INDEX:

---EDITOR'S NOTE--

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

·	Senator Boxer Outlines EPQ Agenda for the 110th Congress
·	Deal on Tax Breaks Thursday Opens Way for Expanded Gulf Drilling
·	FEMA Clarifies Policy on Mapping Areas Protected By Levees
·	Aquatic Sciences - Research Across Boundaries
·	Coastal Wetland Dieback: the Phenomenon of Marsh Browning and Dieback
·	Satellite Radar Gauges Water Levels in Louisiana Wetlands

---NEWS OF NATIONAL SCOPE---

·	When Dry is Wet: Uncovering the Truth Behind the Growing Business of Wetland Mitigation Banks
·	Army Corps: 'Mr. Go' Should Be Closed
·	Notice of Availability of Draft Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Wetlands
·	Section of Musconetcong River Designated as Part of National Wild and Scenic River
·	Bosque Del Apache Schedules Prescribed Burn
·	Katrina Tree Recovery Campaign Continues to Provide New Trees for Gulf Coast

---LEGISLATIAVE NEWS---

·	Congress's Inaction Threatens Funding
·	Helping to Restore Nationally Significant Aquatic Ecosystems—2007 Federal Budget
	Ducks & the Farm Bill: Farming For Ducks
·	America Losing Progress on Clean Water --Oberstar: Waivers, Loopholes, and Rollbacks

--- STATE NEWS---  

·	ME: Katahdin Lake Now Protected for Baxter State Park (ME)
·	NH: Loggers Given Two Weeks to Fix Wetlands
·	TN: Beavers Build 'High Quality' Wetland on Battlefield Property
·	MN: From Cattails to Car Tanks: MSU Profs Look to Wetlands for Ethanol Options
·	CT: PZC Criticizes Report Urging Separate Wetlands Panel
·	CA: Bahia Area Odor Probe Focuses on Wetlands
·	MD: Help Needed to Rescue Island
·	NM: UNM, Santa Fe Charter School 37 Present Galisteo Basin Wetlands Project
·	HI: Hanalei Resident Restores Wetlands
·	MI: Great Lakes Day in Washington, D.C. Announced
·	FL: Wetlands Are a Major Hurdle to Building
·	MD: Watershed a Finalist for Cleanup Grant
·	DE: Delaware Moratorium on Horseshoe Crab Harvesting
·	MD: Rifle-Toting Crab Scrapers, Dying Grass Don't Dash Hopes for Bay

---RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS---

·	"Significant Nexus" Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Draft Decision Paper Available for Review
·	Great Lakes Commission Newsletter Now Available Online
·	NCDFR Riparian and Wetland Tree Planting Pocket Guide Now Available
·	A Case Study of a Mom-Scientist: Canopy Meg; Two Books by Margaret Lowman
·	Beyond Bias and Barriers: Women in Science, National Academies Study

---POTPOURRI---

·	Environmental Leaders from Congress and Private Sector Elected to ELI's Board
·	McCrea Awarded Wetlands Medal
·	Researchers Win Grant to Study Sudden Ailing Wetlands (Dieback)
·	A Note Regarding Invasive Species in Wetlands
·	Gorini Marsh Naming Honors Environmental Visionary
·	Overgrazing Hurts Island Ecosystems
·	World Wetlands Day 2007 is February 2nd
·	Program Officer/Associate Position Open with Great Lakes Protection Fund
·	Nominations for 2007 National Wetlands Awards Has Been Extended to January 15th, 2007
·	Associate/Senior Associate Position for Climate, Energy and Pollution Program – WRI
·	Living on Earth: Banking on Wetlands radio program
·	Watershed Planner Position Open with Center for Watershed Protection
·	Though Sturdy Survivors, Turtles Prove to Be Ill Equipped for Human Threat

---MEETINGS AND TRAINING---

·	Best Local Land Use Practices: Ohio Lake Erie ‘Balanced Growth Program’
·	Riverine Wetlands: Connections, Corridors & Catchments
·	Call for Abstracts for International Conference on the Modeling of Urban Water Systems
·	Wetland Delineation Workshops and Training Website
·	Strengthening the Roles of Land Trusts and Local Governments in Protecting and Restoring Wetlands
·	4th Annual Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference

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

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Good tidings from Maine. I can hardly remember a December when I could walk on the beach in 45 degree weather. I have enjoyed the sunshine, found whole sand dollars and watched the surfers at Scarborough Beach ride big waves. My father asked if I wanted a wetsuit so I could surf, too. I told him I was feeling more like Veronica than Betty and relished my view from dry sand. By contrast, snow covered the trees, roads and rooftops for one day but melted within 24 hours; deflated, toy snowmen sit patiently in yards. Fairy lights illuminate the silhouettes of reindeer, wreaths and lampposts throughout the towns at night. The most recent issue of ASWM’s membership newsletter, Wetland News, covered topics such as sudden wetland dieback (included in this issue of WBN), ‘what’s next for Clean Water Act jurisdiction,’ and ASWM projects. If you are an ASWM member and did not receive your copy of Wetland News by e-mail, please contact Laura Burchill, laura@aswm.org. I would welcome story ideas or news items for both the membership newsletter and Wetland Breaking News. A special thank you for contributors to this issue of WBN: David Inouye, University of Maryland; Paul Baicich, Birding Community E-Bulletin; Patricia Riexinger, DEC New York; Cathy Garra, EPA. Here’s to a joyful solstice, a merry Christmas and a happy new year! Leah Stetson Editor, Wetland Breaking News

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Senator Boxer Outlines EPW Agenda for the 110th Congress; Ranking Member Still to be Determined
The CSO Weekly Report - Coastal States Organization - December 8, 2006          This week the incoming Chairwoman, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee outlined her intended agenda for the new Congress.  She outlined the following priorities for the Committee:
	·	Legislation to address the threat of global warming by limiting emissions;
	·	Conducting oversight hearings on Environmental Protection Agency activities with regard to superfund and hazardous waste clean-up sites and setting the particulate matter and ozone standards;
	·	Legislation to reauthorize the Water Resources Development Act;
	·	Protection of children from toxic substances in toys and drinking water;
	·	Ensuring adequate funding for clean water and drinking water infrastructure loan funds;
	·	Reviewing the Supreme Court ruling on federal wetland regulation (Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers).

In addition, it is not clear who will become the ranking minority member for the Committee.  Republican Senators James Inhofe (R-OK) and John Warner (R-VA) have both expressed an interest in the position.  Senator Inhofe held his final hearing this week as outgoing chair of the EPW Committee on Climate Change and the Media, which examined the media's role in presenting the science of climate change and creating a false sense of alarm among the public.   Senator Warner does not share those views.  Senate Republican leaders are hoping to finish selections on ranking members by December 15th. To learn more about how to receive the CSO Weekly Report, click on this link: http://www.coastalstates.org/pages/pub.html#csoweek.

Deal on Tax Breaks Thursday Opens Way for Expanded Gulf Drilling By H. Josef Hebert – Associated Press ENN – December 8, 2006 An agreement on a tax package Thursday moved Congress closer to opening a vast area in the Gulf of Mexico, 125 miles south of Florida's panhandle, to oil and gas drilling. Both the House and Senate attached the drilling legislation to a package of popular tax measures expected to win approval by week's end as Republicans wrap up the 109th Congress and turn control over to Democrats next year. The drilling legislation also revamps revenue sharing from Gulf oil and gas production, sending hundreds of millions of dollars to four Gulf states for restoring coastal wetlands and repairing hurricane damage. For full story, visit: http://enn.com/today.html?id=11808

FEMA Clarifies Policy on Mapping Areas Protected By Levees

FEMA Release - September 26, 2006 The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced new guidance which provides communities additional time to gather data needed to assess the protective capabilities of levees while still allowing new Flood Insurance Rate Maps to be released on time. "When levees fail, they fail catastrophically.  The flooding may be much more intense and damaging than if the levee was not there," said David Maurstad, FEMA's Mitigation Director and Federal Insurance Administrator. "No levee system will provide full protection from floods. Levees are designed to provide a specific level of protection, and they can be overtopped in larger flood events. People need to be aware of the risks they face living behind levees - including levees credited as providing protection from the one percent annual chance flood." For the full story, click here: http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=30278. For information on levees and FEMA’s flood map modernization program: www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/lv_intro.shtm

For additional information on post-Katrina and New Orleans Hurricane Protection Projects and the June 2006 draft Final Report of the Interagency Performance Evaluation Taskforce (IPET), visit the Army Corps of Engineers’ website: https://ipet.wes.army.mil/

Aquatic Sciences - Research Across Boundaries: the Comparative Biodiversity of Seven Globally Important Wetlands

Edited by Wolfgang J. Junk – Published by Birkhäuser Basel This special issue of Aquatic Sciences is the first attempt to gather data on species diversity of different large wetlands around the globe. The authors of the articles had to overcome serious difficulties in linking the information because the data for most plant and animal groups were often insufficient, information was scattered in a wide range of scientific journals and grey literature, and considerable personal knowledge had to be contributed to interpret the results. The articles summarise the state of the art and highlight the knowledge in specific areas, but also the remendous deficits in others. On the eve of the 2005 World Summit in New York, the heads of the secretariats of the five global biodiversity-related conventions – Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and World Heritage Convention – issued a joint statement calling upon the world’s leaders “to recognize that to make the Millennium Development Goals a reality in a highly populated planet, biological diversity needs to be used sustainably and its benefits more equitably shared”. Wetlands should no longer be at the sideline, but rather placed at the top of a priority list of ecosystems for sustainable management of biodiversity because of their high species richness, high vulnerability, and the large amount of other associated commercial and non-commercial values that lead to great human pressure and rapid destruction. This special issue of Aquatic Sciences is an excellent starting point for the elaboration of projects designed to fill the gaps at regional and global levels. The authors hope that the Global Wetland Consortium will play a leading role in achieving this goal (preface by Wolfgang Junk). To view all the articles: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1420-9055/

Coastal Wetland Dieback: the Phenomenon of Marsh Browning & Marsh Dieback

By Leah Stetson – Association of State Wetland Managers – December 13, 2006 Wetland scientists and riverkeepers have observed a distinct, disturbing change in the coastal marsh landscape since the 1990s—in the pan handle of Florida, and since 2000—in Louisiana, Georgia and Virginia, as the once green, intertidal smooth cord grass (Spartina alterniflora) turned unusually brown at a rapid rate, then died. The specific details of the dieback vary significantly from place to place. For example, in some cases, the original vegetation reestablished itself at the dieback sites, whereas in others, different vegetation supplanted the previously dominant species; yet in other marshes, vegetation remains absent. […] According to this year’s USGS report on a project involving data from salt marsh browning and marsh dieback in Louisiana during 2000-2001, several possible causes of dieback were eliminated, including hypersalinity, while other causal factors remain in question. For example, one of the factors was lack of water but as some of the sites were flooded at the time of the surveys, drought could neither be ruled out nor determined as a cause. The study also revealed that the dieback sites held higher concentration of pyrite and acid-extractable aluminum and iron. Other factors, such as pre-existing stress conditions for acute dieback, were mentioned but the authors of the study stated that these stress conditions are yet unknown. For full story, go to: http://www.aswm.org/wbn/dieback_1206.pdf

Satellite Radar Gauges Water Levels in Louisiana Wetlands

By Pam Frost Gorder  -- Ohio State University –December 12, 2006 Ohio State University researchers have demonstrated that a satellite radar system can be used to gauge water levels in vegetated wetlands. C.K. Shum, professor of earth sciences at Ohio State, and his colleagues, hope to develop the technique to aid studies of wetland hydrology -- including the role that wetlands play in quelling storm surges caused by large hurricanes. They examined data from the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite, taken from four selected sites around Louisiana from 1992-2002. Using an innovative data processing technique, called "retracking," they were able to remove signal errors such as those caused by wetland vegetation. For full story, visit: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/radarwet.htm

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NATIONAL NEWS

When Dry is Wet: Uncovering the Truth Behind the Growing Business of Wetland Mitigation Banks

By Craig Pittman & Matthew Waite – St. Petersburg Times – December 17, 2006 Over the past decade, a little-known industry has reaped a billion-dollar bounty by convincing lawmakers it is the answer to saving the nation’s wetlands. The promise of the wetland mitigation banking industry — a free-market solution that’s good for the environment — pleases politicians of every stripe. “It’s a great way to make a living,’’ said Allison DeFoor, who works for a mitigation banker and is vice chairman of the Florida Republican Party. “We’re doing the Lord’s work and getting paid for it.” The theory goes like this: Developers are required to replace any wetland they destroy, an expensive task that often fails. Enter the mitigation banker. He buys land that used to be a swamp and restores it. Regulators calculate how many “credits’’ the banker can sell, each one equal to an acre of pristine wetlands. To read the rest of this story and link to the entire series of wetland articles by Pittman & Waite, visit: http://www.sptimes.com/2006/webspecials06/wetlands/

Army Corps: 'Mr. Go' Should Be Closed

By CAIN BURDEAU – The Associated Press – December 15, 2006 A shipping channel blamed for widespread flooding during Hurricane Katrina and extensive wetlands destruction should be closed, the Army Corps of Engineers recommended Friday in a report to Congress. A preliminary analysis showed it is not cost-effective to keep the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet open "to both shallow and deep-draft navigation," the report says, recommending it be closed by "an armored earthen dam." […] Since its construction, the channel has destroyed hundreds of square miles of wetlands and killed stands of cypress forests. For the full story, visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/15/AR2006121502107.html

Notice of Availability of Draft Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Wetlands

Environmental Protection Agency – December 14, 2006 EPA announces the availability of a draft nutrient criteria technical guidance manual for wetlands. This document provides State and Tribal water quality managers and others with information on how to develop numeric nutrient criteria for wetlands as State or tribal law or regulation; however, the document does not contain site-specific numeric nutrient criteria. EPA is soliciting information, data, and views on issues of science pertaining to the information the Agency used to develop this document. While this document contains EPA's scientific recommendations regarding defensible approaches for developing regional nutrient criteria, this guidance does not substitute for Clean Water Act (CWA) or EPA regulations, nor is it a regulation. It does not impose legally binding requirements on the EPA, States, territories, authorized tribes, or the regulated community. State and tribal decision makers have discretion to adopt water quality standards that use approaches that differ from EPA's recommendations.

Scientific views, data, and information should be submitted by February 12, 2007. Interested parties may submit scientific information, data, or views, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2006-0826, via one of the following links: (online instructions available): http://www.regulations.gov, mailto:ow-docket@epa.gov

Section of Musconetcong River Designated as Part of National Wild and Scenic River

Musconetcong Watershed Association – Release – December 12, 2006 Twenty-four miles of the Musconetcong River became a part of the National Wild and Scenic River System at 2:00 a.m. on December 9, 2006, in the very last hours of the 109th Congress.  This designation is due to the hard work and undying effort of a newer volunteer monitoring program, the Musconetcong Watershed Association.  Details of the significance of this news will be discussed in a Special Edition of the Musconetcong River News and found on the website soon http://www.musconetcong.org/   Congressman Garrett and his staff were able to have the bill passed in the very last hours before Congress adjourned, saving the necessity of reintroducing the legislation in the next Congress.  All thank you notes for Congressman Scott Garrett can be sent via Andrew.Wimer@mail.house.gov  In addition, the Musconetcong Watershed Association is very grateful to American Rivers.

Bosque Del Apache Schedules Prescribed Burn, Included 60 Acres of Wetlands

USF&WS Release –  Contact: Victoria Fox  —  December 8, 2006 Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge planned to conduct a prescribed burn on Tuesday, December 12 (weather permitting).  Approximately 60 acres of wetlands located east of Highway 1, about 10 miles south of San Antonio, New Mexico, were scheduled to be burned.  Residual smoke may be visible for several days as heavier fuel accumulations burn down.  The wetlands are part of the historic Rio Grande floodplain that makes up the heart of the refuge. They are a priority management area for the Bosque del Apache NWR, providing important feeding and nesting habitat for waterfowl, sandhill cranes, shorebirds, and endangered species.  Fire is needed to remove plant litter, recycle nutrients, and promote habitat health. Applying fire to cattail, bulrush, and other plant species encourages the growth of more beneficial plants and benefits the migratory bird population. For the full press release: http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=631B7CA9-EB68-165B-473E0A85B3D423B4

Katrina Tree Recovery Campaign Continues to Provide New Trees for Gulf Coast

Audubon Newswire – November 30, 2006 The National Audubon Society and The National Arbor Day Foundation held their latest Katrina Tree Recovery Campaign tree giveaway event on November 18, with nearly 22,000 trees given away by volunteers at 19 distribution sites across coastal Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana. The campaign is now approaching 45,000 trees delivered this year to help the people and communities of the Gulf Coast restore the beautiful trees lost to Hurricane Katrina. Audubon Mississippi's collaboration with The National Arbor Day Foundation is part of its overall initiative, dubbed Operation Backyard Recovery, to promote the recovery of habitat for birds and other wildlife in areas stricken by Hurricane Katrina. More information about Operation Backyard Recovery can be found at http://www.msaudubon.org/. For more on this topic, visit: http://www.audubon.org/newswire/Newswire_V4N23.html#tree

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LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Congress's Inaction Threatens Funding

By Jonathan Weisman and Lori Montgomery – Washington Post – December 17, 2006 The Republican-controlled Congress's decision to adjourn a week ago before completing many of the spending bills that finance the federal government will reverberate in ways large and small, such as understaffed U.S. attorney's offices, delayed renovations at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut and a scuttled global nuclear energy exchange. Republican leaders left behind just enough spending authority to keep the government operating through mid-February, less than halfway through the 2007 fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Democrats have signaled that when they take control of Congress in January they will extend that funding authority for the remainder of the year based largely on the previous year's spending levels, which will result in many cuts in programs. For full article, visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121601087.html

Helping to Restore Nationally Significant Aquatic Ecosystems

From the Office of Management & Budget, Corps of Engineers—Civil Works The 2007 Budget includes a focus on the restoration of three important aquatic ecosystems: Coastal Louisiana, the Upper Mississippi River, and Everglades/South Florida. Coastal Louisiana: The wetlands of coastal Louisiana support many plant and animal species, but are subject to continuing pressures as a result of human intervention and natural causes. The 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act took steps to address this ecological challenge. The Administration seeks to build upon the 1990 Act by supporting generic authorizing legislation to address the most critical ecological needs over the next 10 years, with the understanding that significant additional work will be needed in subsequent years. These wetlands also provide a natural buffer that can lessen the impacts of some storms, and are in fact an important part of the overall storm damage reduction system for coastal communities, such as New Orleans. The Budget includes $25 million for studies, design work, and a science program to lay the groundwork for this effort, a $4 million (19-percent) increase over the 2006 level of funding. For additional information on the 2007 budget as it applies to wetlands, visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2007/corps.html

Ducks & the Farm Bill: Farming For Ducks

By Steve Adair, Ph.D. – Ducks Unlimited – December 2006 Vital Farm Bill programs contribute toward the conservation goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The primary impetus for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) adopted in 1986 was to organize partners in Canada, the United States, and Mexico around a shared goal of restoring waterfowl populations to levels observed in the 1970s. To achieve this ambitious goal, architects of the plan knew that limited resources would have to be focused on the landscapes most critical to sustaining ducks and geese throughout their annual cycle. […] In crafting the 2007 bill, there may be opportunities to make WRP more landowner friendly by incorporating compatible uses into the easements and their valuations, which could increase the attractiveness of the program in places like the PPR. While the success of Swampbuster is evident by the wetland gains that have occurred across agricultural lands, it is periodically challenged in some intensively farmed areas where small, temporary wetlands are viewed as nuisance areas. A relatively new practice called pattern tiling has emerged as a new threat to wetlands. This practice places drainage pipe in the uplands surrounding a wetland, intercepting runoff that would normally fill the basin. Because there are no actions to the wetland directly, pattern tiling does not constitute a Swampbuster violation. Given recent Supreme Court decisions that have weakened the protection of isolated wetlands, which are critical habitat for waterfowl, it is essential that Swampbuster be retained in the 2007 Farm Bill and that loopholes indirectly allowing drainage of wetlands be tightened. For full article, visit: http://www.ducks.org/DU_Magazine/DUMagazineSeptOct2006/2805/DuckstheFarmBillFarmingforDucks.html

For more information on the trend of pattern tiling in wetlands: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/EcosystemConservation/water_issues.html

America Losing Progress on Clean Water --Oberstar: waivers, loopholes, and rollbacks by GOP Administration and Congress at fault

NEWS Release from the T&I DEMOCRATS: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Democratic Caucus - U.S. House of Representatives – October 25, 2006 Efforts to clean up America’s waters has stalled, even slipped, under the stewardship of the Bush Administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. That’s the finding of a report released today by Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), Ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The report, “Waivers, Loopholes, and Rollbacks: the Republican Contract on Clean Water,” cites strong evidence that current policies have slowed, stopped, or reversed the progress made since the inception of the Clean Water Act in 1972. The report lays responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the Administration and Congress, especially the Republican leadership of the House. To read this full press release, visit: http://www.house.gov/transportation_democrats/wCWA10-25-06.pdf

To go directly to the October 2006 report, WAIVERS, LOOPHOLES, AND ROLLBACKS: THE REPUBLICAN CONTRACT ON CLEAN WATER by the Honorable James L. Oberstar, Ranking Democratic Member Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, visit: http://www.house.gov/transportation_democrats/CWA%20Report%202006.pdf

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STATES NEWS

ME: Katahdin Lake Now Protected for Baxter State Park (ME)

By the Trust for Public Land – ENN -- December 18, 2006 Governor John Baldacci today announced that Katahdin Lake, along with 4,000 acres that include old-growth forest, miles of pristine lake frontage, and spectacular views of Mount Katahdin, is now part of Baxter State Park. The land will be permanently preserved as a wilderness sanctuary, thereby fulfilling former Governor Percival P. Baxter's original vision for the park he donated to the people of Maine. Yesterday, The Trust for Public Land, which negotiated the purchase agreement and led a $14 million private fundraising campaign, completed the purchase of the land from Gardner Land Company, and transferred the deed to the Baxter State Park Authority. An additional 2,000 acres north of the lake was included in the purchase. That land will be managed by the Maine Department of Conservation. Governor Baldacci said, "We could not think of a better holiday gift for the people of Maine.” For full story, visit: http://www.enn.com/net.html?id=1763

NH: Loggers Given Two Weeks to Fix Wetlands

By KATE DAVIDSON – Concord Monitor —  December 13, 2006 The state Department of Environmental Services has given a Concord company and two loggers 14 days to restore wetlands and stream banks at a logging operation in Webster, after a months-long investigation found the group had violated several provisions of the state wetlands law. Gary Bardsley, Mark Chamberlain and Peter & Gary, LLC - the company that owns the property on Little Hill Road in Webster - were issued an administrative order from the department on Dec. 5 and must submit detailed plans of the restoration project to DES by next Tuesday. Bardsley's attorney, Peter McGrath - also the "Peter" in Peter & Gary LLC - said environmental consultants visited the 500-acre site with DES compliance specialists this week. He expects the issues will be resolved without further action, which could include administrative fines if the order is not followed. "The problems are going to be resolved and the wildlife is going to be protected," McGrath said. For the full story, visit: http://www.concordmonitor.com:80/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061212/REPOSITORY/612120343

TN: Beavers Build 'High Quality' Wetland on Battlefield Property

By KEVIN WALTERS  —  Tennessean.com —  December 12, 2006 A copy of a final report by a state scientist confirms that Franklin has a “high quality” wetlands along a creek near the former Country Club of Franklin property, courtesy of the families of beavers who live in a nearby creek. Mike Lee, environmental specialist with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, reports Franklin’s wetlands scored an 81.5 out of a possible 100 points based on its size, location and water quality. The 10-acre wetlands was created by families of beavers who built dams from trees growing near the Carriage Park neighborhood. The beaver dams concerned the neighbors and local officials because of flooding and possible health risks. The Tier II ranking makes Franklin's wetlands one of just a few in Middle Tennessee, and state law protecting wetlands make removing it more difficult and more costly than removing a typical Tier I wetland. For more, visit: http://www.ashlandcitytimes.com:80/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061212/COUNTY09/61212012

MN: From Cattails to Car Tanks: MSU Profs Look to Wetlands for Ethanol Options

By Mark Fischenich - The Free Press – December 12, 2006 When it comes to capturing and storing the sun’s energy, wetlands might be the most efficient of any ecosystem around, according to Minnesota State University biology Professor Gregg Marg. So with industry and science looking at plant matter as a replacement for foreign oil, Marg is studying whether wetlands could be a new source of ethanol. Marg and chemistry Professor James Rife have obtained a federal grant to convert wetland plants into ethanol and measure how feasible and productive the process might be.  For biomass produced per acre, wetlands are extraordinary, Marg said. For the full story, click on this link: http://www.mankatofreepress.com:80/local/local_story_345005725.html?keyword=secondarystory

CT: PZC Criticizes Report Urging Separate Wetlands Panel

By: Christine McCluskey - Journal Inquirer – December 12, 2006 Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday blasted the Conservation Commission for not telling them directly of its belief that the PZC shouldn't be acting as the town's wetlands authority. In a June report that was issued to town staffers last month, the Conservation Commission says that Manchester should have a separate wetlands commission and that it should increase the buffer area around wetlands from 50 to 100 feet. The PZC concentrated on the first recommendation Monday because town staff members plan to cover the buffer-area issue next month, when they present to the PZC possible revisions to wetlands regulations. Manchester is one of only five towns in the state where the PZC's responsibilities include regulating and permitting use of inland wetland and watercourse areas. For full story, go to: http://www.journalinquirer.com:80/site/news.cfm?newsid=17581210&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=569429&rfi=6

CA: Bahia Area Odor Probe Focuses on Wetlands

By Carla Bova – Marin Independent Journal – December 12, 2006 The mystery lingers along with the stinky smell in Novato's Bahia neighborhood. Residents have been smelling the foul odor on and off for a couple of weeks, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is on the case, focusing on the wetlands area nearby. "We feel that the wetland is either the source of the odor or a significant contributor, and now we are trying to figure out what is happening that would cause the odor to be coming from that area," said Karen Schkolnick, district spokeswoman. "Determining why the wetland is causing a public nuisance is the first step to knowing how to remedy it. We are moving quickly to get to the bottom of this and get a remedy for the community." For full story, visit: http://www.marinij.com:80/marin/ci_4787050

MD: Help Needed to Rescue Island

Daily Banner – December 11, 2006 Holland Island is the southern most part of Dorchester County. Its western side faces the Chesapeake Bay and its east side faces Holland Straits. All sides of the one and one-half mile long island are surrounded by shallow water of from one to three feet deep. The island acts as a buffer to a vast area of Holland Straits. Its status as a barrier island to thousands of acres of wetlands to the east of it provides protection from the Chesapeake Bay storms that typically affect the east side of the bay. Having the only trees within an eight-mile radius, Holland Island has several large heron rookeries. Hundreds of other shorebirds and waterfowl also nest here each year. Egrets, curlews, oyster catchers, ospr