "significant nexus" test] or that of the plurality [permanent flowing or standing bodies of water and hydrologically connected neighboring wetlands]." Slip Op. at 9. Prior to Rapanos, the court had upheld jurisdiction over the wetlands at issue in this case, which had been filled without permits by the Johnsons to create a cranberry bog. The court had been asked to reconsider the matter in light of Rapanos and decided to remand the case to the district court for further fact finding in consideration of Rapanos. http://www.aswm.org/wbn/1st_circuit_rules.pdf

Bush Administration Suppressed Global Warming Report, Conservation Groups File Suit

By the Center for Biological Diversity – San Francisco, CA - November 15, 2006 A coalition of conservation groups filed suit today against the Bush administration over its refusal to complete a National Assessment of the impact of global warming on the environment, economy, human health and human safety. The assessment, due in November 2004, is required by the Global Change Research Act of 1990. Today's action comes as U.S. representatives complete their participation in the final days of the United Nation's world climate negotiations in Nairobi, Kenya. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, and Greenpeace. "This administration has denied and suppressed the science of global warming at every turn," said Julie Teel of the Center for Biological Diversity and one of the attorneys arguing the case. For the full story, click here: http://www.enn.com/net.html?id=1727

Secretary Kempthorne Announces New Members of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee

Department of the Interior, News Release – Contact: Lori Williams, 202-354-1881 -- Nov. 2, 2006 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne today announced the new members of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) who will provide advice and recommendations to the National Invasive Species Council (NISC). For a complete updated list of the members, click here: http://www.doi.gov/news/06_News_Releases/061103a.html

CHESAPEAKE BAY: Water Quality Better But Still in Jeopardy

Annual Report Finds Less Pollution, Although Other Worries Persist By David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post - November 14, 2006 The vital signs of the Chesapeake Bay improved slightly this year, probably because of environmental cleanup efforts and variations in weather, but the estuary remains deeply troubled by pollution, unhealthy wildlife and low-oxygen "dead zones," according to the nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Foundation. In its annual "State of the Bay" report, issued yesterday, the Annapolis-based foundation gave the bay's health a score of 29 out of 100. That was its highest score since the reports began in 1998 and a two-point improvement over the previous three years. Here is a direct link to this article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/11/13/AR2006111300465.html

'Treatment Wetlands' Clean Up Some Cities' Sewage

By Traci Watson, USA TODAY  -- October 28, 2006 Cleaning up America's dirty water usually requires loads of chemicals, vast concrete tanks and huge pipes. Now some communities are turning to a more pleasant method of coping with sewage and polluted runoff: wetlands, complete with greenery and birdsong.  Cities are installing systems that send partially cleaned sewage to wetlands, which suck up even more pollution from the water. Local authorities are also turning to wetlands to store and cleanse the filthy water that runs off highways and pavement after a rainstorm. To read this full story, click here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-26-wetlands_x.htm

Return to Top of Page


LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Environment Leaders Discuss 2007 Priorities With Media

Energy, Global Warming, Farm Bill, Land Conservation Top List Audubon – Washington, D.C. -- November 13, 2006 With a vastly different Congressional landscape in 2007, environmental leaders discussed their priorities with members of the media on a November 13 teleconference call. Among the topics covered were energy, global warming, a massive farm bill, conserving national forests, parks and other public lands, and protecting endangered species. Speakers included: Betsy Loyless, Senior Vice President, National Audubon Society, moderator; Anna Aurilio, Washington DC Office Director, U.S. PIRG, on energy issues; Mike Daulton, Director of Conservation Policy, Audubon, on public lands and endangered species; Phil Clapp, President, National Environmental Trust, on global warming and energy; and Ken Cook, President, Environmental Working Group, on the farm bill. Click HERE to listen to the MP3. For more information, contact Audubon’s Tony Iallonardo at 202-861-2242 Ext. 3042. Or, if you choose, a briefing is available at: http://www.audubon.org/campaign/index.html

Water Resources Development Act Makes it Through Both Houses

Audubon Advisory - October 17, 2006 For the first time in six years the House and the Senate have passed Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bills in the same Congress. Both bills include authorization of unprecedented spending levels for ecosystem restoration projects including Everglades, Upper Mississippi River, Coastal Louisiana, and Great Lakes, as well as support Corps modernization. Conference negotiations continue over the bill's price tag, funding formulas, earmarks, and Army Corps of Engineers oversight. Hill staff continue to work through the recess to have a bill ready for final action when Congress returns after the Nov. 7 elections. To find out more, visit http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-2864 and the Audubon’s website, http://www.audubon.org/  (Audubon Advisory is a subscription-only based newsletter. You may sign up for it at http://audubonaction.org/audubon/join-forward.tcl?domain=audubon&r=L1sL_FE1FjNE

President Signs Wildlife Conservation Bills

By David Eisenhauer -- USF&WS News Release -- October 20, 2006 As Congress wrapped up business before adjourning on September 29th, they approved a number of bills related to wildlife conservation.  This week, President Bush signed these bills into law. “We are pleased to see the Congress acting on so many legislative issues that move conservation forward,” said H. Dale Hall, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “These laws enhance our work with partners to implement on the ground conservation efforts.” Direct link to this release: President Signs Wildlife Conservation Bills

Return to Top of Page

NEWS FROM STATES

MD: Moyer Backs Tougher Standard to Cut Runoff

By Nia-Malika Henderson – Baltimore sun -- November 15, 2006 Hoping to reduce storm water runoff into Chesapeake Bay tributaries, Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer has proposed one of the state's toughest limits for impervious surfaces, such as parking lots and roofs, on redeveloped properties. Under the ordinance introduced at Monday's City Council meeting, those redeveloping property, with some exceptions, would be required to cut by 50 percent the amount of existing surface area that does not absorb or filter water. To learn more, click: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-ar.council15nov15,0,2371109.story?coll=bal-local-arundel

KS: Officials Celebrate Wetlands Expansion

By John Green - The Hutchinson News - November 15, 2006 Another moment in the long history of the Cheyenne Bottoms wetlands was marked Friday in a mowed field along K-156, as more than 200 people gathered under sunny skies and a biting wind to break ground for the Kansas Wetlands Education Center. The 70-acre site for the new center is on the east side of the highway, about seven miles north of Great Bend, with the 20,000-acre bottoms to the west. The area once was part of the wetlands, said Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Secretary Mike Hayden.  Direct link to story: http://www.hutchnews.com/news/regional/stories/wetlands102806.shtml

WI: Proposed Pipeline Presents Serious Threats to Wisconsin Wetlands

Wisconsin Wetlands Association, Wetland News – Madison, WI -- November 8, 2006 Wisconsin Wetlands Association (WWA) is actively monitoring and commenting on a proposal by Enbridge Pipelines, Inc. to install two more pipelines along an existing petroleum pipeline right-of-way that runs 321 miles from Superior to Delavan, Wisconsin. WWA is working collaboratively with many partner organizations to challenge decision-makers to take a harder look at the long-term ecological and economic costs and benefits to this project before making a final decision on permit requests. The timeline for input has been tight, so WWA is providing this notice to alert members to WWA’s activities and concerns. The proposed construction activity will dredge 361 wetland acres (and 74 cumulative miles) to a depth of 6.5 feet in order to lay one 42’ and one 20’ pipe. The trench will be backfilled and restored to pre- construction contours, minus the 781,440 cubic yards of wetland soil permanently displaced by the pipe. For the full story, click on this link: http://www.wiscwetlands.org/enbridge.htm

LA:  State Settles Lawsuit; Feds to Study Coastal Wetlands Damage

By Mike Hasten – The Advertiser -- BATON ROUGE — October 24, 2006 In settling a lawsuit filed over offshore drilling off Louisiana’s coast, the federal government has agreed to assess all the damage inflicted by previous oil and gas production and hurricanes Katrina and Rita before allowing any more drilling. “This is an historic event,” Gov. Kathleen Blanco said of Tuesday’s settlement. “This generation and future generations of Louisiana residents will never be taken for granted again when it comes to Louisiana’s coastline.” Direct link to article: http://www.acadiananow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061024/NEWS01/61024016/1002&template=printart

WI:  Clean Water Act Enforcement Falls to Active Citizens

By Kathleen Schalch – All Things Considered, National Public Radio -- November 7, 2006 Federal laws designed to protect the nation's wetlands are difficult to enforce in small towns. In one northern Wisconsin town, local property owners have taken on the burden of patrolling land developers who skirt the now ambiguous Clean Water Act.  Copy and paste this link into your web browser to listen to the story on NPR's website:     http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6447306

GA: Corps of Engineers Faces Suit for Allowing the Illegal Harvest of Cypress Trees (South GA)

South Environmental Law Center, News Release -- November 9, 2006 - Statesboro A lawsuit was filed November 10th against the Army Corps of Engineers for illegally allowing timber to be harvested without a permit from a lake near Statesboro. The Southern Environmental Law Center and the Turner Environmental Law Clinic, on behalf of the Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper, filed suit today (11/9/06) in federal district court against the Corps of Engineers for authorizing the harvest of 60 acres of timber without a permit in violation of the Clean Water Act. Contact Brian Gist, SELC Attorney, 404-521-9900; Chandra Brown, Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper, 912-764-2017, for more information. Direct link to full story: http://www.southernenvironment.org/newsroom/2006/11-08_cypress_lake_filing.htm

MT: US Approves Montana Mine After Long Ecology Fight

By Laura Zuckerman – Planet Ark, Reuters – SALMON, Idaho -- October 16, 2006 The US Fish and Wildlife Service cleared the way for a silver and copper mine in northwest Montana on Friday that has been mired in controversy for more than two decades. Revett Silver Company of Spokane, Washington, a subsidiary of Revett Minerals, plans to open a 10,000-ton-per-day operation by tapping deposits below the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness in Montana, one of the nation's first areas to receive protections under the landmark 1964 Wilderness Act. Clearance by the federal wildlife agency for the planned Rock Creek Mine, which is expected to cost more than US$165 million over a five-year, multiphase process, comes after years-long legal battles between the mining company and conservation groups over the region's fragile ecosystem. Conservation groups say the Rock Creek Mine will deal a death blow to both species by displacing the area's 30 remaining bears and fouling the waterways where bull trout live and spawn. For the full story, here is a direct link: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/38507/story.htm

WA: Report Looks at Columbia River Water Supplies, Future Demands

Ecology News Release – November 16, 2006 — YAKIMA, WA A new report from the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) takes an initial look at how water from the Columbia River is being distributed now and how much water might be needed to support the region in the future. The report, delivered this week to the Legislature, is required under the state's new Columbia River water law. It is available online at www.ecy.wa.gov, click on the "Managing our Water" icon. Media contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610.

MT: Engineers sentenced for Placing Dirt in Wetlands

By CLAIR JOHNSON - The Billings Gazette - October 27, 2006 BILLINGS (LEE) — Two state highway engineers will spend a year on unsupervised federal probation for illegally placing dirt into wetlands during a road construction project near Plentywood. U.S. Magistrate Richard Anderson on Thursday sentenced Ronald T. Arthur, 60, of Culbertson, and Lesley G. Peterson, 58, of Forsyth. The men pleaded guilty in July to a misdemeanor count of violating the Clean Water Act. They faced a possible penalty of one year in prison and a $2,500 fine per day of violation. To read the full story, click here: http://www.helenair.com/articles/2006/10/27/montana/a07102706_02.txt

Return to Top of Page

REPORTS, PUBLICATIONS and RESOURCES

Final Maps of Impacts of the 2005 Hurricanes on Coastal Louisiana Now Available

Land Area Changes in Coastal Louisiana After the 2005 Hurricanes: A Series of Three Maps by John Barras, USGS This report includes three posters with analyses of net land area changes in coastal Louisiana after the 2005 hurricanes (Katrina and Rita).  The first poster presents a basic analysis of net changes from 2004 to 2005; the second presents net changes within marsh communities from 2004 to 2005; and the third presents net changes from 2004 to 2005 within the historical perspective of change in coastal Louisiana from 1956 to 2004. The purpose of this analysis was to provide preliminary information on land area changes shortly after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and to serve as a regional baseline for monitoring wetland recovery following the 2005 hurricane season. Estimation of permanent losses cannot be made until several growing seasons have passed and the transitory impacts of the hurricanes are minimized, but this preliminary analysis indicates an approximate 217-mi2 (562.03-km2) decrease in land/increase in water across coastal Louisiana.   Open-File Report 06-1274. To view the maps, click here: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1274/

WRI Policy Note:  Agriculture and Climate Change: The Policy Context

Agriculture and Climate Change: The Policy Context is the first in a series of two Farm Bill Policy Notes that look at opportunities and reasons for the U.S. agriculture industry to participate in climate policy discussions. This note analyzes the impact of climate change on U.S. agriculture, discusses sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the agricultural sector, and explains the possible roles for agriculture in proposed climate change legislation. U.S. agriculture producers stand to benefit from proposed climate policy, but only if they become active participants in the climate policy dialogue. With public perception and understanding of climate change at an all-time high, this is an opportune time for farmers to act so future legislation is in their best interest. October 2006; WRI Contact(s) Evan Branosky  View this publication at: http://www.wri.org/climate/pubs_description.cfm?pid=4232

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s newsletter, the HELM Fall 2006 issue

The current issue of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant's newsletter, the HELM is available online at http://www.iisgcp.org/news/helm/helm.htm. Here are some headlines from this newly designed publication: Pharmwaste: A Prescription for Troubled Water, Moving Forward with New Leadership, One Stop Shopping for Great Lakes Information, Vitamin E Relieves the Effects of Aquaculture Stress.

Return to Top of Page

POTPOURRI

Funding Available for Community-Based Wetland Restoration Projects

The Five Star Restoration Challenge Grant Program project partners are currently accepting applications for the 2007 Five Star Restoration Challenge Grants.  The Five Star Program provides modest financial assistance on a competitive basis to support community-based wetland, riparian and coastal habitat restoration projects. Begun in 1997, The Five Star Restoration Challenge Grant Program is a partnership between the National Association of Counties, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Wildlife Habitat Council, and made possible with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the newest program partner, Southern Company and its operating companies:  Georgia Power, Alabama Power, Gulf Power, and Mississippi Power. In addition to EPA funding for projects within any U.S. state or territory, $200,000 in additional grant funding from Southern Company is available for projects located in portions of Ala., Ga., Fla. and Miss. In 2006, 39 out of 126 applicants from across the country received grants averaging $13,000.  The deadline for new grant applications is March 9, 2007. For more information about the Five Star Restoration Challenge Grant Program and how to apply visit http://www.nfwf.org/programs/5star-rfp.cfm.

Free Webcast on Integrating Drinking Water Into Watershed Protection

Please register for a free Webcast on: Integrating Drinking Water into Watershed Protection A Watershed Academy Webcast -  Wed., Nov. 29, 2006  Two-hour audio Web broadcast: Eastern: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Central: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm Mountain: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm    Pacific: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 pm      This Webcast will provide a primer on public water supplies and the recently completed source water assessments mandated by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act. Source water is untreated water from streams, rivers, lakes or underground aquifers that is used to provide public drinking water and to supply private wells. While the source water assessments were required and funded, responsibility for implementing protection measures resides at the state, local and utility level. Instructors will discuss how they have integrated source water protection into their programs by using technical assistance, partnerships, tools available through the Clean Water Act and other programs, and by collaborating with watershed and smart growth efforts. For more information, please visit www.epa.gov/watershedacademy. To register for this webcast, visit www.clu-in.org/live.

Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Has Full-Time Opening for Land Protection Specialist

The Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy (SBLC), located in Bay City, Michigan, has an immediate opening for a land protection specialist. SBLC conserves land and water resources throughout the Saginaw Bay Watershed, which includes all or part of 22 counties within Michigan. The agency has a strong focus on coastal wetlands along the Lake Huron shoreline. Current projects include administration of $7.5 million from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for purchase of permanent conservation easements on pre-selected temporarily conserved lands. This full-time position will manage all stewardship aspects of a growing portfolio of conservation restrictions and lands owned in fee by the SBLC including ongoing property monitoring and coordination of natural resource restoration projects. In addition, the position will coordinate land protection activities including the identification, prioritization and phasing of land protection projects and the negotiation and execution of conservation agreements with landowners. Applicants should possess a degree or equivalent experience in natural resource management and/or land use planning; excellent written and verbal communication skills; attention to detail; and an ability to manage multiple projects. Send cover letter and resume to valerier@sblc-mi.org. Valerie Roof, Executive Director, Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy, P.O. Box 222, 311 Fifth Street, Bay City, MI 48707-0222; or call 989-891-9986 (phone), 989-891-9987 http://sblc-mi.org.

GIS course: GIS for Policy & Decision-Makers in Conservation December 7-8, 2006

Researchers at Smithsonian's National Zoo are providing a new training course tailored to the needs of senior staff in government or environmental organizations.  CEOs, policymakers and decision-makers often rely on maps and spatial data created with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for analysis and decision making.  While leaders don't have to be GIS specialists, for the good of their organizations they must understand the technology's strengths and limitations.  In only two days, this course provides that essential understanding. $800 includes tuition, training manual and use of laboratory and equipment.  For a full description and complete course curriculum, please visit: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/ConservationGIS/GIS_training/Policy/default.cfm Or, contact Marcela Suárez-Rubio at giscourse@si.edu or giscourse@gmail.com or call (540) 635 6535.

2007 National Wetlands Awards Nomination Form is Now Available

The National Wetlands Awards Program celebrates individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, innovation or excellence in wetlands conservation. Their work covers programs or projects on the regional, state and local levels, and their efforts to educate the public and surrounding communities about the value of wetlands, the programs that are available to protect and restore wetlands, and the value of cooperation among grassroots organizations, educational organizations, private landowners, and government agencies lead to the successful protection of wetland resources. National Wetlands Awardees show how individuals can and do make a difference. For nomination instructions, CLICK HERE to download the 2007 National Wetlands Awards nomination form. Nominations are due December 15, 2006.

Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success (PISCES) Awards

EPA – Clean Water State Revolving Fund — November 13, 2006 – The Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success (PISCES) Awards were created in 2005 to recognize the extraordinary successes of the States' Clean Water Revolving Fund (CWSRF) programs. Projects financed under the CWSRF programs support the Clean Water Act by protecting environmental health and water quality. The PISCES Awards highlight successfully designed projects that further the goal of clean and safe water with exceptional planning, management, and financing. The 2006 PISCES Awards were announced at the annual conference hosted by the Council for Infrastructure Financing Authorities (CIFA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For a list of the 2006 winners of the PISCES Awards, click on this link: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf/final_2006pisces.pdf

CICEET: Pilot Study Assesses Nutrient Impacts in Gulf of Maine

October 20, 2006 – Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), News Release – Durham, NH - In response to a need for improved methods of assessing the impact of nutrients on coastal ecosystems and the human activity that depends on them, NOAA's Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment and the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET) co-sponsored a pilot study in the Gulf of Maine and the mid-Atlantic. The results of this study have been published in a report, "Improving Methods and Indicators for Evaluating Coastal Water Eutrophication." Study results include a modified eutrophication assessment method, an indicator that reflects the impact of eutrophication on human activity, and a regional perspective of the eutrophic conditions in the Gulf of Maine and mid-Atlantic systems. The assessment method modified by this study is transferable to other regions, and will serve as the basis for an update of NOAA's 1999 http://ian.umces.edu/neea/. The update is anticipated to be released in early 2007 (http://www.eutro.us). You can access the pilot study online at http://www.ccma.nos.noaa.gov/publications/TMNCCOS20.pdf Or, for a hard copy, contact Dr. Suzanne Bricker: 301.713.3020; suzanne.bricker@noaa.gov.

Biodiversity Educator Position at Hudsonia Ltd.

Hudsonia Ltd., a nonprofit scientific research institute, is seeking a biologist to fill a Biodiversity Educator position. Candidate must be familiar with northeastern U.S. flora and fauna, have sound knowledge of conservation biology concepts, have excellent writing, teaching, public speaking, and interpersonal skills, and have well-organized work habits. Candidate must have an advanced degree, or else a Bachelor's degree with at least three years relevant professional experience. Responsibilities include developing educational materials, recruiting for and conducting biodiversity education programs for land use decision-makers, making public presentations, conducting program evaluation and administration, and interacting with agency partners, collaborators, and funding sources. Candidate must have personal vehicle for travel to work sites, and must be able to conduct field work alone on foot year-round. Experience with GIS, and with map analysis and air photo interpretation for predicting occurrence of biological resources, and knowledge of land use planning for conservation are preferred. Candidate must be able to work independently, and to work closely with other staff in a small organization. Hudsonia is a non-advocacy, public interest organization, and an Equal Opportunity Employer; minorities and women are encouraged to apply. 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: 15 December 2006 or when position is filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Rainforest Herpetology & Conservation Ecology Research Positions

Reptile Research is now accepting applications for participants in our Ecuadorian herpetofauna research program for 2007.  Participants will gain hands-on experience in Herpetology and Conservation Ecology. The organization is studying the population ecology and community structure of reptiles and amphibians in imperiled western Ecuadorian ecosystems, which have dwindled to only 2-5% of their historic area.  This rate of ecosystem decline, along with the high levels of biodiversity found in the region, prompted Conservation International to designate western Ecuador