Editor's Note

Editor's Choice

National News

Legislative News

State News

Resources/ Publications

Potpourri

Job Openings

Meetings/ Training

ASWM Calendar

INDEX:

---EDITOR'S NOTE--

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

·	Direct and Indirect Impacts of Urbanization on Wetland Quality
·	Louisiana Slipping Very Slowly Into the Gulf of Mexico
·	New Interactive Key to Wetland Monocots of the US
·	Corps Designing `Leaky Levees' to Protect Wetlands
·	Incentives Proposed for Clean Water Permit Fees
·	In MA Wetlands, Builders Can Pay to Play
·	Water Withdrawals Threaten New England Streams, New Report Lays Out Policy Solutions

---NATIONAL NEWS---

·	USGS Examines Environmental Impacts of Aircraft De-Icers on Aquatic Life in Streams
·	NAHB Applauds Decision to Hear Clean Water Case
·	EPA Muzzles Regulators
·	Interior Sec. Kempthorne Announces Proposal to List Polar Bears as Threatened Under ESA
·	EPA Sets Out New Rules for Toxin Reports
·	Chain Reaction: Corps Working Toward a More Collaborative Planning Process
·	Federal Agency Won’t List Disappearing Eastern Songbird as ‘Threatened’

---LEGISLATIVE NEWS---

·	San Joaquin River Restoration Bill Reintroduced in Congress
·	Environmental Harmony: An Editorial

--- STATE NEWS---  

·	MA: Wetland Status of Store Site Argued
·	PA: Pennsylvania State Agency Refuses to Publish Tough Pollution Rule
·	ME: Group of Mainers Aims to Conserve Land Indefinitely
·	SC: Environment and Health Issues: Isolated Wetlands
·	PA: 134 Acre Minsi Lake Corridor Acquisition Provides Buffer for Vernal Pool Preserve
·	NC: Work Begins on Restoring Lake Norman Wetlands
·	WI: Oil Pipeline Push Readied in Rusk County
·	MN: DNR'S Six-Item To-Do List
·	IL: Wetlands Initiative Shares Vision for Goose Pond Project
·	WA: EPA Action Protects Over 100 Acres of Coastal Wetlands
·	NY: Activists, Developers Talk About Protecting Wetlands
·	LA: Trees Collected to Help Wetlands
·	FL: Clermont: Tree-Cutting Went Too Far
·	AK: Homer Eyes New Wetlands Maps
·	MD: Briefings to Show Roles in Improving Local Water Quality
·	UT: Sierra Club Leaders Fight for Protection of Wetlands
·	WA: Development Fined for Runoff Polluting Camas Creek
·	CA: UC Sees Permit Progress
·	TX: Ponds, Marsh Helping Keep Pollution at Bay
·	MI: New Strategy for Water Quality
·	NH: A White Water Mecca - Raising Water Levels for Recreational Purposes
·	NJ: Wounded Birds Return to Sky Via New Jersey Sanctuary
·	MI: Michigan Ballast Water Law Takes Maiden Voyage w/ Legal Implications for Other States
·	VA: Board Approves Wetlands Plan
·	FL: Presto: Convert a Mine Into a Wetland

---RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS---

·	Substrate Organic Matter to Improve Nitrate Removal in Surface-Flow Constructed Wetlands
·	Biological and Water Quality Report for Grand River Basin Available
·	Draft Report on Salt Marsh Dieback on Cape Cod, 2006
·	Fifth Stakeholder Forum Report on Federal Wetlands Mitigation
·	Avian Conservation and Ecology – Third Issue Now Available
·	American Perceptions of Immigrant and Invasive Species

---POTPOURRI---

·	Stormwater Runoff is Taking Its Toll on Beards Creek
·	Great Lakes Information Network Releases New GIS Maps
·	FishAmerica Foundation and the NOAA Restoration Center Announce Funding Availability
·	Research Opportunities in the Huron Mountains, MI
·	Think Like a Duck
·	Butterfly Hunters Travel to Montgomery Count
·	Study to Examine Beach Erosion on Island
·	County Grants Clous Permit, Pursues New Wetlands Tack
·	Wetlands Curb Hog Hormones in Wastewater
·	Researchers Use Yellowstone As CO2 Lab
·	Mining-Related Contaminants Persist in Some Appalachian Coal Region Water Wells
·	EPA’s Quiz on Water Efficiency
·	Paid Summer Research Program in Watershed Studies

---JOB OPENINGS---

·	Position in Restoration Ecology with University of Puerto Rico
·	Biological Technician Needed in Seagrass Ecosystem Research Lab
·	Position Available: Water Resource Project Director Availability Research Opportunities
·	Project Coordinator Wanted for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
·	Graduate Research Assistant Position in Invasive Plant Ecology – Soils
·	Limnologist, Assistant Professor, Tenure Track Position
·	Fish & Wildlife Biologist/Invasive Species Specialist Position
·	Conservation Coordinator Position with Land Trust
·	GIs Technician Position Available for Summer 2007
·	Project Manager Position for Wetland Mitigation & Ecological Restoration
·	Instream Flow & River Restoration Specialist Position
·	Wetland Scientist/Project Manager Position
·	Alaska Bird Observatory Seeks Banders

---MEETINGS AND TRAINING---

·	Introduction to Urban Watersheds Online Course
·	Delaware Estuary 2007 Science Conference
·	Re-establishing Connections to Our Waterways Speaker Series
·	Ohio Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Workshop to Be Held in February
·	Wetland Training Opportunities in 2007
·	Introduction to Environmental Restoration Design Course Offering in Raleigh, NC
·	Introduction to ArcGIS 9 for Natural Resource Professionals
·	IBMP Selection, Maintenance and Effectiveness -Training for Stormwater Managers
·	Bird Monitoring & Detectability Symposium
·	Winter/Spring 2007 Wetland Classes
·	Great Lakes Day in Washington: March 7, 2007
·	Call for Papers: 27th Annual Midwest Ecology and Evolution Conference
·	Gulf Coast Floods Recovery: Mission Mitigation Training Workshop
·	CALL FOR PAPERS: 10th NATIONAL WATERSHED CONFERENCE MAY 20-23, 2007
·	WORKSHOPS OFFERED ON BEST LOCAL LAND USE PRACTICES in Lake Erie Watershed
·	National Land Conservation Conference: Rally 2007 October 3-6

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

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

January is a good month for making resolutions and I love to make lists. This year I decided to take action, instead of writing a list of things “To Do in 2007,” I would simply start doing them. So far, this new bent on resolution-making works for me. A tidy, new, organized living space and office are just what I needed to get the ball rolling for projects I have said I would do for years: finish a manuscript, reupholster an antique chaise longue and learn how to speak Italian. Here at ASWM, we are on the safe and dry side of the fence in wetlands work. I don’t have to wear waders or carry firearms for bear protection. High tolerance for biting bugs is in any Mainiac’s blood and we have yet to face harsh elements this winter. My kudos goes out to those wetland superheroes, who bravely go where the wild things are. Special thanks for this issue’s contributors: Bronwyn Mitchell, Environmental Concern Inc.; Craig Pittman, St. Petersburg Times; Dr. Stephen Smith, National Park Service; Bill Wilen, National Wetlands Inventory; and Doug Norris, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. In this issue I had to resolve some formatting problems. If you have trouble reading this issue because of weird formatting, please let me know. It will also be available on our website. Leah Stetson Editor, Wetland Breaking News

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EDITOR'S CHOICE

Direct and Indirect Impacts of Urbanization on Wetland Quality

Center for Watershed Protection – January 3, 2007 The Center for Watershed Protection just released a third article, which reviews the direct and indirect impacts of urbanization on wetlands, and describes how impacts to wetlands affect watershed health. This article is the third in the Center for Watershed Protection’s wetland series. For a link to this wetland series, visit: http://www.cwp.org:80/wetlands/articles.htm where the third article can also be downloaded in sections or in its entirety.

Louisiana Slipping Very Slowly Into the Gulf of Mexico

By Cain Burdeau – Star Tribune – January 1, 2007 A new report by scientists studying Louisiana's sinking coast says the land here is not just sinking, it's sliding ever so slowly into the Gulf of Mexico. The new findings may add a kink to plans being drawn up to build bigger and better levees to protect this historic city and Cajun bayou culture. If the land is shifting — even slightly — engineers may need to take that into consideration as they build new levees and draw lines across the coast to identify areas that should and shouldn't be protected. Researchers have known for years that the swampy land under south Louisiana is sinking (potholed streets and wobbly porches and floors are visible evidence of that) but a lateral movement of the land into the Gulf enters largely unstudied terrain. The report, which appeared in December's Geophysical Research Letters, a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Geophysical Union, says the bedrock under heavily populated southeast Louisiana is breaking away at a glacial speed — at the pace fingernails grow. For the full article, visit: http://www.startribune.com/484/story/909321.html  For an abstract of the report, Tectonic control of subsidence and southward displacement of southeast Louisiana with respect to stable North America by Roy K. Dokka, Giovanni F. Sella and Timothy H. Dixon, go to: http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2006/2006GL027250.shtml

New Interactive Key to Wetland Monocots of the US

There is a new Interactive Key to Wetland Monocots of the US (ca.2400 taxa) available from PLANTS  (plants.usda.gov). See (http://npdc.usda.gov/technical/plantid_wetland_mono.html) for details. It is free for use and download and requires no installation or registration. The data set was developed cooperatively by the Missouri Botanical Garden and the USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center and was compiled from numerous and varied sources by Dr. David Bogler of the Missouri Botanical Garden (ca. 1.7 million data points). The automated plant key runs in a new version of SLIKS (www.stingersplace.com/SLIKS) which is free and requires no installation. It lets you identify the monocots known to occur in U.S. wetlands.  The species list in this key is derived from the US Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory National List of Vascular Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands: 1998 National List. This draft plant character data set is for testing purposes only. For further information, click on the "Instructions, Information, Disclaimers and Policies" link after the application is loaded.

The version of SLIKS (2.0) used for this particular application was specifically designed for Microsoft Internet Explorer. If you need to use another browser, there are other options available at the SLIKS website (www.stingersplace.com/SLIKS). Agreements for completion of datasets for all US grasses, all US legumes, all US gymnosperms and all US Ericaceae have been made through various CESUs in the CESU (www.cesu.org) network and the data sets should be delivered over the next near. First drafts of the keys for the grasses of Louisiana and Missouri are available now for testing and evaluation by qualified botanists. Please contact Dr. Gerald Guala (gerald.guala@la.usda.gov) for copies at USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center, P.O. Box 74490, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70874-4490 USA, Tel: 225.775.6280; Fax: 225.775.8883  http://npdc.usda.gov  http://plants.usda.gov

Corps Designing `Leaky Levees' to Protect Wetlands

By Matthew Brown – Newhouse New Service – January 4, 2007 As Louisiana searches for pragmatic flood protection solutions, experts agree the region needs stronger levees and restored wetlands. But that brings up a paradox that has bedeviled engineers and politicians for years: Building more levees would only hasten the destruction of wetlands, by choking off the freshwater sediment that nourishes the swamps. So the Army Corps of Engineers is designing a new type of structure intended to soften environmental impact. The name sounds like an oxymoron: leaky levees. And in the wake of the levee breaches following Hurricane Katrina, corps officials are pushing a switch to the more technical "tidal interchange structures." The idea is to build structures with gates and culverts that would let tidal currents flow somewhat naturally -- until a storm or flood threatens and the openings could be closed. For full article, go to: http://www.newhousenews.com:80/archive/brown010407.html

Incentives Proposed for Clean Water Permit Fees

A proposed EPA rule would provide a financial incentive to states to use fees when running a clean water permit program. EPA's rule would allot up to three percent of state water pollution control grant funds to states that have adequate National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit fee programs. "We encourage states to use permit fees for additional funding for their clean water programs," said EPA Assistant Administrator of Water Benjamin H. Grumbles. "A variety of tools and funding approaches are needed for a strong program, including having permitted facilities share the cost of keeping water clean." The increased cost of administering water permit programs has prompted some states to levy permit fees to cover shortfalls. Certain states, however, still operate with little or no reliance on permit fees. The proposed NPDES Permit Fee Incentive for Clean Water Act Section 106 Grants; Allotment Formula is designed to create financial incentives to prompt more states to implement adequate fee programs and shift part of the financial burden to those who benefit from the permits. It will also allow states to move funds to other critical water quality program activities. The proposed rule would not take effect until after Oct. 1, 2007. The proposed rulemaking includes a 60 day public comment period, which ends March 5th, 2007. About the proposed permit fee: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/npdes-permit-fee.htm About water pollution control programs: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/pollutioncontrol.htm

In MA Wetlands, Builders Can Pay to Play

By Christine Wallgren – Boston Globe --  December 21, 2006 A new program, the first of its kind in New England, will let large-scale developers in Southeastern Massachusetts destroy wetlands if, in exchange, they agree to buy "credits" in a new fund called a Pilot Wetlands Mitigation Bank. The bank will, in turn, pay to restore wetlands elsewhere in the region -- specifically, in Hanson at what was once known as Bog 18, said to be the largest cranberry bog in the world. There are already 36 such wetland mitigation programs nationwide, but the New England debut is sparking controversy as it makes its way through the permitting process. For the full article, visit: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/12/21/in_wetlands_builders_can_pay_to_play/

Water Withdrawals Threaten New England Streams, New Report Lays Out Policy Solutions

Contact: Kirt Mayland -- Trout Unlimited Press Release – December 12, 2006 As the legislatures in the New England states prepare for their upcoming sessions, Trout Unlimited issued a report last month that highlights a topic high on the legislative agendas: depletion of regional water resources. “We have always taken our free-flowing streams and rivers for granted,” said Steve Angers, member of Trout Unlimited’s Southeastern Massachusetts Chapter and the state’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Water Management.  “But this new report makes clear that we need to take serious steps now to make sure our coldwater streams and rivers are not dewatered.” Trout Unlimited’s new report, “A Glass Half Full: The Future of Water in New England,” highlights the growing problem of water withdrawals throughout the region.  As the population grows and expands beyond its urban centers, that development places new and significant pressures on small headwater streams. “We’ve seen the Ipswich [Mass.] and Fenton [Conn.] Rivers literally dry up during the hot summer months,” said Angers.  “And even though those may be the most dramatic examples, hundreds of streams in the region regularly experience low flows – that’s bad news for the fisheries, as well as the communities that enjoy the benefits of those streams and rely on them for drinking water.” For the full release, visit: http://www.tu.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=7dJEKTNuFmG&b=1356161&ct=3290709  A pdf version of the report is available at: http://www.tu.org/site/pp.asp?c=7dJEKTNuFmG&b=2247647

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NATIONAL NEWS

USGS Examines Environmental Impacts of Aircraft Deicers on Aquatic Life in Streams

Media Contact: Diane Noserale -- USGS News Release – January 10, 2007 The US Geological Survey (USGS) has been examining the relative toxicity to aquatic life from a variety of formulations used to remove or prevent dangerous ice buildup on aircraft.  A recent study has confirmed that proprietary additives are responsible for the observed toxicity. This USGS study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, compared nine different formulations. Neither the primary ingredients (ethylene glycol and propylene glycol) nor the known additives accounted for all observed toxicity of these formulations.  Additives are included to improve a formulation’s effectiveness.  Those that are proprietary have compositions known only to the manufacturer. Although research conducted in the mid 1990s revealed the toxicity of proprietary additives, this study compared numerous de-icers and anti-icers and confirmed that most still have toxic additives that have not been publicly identified. “This study suggests that some deicers -- products that remove snow and ice buildup – that are currently in use are safer for the environment than the deicers used in the 1990s,” said Steve Corsi, USGS scientist and lead author of this study. “But the toxicity profiles of anti-icers -- products that prevent ice and snow buildup -- have not changed significantly.”   For this study, completed in cooperation with Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport and the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, formulations were collected directly from storage tanks and de-icing vehicles and tested on minnows, water fleas, green alga, and marine bacterium.  These organisms are near the bottom of the food chain and are common benchmark indicators of environmental health.  The sensitivity of tested organisms varied according to a number of factors including formulation of the product. Concentrations of deicer and anti-icer components previously observed in airport effluents have, at times, exceed