Editor's Note

Editor's Choice

National News

Legislative News

State News

Resources/ Publications

Potpourri

Job Openings

Student Jobs

Meetings/ Training

ASWM Calendar

Printable PDF

INDEX:

---EDITOR'S NOTE--

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

·	Senate repairs nation’s most popular wetlands program
·	Addendum to New England District Compensatory Mitigation Guidance Issued by Corps
·	Louisiana’s Wetlands Are Being Lost At The Rate Of One Football Field Every 38 Minutes
·	Grants Available to Help Coastal Counties
·	Southeast Alaska Conservation Council v. Army Corps of Engineers
·	Pajaro River Mitigation Bank trades conservation credits for wetlands development
·	National Wildlife Federation Appeals Court Decision Blocking Ohio Citizens from Lake Erie
·	IL: Value in the land

---NATIONAL NEWS---

·	Bulletin: Statement for Polar Bear Decision
·	Grants of $20.5 Million Safeguard Coastal Wetlands
·	FY 2008 Wetland Restoration Grants for Priority Projects RFR

---LEGISLATIVE NEWS---

·	Congress Passes Massive Appropriations Bill with Cuts to Clean Water State Revolving Fund

---STATE NEWS---  

·	IN: Dick Blythe honored for helping restore wetlands
·	OH: Bellevue couple donates wetlands to park district
·	NE: Looking After the Birds
·	CT: Wetlands agency tables Rte. 67 vote
·	WI: Governor Doyle Announces $4.1 Million for Door County Coastal Wetlands
·	CA: Wetlands No. 2 on list of most endangered
·	CT: Many upset with Flatto decision
·	FL: Battle brews over wetland development
·	NC: Planning Board considers retirement facility proposal
·	CA: Storm-damaged wetlands restored
·	CT: Wetlands comeback: Area begins move to restoration
·	AR: Outdoor Briefs - Conservation easements protect habitat, help landowners
·	WA: Sound Off: Wetlands update fair and balanced
·	NH: Newington appeals PDA wetlands ruling
·	NY: DEC proposes adding protected wetlands in Seneca County
·	WI: Public Comments Sought on Draft Invasives Rule
·	CO: Company must fix creek, wetlands
·	NY: Wetlands public ordinance hearing
·	FL: Florida Appears to Be Losing Its Sunny Magnetism
·	MI: Man-made canal now a wetland
·	MD: Wetlands trade offered
·	MT: Downtown wetlands deal dries up
·	VA: Farm Lauded For Water Conservation
·	MA: Greenfield wetlands eyed
·	MN: Science Center In Rochester To Feature 12 Wetlands
·	FL: South Florida Records Two Driest Back-to-Back Years
·	NY: OpEd: State has an obligation to protect its wetlands
·	KS: Four-lane bypass threatens wetlands near Haskell
·	MA: State upholds wetlands ruling
·	CA: A swamp in Half Moon Bay
·	WA: Grants protect wetlands and upland habitat
·	CO: Final hearings for CIG pipeline soon
·	WA: Comment period extended for draft climate change documents
·	NJ: New Jersey Benefits From Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant Relicensing
·	MI: Reminder – Michigan Volunteer River, Stream Clean up Grants Available 2008
·	VA: Water-quality law causes dispute
·	CT: Mapping the town, digitally
·	LA: Sewer makes way for growth
·	FL: Sides Line Up in Florida State-Federal Water Dispute
·	CA: Fish and Wildlife Service Claims Sacramento River Islands
·	DE: Property owners fear expansion of flood plain
·	MI: 'Progress, but not enough'

---RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS---

·	Corps:  Known Performance Issues with New Orleans Drainage Canal
·	Reducing Stormwater Costs through Low Impact Development
·	New interactive key to all grasses and gymnosperm species in the US
·	The Biology of the Snapping Turtle
·	DWR Releases Independent Report – A California Challenge
·	New Ecological Assessment Database Available

---POTPOURRI---

·	Federal Funds Cut For Crab Study
·	Switchgrass Fuel Yields Bountiful Energy: Study
·	National Wetlands Awards Nominations Deadline Extended to January 31, 2008

---JOB OPENINGS---

·	Community Services Associate – National Association of Counties
·	Ph.D. Fellowship: Influence of climate change on the ecological roles of terrestrial amphibians
·	Field Biologist

---STUDENT JOBS ---

---MEETINGS AND TRAINING---

·	Aquatic Invasive Species Public Hearings
·	Aspects of Soil Science in the Delineation, Mapping, Permitting, Wetlands – Annual Meeting
·	Restore America's Estuaries – Conference Program Proposals Due January 31st, 2008
·	Knocking at the Gates – An AIS Workshop on Aquatic Invasive Species in Midwest
·	Stream and Riparian Corridor Restoration Workshop
·	11th National Mitigation & Ecosystem Banking Conference
·	AWRA Spring Specialty Conference – GIS & Water Resources
·	Clean Water Compliance Bootcamp
·	16th National Nonpoint Source (NPS) Monitoring Workshop
·	2008 Wetland Training Schedule for Courses Offered by Environmental Concern
·	Introduction to Aquatic Toxicology

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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,

Last weekend a friend and I walked through Scarborough Marsh, the largest saltmarsh in Maine, and optimistically wore vests with three-quarter sleeves—no parkas or gloves. It had been nearly fifty degrees in Windham when we left the office with cameras and sunglasses. We passed several other birdwatchers in the marsh bundled up in their winter coats and wool hats. We watched some wood ducks paddle around in the cold, sluggish water. Giant, triangular sheets of ice slid out of their holds amidst bent, crackling grasses. By the end of the week, we had snow again—so much for the January thaw. Next month starts off with World Wetlands Day on February 2nd. If looking for ideas to celebrate World Wetlands Day, check out the following links. The theme for 2008 is ‘Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People.’ Here are some events and ways to celebrate on February 2, 2008: The Friends of Cedarburg Bog in Wisconsin are going for a winter hike on February 3rd http://www.volunteermatch.org/opps/opp372374.html and Wisconsin Wetlands Association is holding its annual conference on altered landscapes and changing climates January 31st – February 1st, 2008 http://www.wisconsinwetlands.org/2008program.htm  If a bog bake-off is more your speed, visit http://www.wetland.org/education_wetland_day.htm   In other parts of the world, such as Australia, people are listening to their landscape http://wcma.vic.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=0 and discussing wetland policies in the United Kingdom http://www.coastms.co.uk/Conferences/WWD08.html  There’s currently a story-telling competition held in Hong Kong to encourage young students to express their knowledge on wetland conservation http://www.wetlandpark.com/wwd2008/english/activities/activities20080105-12.html  For more information on the origins of World Wetlands Day and for related materials, visit: http://www.ramsar.org/wwd/8/wwd2008_index.htm Remember that the public comments for Carabell/Rapanos are due January 21st, 2008. Contact: Enesta Jones, (202) 564-4355; jones.enesta@epa.gov To submit comments, visit: http://www.regulations.gov/search/index.jsp and for more information, go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/guidance/CWAwaters.html    Please check out our homepage at www.aswm.org for new stories of interest between issues of Wetland Breaking News. Thanks to this issue’s contributors: Bronwyn Mitchell, Environmental Concern; Erik Johnston, National Association of Counties; Larry Larson, Association of State Floodplain Managers; Carlene Bahler, JT&A, Inc.; Nancy Rendall, NH Natural Resource Scientists; Ruth Ladd, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Leah Stetson Editor, Wetland Breaking News

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EDITOR'S CHOICE

Senate repairs nation’s most popular wetlands program Contact: Neil Shader – Ducks Unlimited – January 14, 2008 The Wetlands Reserve Program, the nation’s leading wetlands restoration program, received much-needed leadership in the Senate recently. Sen. Herb Kohl (Wis.) took the lead to amend language in the Farm Bill, correcting an administrative issue that undercut WRP’s appeal to farmers and ranchers. The change adds a strong negotiating position for WRP as the Farm Bill goes to conference, the final step before being sent to the President. “The Wetlands Reserve Program is the nation’s leading wetlands program, but it was being undermined by the appraisal issue,” said Sen. Kohl. “This amendment should get the program back on track and help farmers conserve their marginal cropland across the country.” For full news release, visit: http://www.ducks.org/news/1461/Senaterepairsnations.html

Addendum to New England District Compensatory Mitigation Guidance Issued by Corps

Contact: Ruth Ladd – New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – December 18, 2008 The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has defined mitigation in its regulations at 40 CFR 1508.20 to include: avoiding impacts, minimizing impacts, rectifying impacts, reducing impacts over time, and compensating for impacts. For the full public notice, go to: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/reg/2602_001.pdf

Louisiana’s Wetlands Are Being Lost At The Rate Of One Football Field Every 38 Minutes   Science Daily  & Louisiana State University – January 4, 2008 LSU and Ohio State University will battle for the BCS National College Football Championship in the Superdome early next week, but if the game was held in the Louisiana wetlands instead, the entire field would disappear before halftime. Louisiana’s wetlands are being lost at the rate of approximately one football field every 38 minutes. To fight against this rapid destruction, the two universities joined forces in 2003, forming an ongoing research partnership with the goal of rebuilding the vanishing coastal wetland ecosystem that makes up 30 percent of the nation’s total coastal marsh. For full article, visit: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104112955.htm For additional story on this topic, visit: http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/07/WETLSU.ART_ART_01-07-08_B1_SK901N5.html?sid=101

Grants Available to Help Coastal Counties   NACo in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Community-Based Restoration Program (CRP), is pleased to announce the second year of funding for the Coastal Counties Restoration Initiative (CCRI).  The initiative provides financial assistance on a competitive basis to innovative, high quality county-led or supported projects.  In 2008, CCRI will provide $500,000 in grants to improve stream, river, estuarine and other important marine habitats. A priority area for CCRI is the removal of fish passage barriers in coastal streams and rivers.  Grants will range from $50,000-$100,000, based upon need. The deadline for applications is March 24, 2008.  For more information and to access the full RFP and application instructions, visit www.naco.org/ccri.  For questions call 202-942-4246 or email ccri@naco.org.

Southeast Alaska Conservation Council v. Army Corps of Engineers, 486 F.3d 638 (9th Cir. 2007)   Aarcher Institute News Release – January 2008 In this important mining Clean Water Act case, the Ninth Circuit held that the Corps of Engineers violated the Clean Water Act by issuing a permit under Section 404 to a mining company which would permit slurry discharge into federal waters. The Ninth Circuit reversed the district court's granting of a motion for summary judgment in favor of the defendants and held that the more specific sections 301 and 306 of the Clean Water Act applied. For a direct link to this case, go to: http://www.aarcherinstitute.com/docs/seacc-v-corps-of-engineers-ninth-circuit-2007.pdf

Pajaro River Mitigation Bank trades conservation credits for wetlands development   By Donna Jones – Santa Cruz Sentinel – January 4, 2008 At $225,000 an acre, the land isn't cheap. But if you're a developer looking to build on wetlands in the Pajaro River watershed, Wildlands Inc. has a deal for you. The company has purchased 273 acres in San Benito County to create the Pajaro River Mitigation Bank, which can be tapped to offset the impact of development elsewhere in the 1,300-square-mile watershed that covers portions of Santa Cruz, San Benito, Santa Clara or Monterey counties. For full article, go to: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/story.php?storySection=Local&sid=64607

National Wildlife Federation Appeals Court Decision Blocking Ohio Citizens from Lake Erie Shoreline   Contact Andy Buchsbaum – National Wildlife Federation News – January 8, 2008 Conservation groups today took the first step to appeal an Ohio lower court decision that blocks Ohio citizens from walking, fishing and recreating along the shores of Lake Erie. The groups seek to overturn a December 11th decision by Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Eugene Lucci, which redefines the boundary separating public and private property along the Lake Erie shoreline from the ordinary high water mark to the point at which the water meets land from moment to moment—effectively barring citizens from the shores of Lake Erie unless they are in the lake itself. “We are filing this appeal to protect the historic right of all citizens to stroll, fish and recreate along the shores of Lake Erie,” said Neil Kagan, senior attorney for the National Wildlife Federation. “The law is clear: The Lake Erie shoreline is a public trust for all to enjoy.” The lower court ruling goes against more than 100 years of Ohio legal precedent, which holds that the land up to the high water mark be held in public trust. For full article, visit: http://www.nwf.org/news/story.cfm?pageId=59F95923%2D15C5%2D5FE8%2DB010DA70043695F6

IL: Value in the land   By Clare Howard – PJ Star – January 13, 2008 Three men hiking up a snowy river bluff on the western edge of Emiquon wetland restoration discussed solutions to a global environmental problem many scientists consider more critical than global warming. The problem quite literally flowed by them just beyond a distant tree line. Once the men reached a plateau and gazed out over the vastness of Emiquon's 7,000 acres, talking ceased momentarily ... a silence imposed by the sheer enormity of a landscape devoid of human activity stretching five miles to the horizon. […]  "Wetlands are the best carbon sink we have," he said. "Acre for acre, there is no question: Reforestation is not as effective as marsh restoration." For full story, visit: http://www.pjstar.com/stories/011308/HEA_BFEDIHR1.027.php

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NATIONAL NEWS

Bulletin: Statement for Polar Bear Decision   Contact Valerie Fellows – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service News Bulletin – January 7, 2008 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working diligently to reach a final decision on the proposal to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. We expect to provide a final recommendation to the Secretary of the Interior and finalize the decision within the next month. When the polar bear was proposed for listing in January 2007, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne directed the Service to work with the U.S. Geological Survey, the public and the scientific community to broaden our understanding of what is happening with the polar bear and to gather additional information to inform the final decision on whether the species warrants Federal protection under the ESA. For full bulletin, go to: http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=54D2A6BD-E928-94E6-6BA905F3F540B8F7

Grants of $20.5 Million Safeguard Coastal Wetlands   ENS – January 4, 2008 Twenty-nine conservation projects encompassing nearly 10,000 acres of coastal wetlands will be funded with $20.5 million from 2008 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced Friday. The grants will be used to acquire, restore or enhance coastal wetlands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish, wildlife and habitat. "The projects offer enormous benefits," Secretary Kempthorne said. "Coastal wetlands filter pollution, reduce storm surge from hurricanes, protect coastlines from erosion, provide habitat for many species of fish and wildlife, and offer recreational opportunities for millions of Americans." States receiving funds include California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, Maryland, and Massachusetts, along with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. For full article, go to: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2008/2008-01-04-091.asp

FY 2008 Wetland Restoration Grants for Priority Projects RFR   The Wetlands Restoration Program in the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management has issued an RFR seeking applications for wetland restoration grants for designated Priority Projects.  The RFR solicitation closes February 8, 2008.  Activities that are eligible to receive grants include construction-related activities, and  pre- and post-construction monitoring.  Approximately $200,000 in funding is anticipated to be available for the FY 2008 grant round.  The RFR number is "ENV 08 CZM 06" and the title is "Wetland Restoration Grants for Priority Projects".  To view the RFR, visit the Comm-PASS web site at http://www.comm-pass.com/ and search for solicitations using the RFR number.

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LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Congress Passes Massive Appropriations Bill with Cuts to Clean Water State Revolving Fund   Natural Resources Defense Council’s Legislative Watch – January 11, 2008 On 12/19, Congress passed a massive $474.6 billion omnibus appropriations bill (H.R. 2764) that includes nearly $30 billion to subsidize industries such as those involved with nuclear energy and the production of liquid fuels from coal, even though "liquid coal" emits about twice the amount of global warming pollution compared to gasoline. The bill also contains drastic cuts to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. On the positive side, the bill includes increases for national wildlife refuges, the National Park Service, Forest Service road decommissioning and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act. Environmental groups nevertheless opposed the bill because these positive elements were outweighed by the short-sighted investment of billions of dollars in the polluting nuclear and coal energy industries. For a link to NRDC’s Legislative Watch, go to: http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/legwatch.asp

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STATES NEWS

IN: Dick Blythe honored for helping restore wetlands By Kass Stone – NWI Times – January 15, 2008 Area businessman Dick Blythe was named Outdoor Life magazine’s Top 25 most influential people in contributing to the outdoors in its December 2007 issue. The owner of Valparaiso and Griffith’s Blythe’s Sporting Goods was cited as an unsung hero for his work with the Indiana Grand Kankakee Marsh Restoration Project. Blythe is president of the project, which is dedicated to the restoration of the Grand Kankakee Marsh. “I’m just getting the adulation for what the whole committee is doing,” Blythe said about the honor. The marsh was once one of the largest fresh water complexes in North America, covering 500,000 acres. For full article, visit: http://nwitimes.com/articles/2008/01/15/sports/region_sports/doce3b068c059efb80c862573d00080467f.txt

OH: Bellevue couple donates wetlands to park district By Jacob Lammers – Sandusky Register – January 14, 2008 Paul Shelley loved taking care of animals.  For several decades, he raised ducks, geese and even fed the occasional deer on his wetlands. Shelley died 11 years ago. His son James Shelley wanted to keep the memory of his father alive, so he and his wife, Nancy, decided to donate 17 acres of land commonly known as the Gravel Pit to the Sandusky County Park District. For full story, go to: http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2008/01/14/front/564309.txt

NE: Looking After the Birds   By Robert Pore – The Grand Island Independent – January 14, 2008 Every spring, Central Nebraska becomes the focus of millions of migrating waterfowl who take temporary shelter here, fattening themselves up for their long annual journey to their northern breeding grounds. Along with the Platte River, an important part of Central Nebraska's migratory landscape is a 4,200-square-mile area of rolling hills whose shallow wetlands have historically played home to thousands of migratory birds during their journey. For full story, go to: http://www.theindependent.com/stories/01142008/new_newsmain14_001.xml.shtml

CT: Wetlands agency tables Rte. 67 vote   By Melvin Mason – The Connecticut Post – January 14, 2008 Concerns about wetlands impacts have prompted the Inland Wetlands Agency to ask for more information from a Bridgeport company that wants to build a retail office complex off Route 67. The IWA decided Monday to adjourn a public hearing for Primrose Cos. until Jan. 22 so it could receive a new blueprint for the building. Fred D'Amico, an engineer hired by Primrose, said he would supply the IWA with a plan that includes a second rain garden. That would reduce the size of the space from the 9,500 square feet initially proposed, D'Amico said. Primrose is owned by developer John Guedes, and D'Amico said the company would prefer to maintain the size of the project at the former gas station. For full article, go to: http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_7971555

WI: Governor Doyle Announces $4.1 Million for Door County Coastal Wetlands   WisBusiness ~ Wisconsin’s Business News – January 14, 2008 Governor Doyle announced today $4.1 million that will be used for land purchases in Door County that will increase protection of plant and animal species that are endangered, threatened, and of special-concern; preserve unique Lake Michigan coastal wetlands habitat; and provide additional opportunities for public recreation.  “Caring for our lakes and lakeshores is an important part of maintaining our quality of life in Wisconsin, and I am pleased that these funds will help so many valuable projects that are working to preserve our heritage,” Governor Doyle said. “The Stewardship Fund is one more tool we have at our disposal that will help us to leverage federal and partner funds to help us protect our state’s coastal wetland system from residential development." For full article, go to: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=115454

CA: Wetlands No. 2 on list of most endangered   By Michael Shea – the Modesto Bee – January 13, 2008 When high snows melted in the Sierra or heavy rains pounded the Central Valley, long before the days of dams and canals, the mighty San Joaquin River overflowed and the Grassland was born. The meandering marshland from Stevinson to Dos Palos, the Grassland Ecological Area creeps as far east as the Merced National Wildlife Refuge and westward to the San