Editor's Note

Editor's Choice

National News

Legislative News

State News

Resources/ Publications

Potpourri

Job Openings

Student Jobs

Meetings/ Training

ASWM Calendar

INDEX:

---EDITOR'S NOTE--

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

·	EPA, Army Corps Issue Joint Guidance under Carabell/Rapanos
·	Federal Register Notice Published Requesting Comment on Rapanos Guidance
·	Corps Relaxes Wetlands Rules
·	Harkin Targets Big Changes to Conservation Programs (Farm Bill)
·	EPA Issues National Estuary Program Coastal Condition Report

---NATIONAL NEWS---

·	Farm Bill Program Reimburses Wetland Restoration Costs
·	EPA Awards WWU Nearly $900,000 to Study Climate Change Effects on Pacific NW Estuaries
·	Dredging of St. Marys River/Tannery Bay to Resume
·	Bald Eagle will Retain Strong Federal Protections if Removed from Endangered Species List

---LEGISLATIVE NEWS---

·	Legislation to Restore Protection to Wetlands Introduced in Congress (CWRA)

---STATE NEWS---  

·	VA: Corps Issued Modified State Program General Permit
·	NY: New York DEC Adopts Final Regulations to Help Prevent Spread of VHS to NY Waters
·	VA: Stafford Wetlands Protection Ordinance Resurfaces
·	MA: Wetlands Law Update Stirs Up Town Waters
·	ME: Wetlands Chairman Wants Scientific Data, ot Reminiscences
·	VA: Tidal Wetlands May See Big Loss
·	CT: No. Haven Official Asks Wetlands Violation Probe
·	MD: Developer Challenges Denial of Permit for Kent Island Project
·	TX: Partners Pilot Creative Playa Conservation Tactics
·	CO: State Buys More Water For John Martin Reservoir
·	CA: Baldwin Contracting Company, Inc. Agrees to Restore Damaged Wetlands
·	KS: Wetlands Wet at Last
·	VA: Developers Ask State Board to Overturn Ruling on Indigo Dunes
·	MO: Wetlands Work Eases Navigation Push on Missouri River
·	AK: Yellow-Billed Loon Moves Toward ESA Protection, Threatened by Oil Development in AK
·	MT: Helenan Honored for Wetlands Work
·	FL: Drought Lets Officials Remove Much at Florida's Lake Okeechobee to Restore Habitat
·	IL: Illinois Poised to Become Second State to Adopt Historic Great Lakes Protections
·	NJ: Settlement to Transform Wetlands & Forests Around Linden Landfill into Focal Point for Urban Greenway

---RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS---

·	Lake Erie Protection Fund Grantees File Final Reports

---POTPOURRI---

·	EPA Takes Major Step Forward on Cleaning Up Abandoned Mines
·	Great Lakes Habitat Initiative to Conserve Wetlands
·	EPA Sued Over Pesticide Use Harmful to 11 Bay Area Endangered Species
·	New Jersey Kids Help Save Endangered Turtles

---JOB OPENINGS---

·	Natural Resource Specialist Positions Available at Virginia Tech
·	Wetlands Contract Positions Open
·	Fish & Wildlife Biologist
·	Visiting Lecturer on Wetland Ecology
·	Regional Biologist – Ducks Unlimited
·	Natural Resource Research Technician 2, Land Management Division
·	Environmental Wetlands Scientist
·	Environmental Engineer Position with EPA

---STUDENT JOBS ---

---MEETINGS AND TRAINING---

·	Living Shorelines and Design Construction Training
·	Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
·	Introduction to the Taxonomy and Pollution Ecology of Aquatic Insects Workshop
·	NEPARC Herpetology Meeting – Reptile and Amphibian Conservation
·	Riparian and Aquatic Ecosystem Monitoring Workshop
·	River & Stream Courses & Training Offered by NC State University Stream Program
·	34th Annual Conference on Ecosystems Restoration & Creation
·	Floodplain Ecosystem Symposium – Integrating Science into Restoration Management
·	US-IALE 23rd Annual Symposium – Landscape Patterns and Ecosystem Processes

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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,

A family of muskrats lives under an empty house behind our apartment, which is near a cattail marsh. Greg thought at first he’d seen a very big rat; I mistook the webbed hind feet and flattened tail for a beaver’s.  But now we have gotten to know the busy muskrats, who we have affectionately named Sam and Suzie, like in the 1971 song, “Muskrat Love,” by country star Willis Ramsey. Our cats go nuts watching the activity through the screened window over the kitchen sink, which looks at the hole under the fence where the male muskrat bursts out and runs across the yard to the other side of the apartment complex. Muskrats are promiscuous and they mate this time of year, which might explain why he zips back and forth—without carrying food that we can see—from one burrow to a possible second. It’s likely that Sam the Muskrat has another mate at the other end of the neighborhood. But we have seen neither hide nor hair of her. It must be muskrat love. Jon Kusler and Jeanne Christie were in Park City, Utah June 4-6 to put on a workshop and field trip for local governments and land trusts.  100 people participated in a workshop held at the Treasure Inn owned by Thea and Andy Leonard, who were very generous with their time and resources—even participating in parts of the workshop.  The feedback from attendees post-workshop has been very positive.  Participants really enjoyed the opportunity to meet and listen to individuals representing local, state, tribal and federal government, land trusts, consultants and other organizations.  They were a hardy bunch, particularly those who stayed for the field trip where they wore black plastic trash bags to explore wetlands in 40 knot winds, driving rain and snow.  Even the bus driver had a good time.  It is very rewarding to host a workshop for such dedicated, enthusiastic people. Special thanks to contributors of this issue include: Peter Keledy, NJ DEP; Denise Clearwater, MD DE; Steve Silva; Dave Davis, VA DEQ; Larry Larson, Association of Floodplain Managers. Leah Stetson Editor, Wetland Breaking News

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EDITOR'S CHOICE

EPA, Army Corps Issue Joint Guidance under Carabell/Rapanos

Contact: Jessica Emond (EPA) – EPA News Release – June 5, 2007 On Tuesday, June 5th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued joint guidance for their field offices to ensure America's wetlands and other water bodies are protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). This action reinforces the Bush Administration's commitment to protect and enhance the quality of our nation's wetlands and water bodies. "The Bush Administration is committed to protecting wetlands and streams under the Clean Water Act and Supreme Court decisions," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA's assistant administrator for Water. "Today's action sends a clear signal we'll use our regulatory tools to meet the president's ambitious wetlands goals." "We are committed to protecting America's aquatic resources under the Clean Water Act and in accordance with the recent Supreme Court decision," said John Paul Woodley Jr., assistant secretary of the Army (Civil Works). "This interagency guidance will enable the agencies to make clear, consistent, and predictable jurisdictional determinations. The results, once posted on agency Web sites, will document how the scope of the Clean Water Act jurisdiction is being determined." For full release, visit: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/fdeef3661eb3b846852572a00065683e/e7240f5d30236d2b852572f1005e1809!OpenDocument  For more information on the guidance, go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/guidance/CWAwaters.html  For two additional news stories on this topic, go to: http://abcnews.go.com:80/Technology/story?id=3255459&page=1  and http://www.glrc.org/story.php3?story_id=3475  For related Science article, Wetlands Regulation Gets Murkier , go to: http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org:80/cgi/content/full/2007/606/4  For more background information on Carabell/Rapanos decisions as well as links to the newly released guidance, go to ASWM’s webpage, http://www.aswm.org/fwp/rapanos_state2006.htm  For Ducks Unlimited’s news release on CWA & prairie potholes, go to: http://www.ducks.org/news/1250/PrairiePotholeRegion.html  For another editorial, go to: http://www.courant.com:80/news/opinion/editorials/hc-vernal.artjun13,0,6283824.story?coll=hc-headlines-editorials

Federal Register Notice Published Requesting Comment on Rapanos Guidance

On June 8 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a request for comment on the Carabell/Rapanos Guidance in the Federal Register.   Comments are due by December 5.  The guidance is currently in affect.  The agencies are soliciting public comment on early experiences with implementation of the guidance.  Following the close of the comment period, the agencies will review the comments as well as field staff experience with implementing the guidance and decide within 90 days whether to reissue, revise or suspend the guidance.  The Federal Register Notice is available at: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2007/June/Day-08/w11123.pdf

Corps Relaxes Wetlands Rules

Clarion Ledger – May 28, 2007 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved a new permit to ease restrictions on development in Gulf Coast wetlands. The permit will allow developers to fill in up to three acres of "low quality" wetlands in south Mississippi without an individual permit from the corps for each project. The so-called regional general permit does not affect wetlands in neighboring Louisiana and Alabama and is for residential developments only. The permit has been in development since Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005. It applies only in Harrison, Hancock, Jackson, George, Stone and Pearl River counties. Corps officials said they will coordinate with state and federal agencies on all applications, much in the same way it does on individual permits. The corps, which regulates and protects navigable waters and adjacent wetlands, said the change will streamline and accelerate the regulatory process to allow people to rebuild along the coast. "This regional general permit takes into account the many comments and concerns we received from the public, federal, state and local agencies when the regional permit was proposed last October," corps spokesman Patrick Robbins said. For the full article, go to: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070528/NEWS/705280334/1001/news

Harkin Targets Big Changes to Conservation Programs (Farm Bill)

Ecological Society of America (ESA) News Release – June 4, 2007 Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) is planning a dramatic reorganization of conservation programs in the next Farm Bill and wants to pump $6 billion more into conservation spending. Harkin’s Farm Bill proposal would consolidate the Agriculture Department’s largest working lands programs into one new initiative called the Conservation Stewardship Incentives Program. Its annual budget would be twice that of the entire Fish and Wildlife Service. The Agriculture Chairman would put another $3 billion into the other conservation programs. The money would come from the “reserve fund” given to the Farm Bill in the 2008 budget resolution, which requires offsets. Harkin does not have those offsets in hand yet and is basically going to “buy now, pay later,” with the hopes that his colleagues will be so impressed with the conservation spending, they will help him come up with the offsets. For full news release, visit: http://www.esa.org/esablog/?p=56

EPA Issues National Estuary Program Coastal Condition Report

The National Estuary Program Coastal Condition Report presents the condition of 28 estuaries covered by National Estuary Program based upon two major types of monitoring data for each estuary: (1) data collected as part of EPA´s National Coastal Assessment program and; (2) data collected by individual NEPs or by NEPs in partnership with interested stakeholders, including state environmental agencies, universities, or volunteer groups. Together, this information paints a picture of the overall condition of the coastal resources of the NEP estuaries. As part of the 20th Anniversary of the National Estuary Program, the NEP CCR reports on the condition of those 28 estuaries while the National Coastal Condition Report series describe the condition of 100% of all estuaries in the contiguous 48 states. Based upon NCA data collected from 1997-2003, the NEP estuaries are rated "fair" and scored equal to or higher than all other US estuaries combined despite increasing population pressures. During the past 20 years, population pressures along the coast have increased. By 2000, over two-thirds of the coastal population lived in NEP-coincident counties, which comprise less than 6 percent of the coastal land area. For more information and to download sections of this report, go to: http://www.epa.gov:80/owow/oceans/nepccr/index.html For the press release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/fdeef3661eb3b846852572a00065683e/d38495586314a6e6852572f10062baa0!OpenDocument  For another news story on this topic, go to: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12905

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NATIONAL NEWS

Farm Bill Program Reimburses Wetland Restoration Costs

Contact: Neil Shader – Ducks Unlimited News Release – June 12, 2007 Every year, the Environmental Working Group, a public interest watchdog organization, releases a list of payments the U.S. Department of Agriculture makes for programs it administers through the farm bill. These payments are commonly referred to as “subsidy” payments. A subsidy is funds paid by the government to a private entity for the “good” of the public. The latest report was released Tuesday. Ducks Unlimited typically ranks high on the list for receiving millions of farm bill dollars. However, these payments to DU are not subsidies. They are reimbursements for on-the-ground wetland restoration projects DU conducts mostly through the Wetlands Reserve Program. Unfortunately, every year, some people erroneously believe that payments DU receives takes money away from deserving farmers. This assumption is wrong. For the full release, visit: http://www.ducks.org/news/1258/Farmbillprogramreimb.html

EPA Awards WWU Narly $900,000 to Study Climate Change Effects on Pacific NW Estuaries

Contact: Estella Waldman – EPA News Release – June 5, 2007 Western Washington University (WWU) received a grant for almost $900,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a model to determine the consequences of climate change on sea-level rise and river flow alteration in two of the most ecologically significant estuarine systems in Puget Sound, Padilla Bay and Skagit Bay. Researchers at WWU are developing a predictive landscape simulation model to guide the course of restoration and management efforts, given climate change, as they relate to salmon habitat in Puget Sound. Specifically, researchers will develop models that describe sediment movement and wetland changes in Padilla Bay and Skagit Bay. They will link these models to other models describing tidal channel landforms and the abundance and distribution of juvenile salmon. According to Elin Miller, EPA Regional Administrator, innovative approaches in research help tomorrow’s scientists develop new solutions to tough environmental challenges like climate change. “This advanced computer modeling tool will enable scientists to adjust estuary recovery goals as more erosion occurs over the next century,” said Miller. “This will allow them to focus more sharply on effects in estuary areas most vulnerable to climate change.” For the full release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/fdeef3661eb3b846852572a00065683e/805ba6f4bd79687c852572f1005a3c29!OpenDocument

Dredging of St. Marys River/Tannery Bay to Resume

Contact: Phillippa Cannon – EPA News Release – June 5, 2007 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with Phelps Dodge and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will resume dredging contaminated sediment in the St. Marys River at Tannery Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., in early June. The bay is being cleaned up under the Great Lakes Legacy Act. For the full release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/fdeef3661eb3b846852572a00065683e/aaedd9a5015bbf90852572f10067e2f1!OpenDocument

Bald Eagle will Retain Strong Federal Protections if Removed from Endangered Species List

Contact: Nicholas Throckmorton – USFWS News Release – June 1, 2007 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the bald eagle will continue to be strongly protected by federal law under a series of actions designed to govern management of eagles should they be removed from Endangered Species Act protection. The Service finalized modifications to a regulatory definition under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the primary federal law that will be used to manage eagles if they are removed from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. For the full release, visit: http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=E7FEEC00-BED5-47BE-4194A2871B9753B6  For another view on this topic, go to: http://www.glrc.org/transcript.php3?story_id=3474  For F&WS bald eagle management actions, visit: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/baldeagle.htm

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LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Legislation to Restore Protection to Wetlands Introduced in Congress (CWRA)

Contact: Mike Checkett – Ducks Unlimited News – May 23, 2007 Congressman Jim Oberstar (MN) was joined by 157 other Congressmen as he introduced bipartisan legislation to restore protection to important wetlands. Ducks Unlimited supports this bill because over half of the nation’s wetlands, and the majority of wetlands that are most important to waterfowl, are currently vulnerable to loss. Two U.S. Supreme Court rulings issued in 2001 and 2006 diminished the Clean Water Act’s ability to protect important wetlands such as prairie potholes, playa lakes, and rainwater basins. The rulings questioned the authority, under certain circumstances, of the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to enforce the Clean Water Act on wetlands, streams and ponds that are not part of a major “navigable” waterway. In an effort to ensure protection of the most important waterfowl habitats, Ducks Unlimited has been working with a variety of interests, including the White House, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, other conservation groups, and state governments since the 2001 ruling. For full release, go to: http://www.ducks.org/news/1230/Legislationtorestore.html  For an editorial called, Minnesota needs the Clean Water Restoration Act, go to: http://news.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?a=297413&z=12

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STATES NEWS

VA: Corps Issued Modified State Program General Permit

By Dave Davis – VA DEQ – June 13, 2007The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the modified State Program General Permit (07-SPGP-01) on June 1, 2007. The 07-SPGP-01 will eliminate much of the duplication of effort that might otherwise occur between DEQ’s Virgina Water Protection Permit process and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ permit process under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. A Standard Operating Procedure and Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and DEQ address the details of implementation. To view the permit information, go to: http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/technical%20services/Regulatory%20branch/PN/SPGP_2007/07-SPGP-01_mod_PN.pdf

NY: New York DEC Adopts Final Regulations to Help Prevent Spread of VHS to NY Waters

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced the adoption of final regulations to help prevent the spread of the Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) to additional waters in the state. The final regulations, which took effect on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, replace previously enacted emergency regulations. The new regulations reflect changes incorporated as a result of public comments regarding limits on the possession, sale, transfer, taking a release of certain bait fish and other live fish species to be placed in New York waters. VHS is a fish pathogen and does not pose any threat to public health. For full press release, go to http://www.glin.net/lists/glin-announce/last30days/msg05896.html Further information on the Federal Order can be found on the APHIS website at www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/aqua/ For more information on VHS, visit: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/25328.html

VA: Stafford Wetlands Protection Ordinance Resurfaces

By Meghann Cotter – The Free Lance-Star – June 12, 2007 A wetlands-protection ordinance is headed back to the Stafford County Planning Commission with a letter of state support. The proposal, called the Water Resources Protection Overlay, would require more and wider buffers around streams, especially those next to steep slopes and highly erodible soils. The measure has been dormant since last summer, when supervisors asked county staff to meet with Department of Conservation and Recreation officials about it. The supervisors voted 4-3 June 5 to ask the Planning Commission to consider the ordinance as part of their ongoing comprehensive plan revision. For the full story, visit: http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/062007/06122007/290445

MA: Wetlands Law Update Sstirs Up Town Waters

By Calvin Hennick – Boston Globe – June 7, 2007 The Plainville Conservation Commission wants to update the town's wetlands protection bylaw, but critics say the changes would give the board too much power to restrict what landowners can build on their properties. A proposal to change the bylaw hit a snag Monday when residents at Town Meeting voted 104-37 to table it. But supporters said they might try to resurrect the item when the meeting reconvenes next week. Supporters said the new bylaw, which would replace one adopted 26 years ago, would do more to protect the wetlands that provide a home to wildlife and help prevent flooding by temporarily storing storm water. Among other things, the proposed bylaw would tighten building restrictions within 100 feet of wetlands. For full article, go to: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/06/07/wetlands_law_update_stirs_up_town_waters/

ME: Wetlands Chairman Wants Scientific Data, Not Reminiscences

By Mary Grow – Morning Sentinel – June 7, 2007 Selectman Neil Farrington sees the wetlands committee he chairs as intended to make sure China wetlands are healthy and performing their critical functions. Farrington wants the panel to focus on the value of wetlands to prevent erosion, collect sediments, control flooding and absorb pollutants to keep them out of lakes. And he told a small audience at a public forum Tuesday that he wants scientific information -- not reminiscences or arguments about effects of a higher lake level -- on which to base decisions. He said a scientific study would cost $60,000 to $100,000. Committee member Virginia Davis questioned the purpose of the committee. If it is to study wetlands, she recommended considering other values as well, such as habitat and recreation. If it is to study China Lake's water quality problems, she thinks other factors are more important than wetlands. For full story, go to: http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/3975400.html

VA: Tidal Wetlands May See Big Loss

By Patrick Lynch – Daily Press – June 7, 2007 Virginia could lose 50 percent to 80 percent of its tidal wetlands this century as the rising sea level overwhelms marsh grasses, a Norfolk-based group said Wednesday. Sea level has risen about one foot per century around Hampton Roads ever since English settlers landed at Jamestown. That's a result of the region's land mass "sinking" more than it is a case of the water rising. But recent measurements indicate that as global sea level rises due to ocean warming, the rate of rise around the region could increase to 1.5 to 3 feet per century, according to Wetlands Watch. At that rate, the water could swell over wetlands faster than the marshes can silt in or naturally "creep" inland. In some cases, development could also leave the wetlands no place to migrate. Wetlands play a vital role in filtering pollutants and runoff from rivers, streams and the Chesapeake Bay, and provide critical habitat for marine species and wildlife. For full story, go to: http://www.dailypress.com:80/news/local/dp-82sy0jun07,0,235482.story?coll=dp-news-local-final  For more articles and reports on wetlands & sea level rise, visit: http://www.aswm.org/science/climate_change/climate_change.htm

CT: No. Haven Official Asks Wetlands Violation Probe

By Ann DeMatteo, Assistant Metro Editor – New Haven Register – June 7, 2007 The chairman of the Inland Wetlands Commission is calling for more rigorous enforcement and an investigation into what he believes is a wetlands violation on Mount Carmel Avenue. Longstanding disagreements over how wetlands violations are handled became public last week when wetlands Chairman Mark R. Trojanowski read to the commission a May 1 letter he sent to First Selectman Kevin J. Kopetz, a fellow Republican. Trojanowski asked for increased wetlands enforcement and an investigation into apparent misinformation he received from town staff about an alleged wetlands area on Mount Carmel Avenue. For full article, visit: http://www.nhregister.com:80/site/news.cfm?newsid=18439530&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=517514&rfi=6

MD: Developer Challenges Denial of Permit for Kent Island Project

Associated Press – June 6, 2007 The developer hoping to build 1350 single-family homes and townhouses on Kent Island is appealing the state's denial of a wetlands permit for the project. The court petition was filed in Queen Anne's County Circuit Court on Friday -- nine days after the permit request was rejected by the state Board of Public Works. The developer, Four Seasons at Kent Island, is planning an age-restricted community on 550 acres north of Route 50. The legal wrangling over the project has spanned eight years. If approved, the project would be the largest ever built in a so-called "critical area," or ecologically sensitive area, in Maryland. For an editorial on this topic, go to: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/letters/bal-ed.le.01jjun01,1,32440.story?ctrack=3&cset=true

TX: Partners Pilot Creative Playa Conservation Tactics

Playa Lakes Joint Venture News – Playa Post – June 2007 PLJV partners in Texas, Colorado and New Mexico are trying out a variety of tactics to engage landowners and USDA field staff in a quest for increased playa conservation. In Texas, Ducks Unlimited is focusing on Ochiltree County - home of nearly 500 playas – with its new program, the Playa Lakes Private Lands Initiative. The program is supporting landowner meetings, one-on-one site visits and technical assistance, plus coordination among agencies to capitalize on Farm Bill and other programs for playa conservation. “We recognize there are a lot of places we can do a whole lot more if we can focus on existing Federal and other government programs, and fully utilize them in places where it is important to our mission,” said Keith McKnight, DU Regional Biologist and member of the PLJV Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Team. “The Texas Panhandle is one of those places. There is a high concentration of playas and our plan is to find out if there is landowner interest out there to conserve them that goes unfulfilled.” For full story, go to: http://www.pljv.org/cms/latest-news#Story2

CO: State Buys More Water For John Martin Reservoir

Colorado Division of Wildlife – June 5, 2007 The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) and the Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation (DPOR) have joined forces to purchase water shares from the City of Colorado Springs to add to the permanent water storage pool at John Martin Reservoir.  A total of 2,000 acre feet of water was purchased by the two agencies with delivery scheduled for completion by June 6.  "This is a great purchase to ensure the long-term storage needs for fishing and recreation at John Martin," said Dan Prenzlow, DOW Southeast Regional Manager.  "Adding capacity to the permanent storage pool bodes well for the health of the fishery." Earlier this year the state added to the storage at John Martin when water was acquired from the City of Pueblo.  "This is very good news for anglers," said Prenzlow.  The state sought water from the cities because the amount of water the state could legally store in John Martin Reservoir reached dangerously low levels in recent years. For full news release, visit: http://wildlife.state.co.us/NewsMedia/PressReleases/

CA: Baldwin Contracting Company, Inc. Agrees to Restore Damaged Wetlands

Contact: Margot Perez-Sullivan – EPA News Release – June 5, 2007 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Baldwin Contracting Company, Inc., an operator of a sand and gravel mining site, signed a consent order to provide mitigation for discharging gravel and other fill material into Stony Creek and adjacent wetlands, without the federally required permits. Baldwin Contracting Company, Inc., located near Orland, Calif. agreed to stop discharging fill material into Stony Creek and adjacent wetlands. The company has also agreed to take on comprehensive wetlands restoration efforts and submit within 60 days a plan for creating 3.5 acres of wetlands. The plan will also include a 5-year monitoring schedule for the created wetlands that will include criteria to establish clear goals and ensure goals are met. For the full story, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/fdeef3661eb3b846852572a00065683e/da8b5831f438722c852572f1006aa229!OpenDocument

KS: Wetlands Wet at Last

By Michael Pearce – The Wichita Eagle – June 3, 2007 Partly because of the mud and partly because of the view, Brent Theede drove at a snail's pace down a dike that bisected perfect wetlands. Water stretched for scores of acres in all directions, pairs of ruddy ducks bobbed amid the shallow waves while ibis and other shorebirds waded about. Red-winged blackbirds called from their perches on rush and cattail stalks as Theede passed. Hen blue-winged teal flushed from clutches of eggs on nests amid lush grasses within a yard to two of the water. "Three or four weeks ago this was all bone dry," said Theede, McPherson Valley Wetlands manager. "Last duck season was kind of a joke, we were so dry. "Right now we have water every place we can conceivably hold it. This is by far the most water we've had in the three years I've been here." For full article, go to: http://www.kansas.com:80/sports/outdoors/story/86145.html

VA: Developers Ask State Board to Overturn Ruling on Indigo Dunes

By Deirdre Ferandes – Virginian Pilot – May 31, 2007 Developers Steve and Art Sandler have asked a state commission to overturn a Virginia Beach decision that halted their plans to build 1,063 homes on a large stretch of waterfront property. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission received the request from the brothers Wednesday. Attorneys for L.M. Sandler & Sons Inc. are disputing last week's decision by the Virginia Beach Wetlands Board to deny the company's proposal to destroy 1.51 acres of wetlands for the Indigo Dunes project off Shore Drive. The board also declined the Sandlers' offer to create 6.09 acres of wetlands on site and treat some of the stormwater runoff from the nearby Ocean Park neighborhood as compensation. "We believe very strongly that our wetlands proposal will have a substantially beneficial effect on the water quality and the caliber of wetlands in that area," said R.J. Nutter II, an attorney for the Sandlers. For the full story, go to: http://content.hamptonroads.com:80/story.cfm?story=125726&ran=154343

MO: Wetlands work Eases Navigation Push on Missouri River

By Art Hovey – Lincoln JournalStar – May 30, 2007 At one point earlier this month, emergency management officials in Missouri feared the Missouri River was about to go on its worst rampage in that state since 1993. More heavy rain on top of already saturated soil as far north as Nebraska did eventually push the river six feet above flood stage at Jefferson City, for example. But one factor that saved downstream dwellers from even more dire predictions was a recent change in river management strategy. It allowed some of the flood surge to be released into wetlands reserve areas such as one near Plattsmouth. For full story, go to: http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/05/30/news/local/doc465cb86ceb3ee276650404.txt

AK: Yellow-billed Loon Advances Toward Endangered Species Act Protection Threatened by Oil Development in Alaska

By Brendan Cummings – ENN, Center for Biological Diversity – May 30, 2007 The federal government has announced it is advancing the yellow-billed loon toward protection under the Endangered Species Act. The action comes in response to a formal administrative petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and other U.S. and Russian scientific and conservation organizations in April 2004 that sought protection for the species. The yellow-billed loon breeds in tundra wetlands in Alaska, Canada and Russia, and winters along the west coasts of Canada and the United States. For full story, visit: http://www.enn.com/net.html?id=1988

MT: Helenan Honored for Wetlands Work

By Joe Menden – Helena Independent Record – May 24, 2007 Since the mid-1990s, Helena’s Dave Carr has worked with ranchers and landowners to conserve sensitive areas along the Rocky Mountain Front. Through Carr’s work as Rocky Mountain Front Program Director for The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with Gary Sullivan of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he has helped gain conservation easements on more than 100,000 acres of land on the Front. That work has netted Carr and Sullivan a Wetland Stewardship Award from the Montana Wetland Council, which they received Wednesday at a ceremony at the Capitol. Carr said that the majority of the land he and Sullivan have helped conserve has been native grasslands with riparian areas. Those riparian areas often have wetlands, he said. “In an area that is so extremely arid like the Front, these wetlands are magnets for all sorts of living beings,” Carr said in a phone interview Monday. “They’re areas that attract birds, wildlife and insect life. They’re also places that are most attractive to humans and development. These wetlands are absolutely the most biologically unique parcels.”  For full story, go to: http://www.helenair.com/articles/2007/05/24/outdoors/c01052407_02.txt