IN THIS ISSUE:
EDITOR’S NOTE EDITOR’S CHOICE NATIONAL NEWS
STATE NEWS Dear Wetlanders,
WETLAND SCIENCE The news stories over the past month have been overwhelming focused on the new NEWS Administration and political appointments. In my visits and phone conversations with RESOURCES & various federal, state, and local government staff, the one thing folks are unanimous PUBLICATIONS about is that we really just don’t know what to expect. So for now, we play a game of wait and see while internally strategizing new ways to continue moving our various POTPOURRI missions forward. CALENDAR OF EVENTS I personally predict a flurry of lawsuits over the next few years as we are experiencing a INDEX level of divisiveness in this country that we have not seen in several decades. Wetland
regulations and jurisdictional determinations have a long history of being contested in the legal system – and I expect we’ll see new challenges on many fronts to existing
policies as well as new ones such as the reissued Section 404 Nationwide Permits just To view the January released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (see story in Editor’s Choice). issue of Wetland Breaking News as well as In the Editor’s Choice section this month, I have included a couple of stories regarding past issues on our U.S. Supreme Court cases. The first is a story about the dispute over which lower website, please click courts have jurisdiction to hear challenges to the Obama administration's Clean Water here. Rule. The second story is about a case where a couple from South Dakota challenged a USDA wetlands designation. In National and State News you’ll find stories about Visit ASWM online to various tribes who have initiated lawsuits regarding water rights. And in Wetland Science News you’ll find a story about a group of 21 youths (ages 9 to 20) who have read weekly news filed a lawsuit claiming that the U.S. government’s actions to address climate change updates between issues. have been inadequate and that they endanger young people.
Please send comments The Association’s founder, Dr. Jon Kusler, Esq., completed two legal papers last year and news stories to that address potential legal issues regarding government liability for climate change [email protected]. and for updating flood maps. I recommend folks take a look at them as well as some of his previous legal papers on our website here. Thank you for your continued interest. It would be preferable, of course, if we could collaborate more and sue less. As Will Rogers (American cowboy and humorist) is quoted as saying: “Of course people are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers instead of their conscience be their guides." There are plenty of good examples of public/private partnerships that have been developed or are in the works. My hope is that in this era of uncertainty, we can do more to build bridges than block them.
Best wishes for 2017,
Marla J. Stelk All photos by Editor Jeanne Christie, ASWM Wetland Breaking News
Justices take up WOTUS jurisdiction dispute
By Amanda Reilly – E&E News – January 13, 2017 The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the dispute over which lower courts have jurisdiction to hear challenges to the Obama administration's Clean Water Rule. Justices today granted an industry petition asking the court to reconsider the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision to hear legal challenges over the rule, which is also known as Waters of the U.S., or WOTUS. More than 30 states and many industry and farm groups have challenged the joint U.S. EPA-Army Corps of Engineers rule redefining what waterways and wetlands receive automatic protection under the Clean Water Act. For full story, click here.
U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear S.D. farmer’s wetlands case
By David Ganje – Bismarck Tribune – January 12, 2017 On Monday, Jan. 9, The U. S. Supreme Court denied the Petition of a Miner County South Dakota farm couple who were fighting a USDA wetlands designation. USDA enforces rules in which it declares as “wetlands” farmland that has been converted by a farmer from wetlands to arable working land. When such a federal designation is made the farmer loses his right to participate in USDA programs and benefits. Under USDA maps about two thirds of North Dakota, one half of South Dakota and the western part of Minnesota is covered by prairie potholes and wetlands. For full story, click here.
EPA Launches WIFIA Program With $1 Billion in Loans Available for Water Infrastructure Projects
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – January 10, 2017 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of approximately $1 billion in credit assistance for water infrastructure projects under the new Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. EPA’s WIFIA program will provide long-term, low-cost credit assistance in the form of direct loans and loan guarantees to creditworthy water projects. WIFIA provides another option for financing large infrastructure projects – generally at least $20 million – in addition to the State Revolving Funds and bond market. WIFIA is available to state, local, and tribal governments; private entities; partnerships; and State Revolving Fund programs. EPA estimates that funds appropriated to the WIFIA program can be leveraged at a ratio greater than 50 to one, which means the $17 million program budget could allow EPA to make approximately $1 billion in loans and stimulate about $2 billion in total infrastructure investment. For full news release, click here.
Army Corps of Engineers Revises and Renews Nationwide Permits
Contact: Doug Garman or Gene Pawlik – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – January 6, 2017 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced today revised and renewed nationwide permits (NWPs) necessary for work in streams, wetlands and other waters of the United States under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. The new NWPs will take effect March 19, 2017, and replace the existing permits, which expire on March 18, 2017. The 2017 nationwide permits have been published in today’s Federal Register, and are posted to the USACE website here. For full news release, click here.
President Obama Updates Executive Order on Invasive Species
By Emily Ronis – The Wildlife Society – December 14, 2016 Last month, President Obama issued an executive order that directs member agencies of the National Invasive Species Council (NISC) to consider human and wildlife health, climate change, and innovations in science and technology when working on issues relevant to invasive species. Established by a 1999 executive order from President Clinton, NISC is a conglomerate of federal agency leaders that guide national efforts to prevent, remove, and control invasive species in the United States. The new Executive Order expands the reach of NISC; adding the heads of the Department of Health and Human Services as well as several White House offices to the NISC membership. While the Executive Order largely reaffirms the council’s original directives, the three “emerging priorities” of health, climate change, and technology were added as considerations. For full story, click here.
ASWM’S Hot Topics Webinar: Overview of the Final Rule on Issuance and Reissuance of the §404 Nationwide Permits – January 19, 2017
The Association of State Wetland Managers Hot Topics Webinar Overview of the Final Rule on Issuance and Reissuance of the §404 Nationwide Permits will be held on Thursday, January 19 from 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Presenter: Dave Olson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For more information, click here.
So how can we help wetlands to help us?
Communities
• Find out how the wetlands in your area are being used or overused - and who depends on them. How do wetlands protect your area during extreme events? • Adopt practices that ensure long- term sustainability of the local wetlands for everyone. Measures might include controlling illegal fishing and dumping, no –take rules, set catch limits and regulate the type of activities by season. • Clear rubbish from wetlands, and unblock streams and rivers.
Policy-makers Governments can include wetlands in their strategy for coping with disasters. Possible measures: • Designate wetlands in flood- and storm-prone zones as protected areas. • Restore degraded wetlands that act as protective barriers.
• Work with local stake holders and civil society to promote sustainable agriculture, fisheries and tourism.
• Adopt cross sectoral policies especially in agriculture and water to help protect wetlands.
Individuals • Organize or join a wetland clean-up. • Become a Wetland Ambassador advocate for wetlands. • Use water more sparingly and avoid toxic products that drain into wetlands. • Participate in actions to conserve and restore wetlands.
For more information on World Wetlands Day, click here. For a list of World Wetlands Day Events, click here.
The Great Lakes Fishery Trust is Accepting Habitat Protection and Restoration Proposals
The Great Lakes Fishery Trust (GLFT) is now accepting proposals under its Habitat Protection and Restoration grant program. This request for proposals (RFP) will be used for the disbursement of up to $500,000 in grants in 2017. Grants awarded through this RFP are intended for: • Protection, enhancement, and/or restoration of valuable Great Lakes fisheries habitat that supports the rehabilitation of lake trout, lake sturgeon, or other important Great Lakes fish populations. • Restoration of Great Lakes wetlands. • Removal of dams or barriers to restore fish passage (see Policy on Fish Passage and Other Dam Management Projects). • Field inventories that comprehensively identify road-stream crossings and other barriers at the watershed scale for watersheds identified as a high priority in planning or other management documents. • Targeted evaluations of the effectiveness of new or experimental approaches in habitat restoration and fish passage. • Preparation of an economic assessment comparing the lifespan and cost of properly and improperly placed road-stream crossing structures that would inform placement of design alternatives. Applicants interested in submitting a proposal in response to this priority must contact GLFT staff prior to submission of a proposal. • Targeted acquisition of land or easements to protect essential habitat.
For more information and to submit a proposal, visit the GLFT website here or go directly here. The Great Lakes Fishery Trust will only accept submissions online on or before 5:00 PM, Wednesday, March 1, 2017. If you have questions regarding the program area or a proposal submission, please contact Jonathon Beard, grant manager, at [email protected] or (517) 371-7468.
Interior Secretary Jewell, Deputy Secretary Connor Celebrate Indian Water Rights Settlements
By Vincent Schilling – Indian Country Media Network – January 15, 2017 On Friday, January 13, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Deputy Secretary Michael L. Connor joined with tribes and members of Congress to celebrate the enactment of four historic Indian water rights settlements that will benefit nine tribes. For full story, click here.
EPA won't pay claims in mine spill that released 3M of gallons of toxic water
By Magdalena Wegrzyn – USA Today – January 13, 2017 – Video The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it will not pay more than $1.2 billion in claims filed against it in response to the Gold King Mine spill. The EPA says the Federal Tort Claims Act prevents the agency from paying claims that result from "discretionary” government actions. Congress passed the law to allow government agencies — and in this case, contractors working on their behalf — to act "without the fear of paying damages in the event something went wrong while taking the action," according to a press release from the EPA. An EPA agency official said paying the claims would discourage such cleanup efforts in the future. For full story and to view video, click here. Water and Climate Dominate World Economic Forum Risk Report
By Brett Walton – Circle of Blue – January 13, 2017 Environmental risks, steadily rising in importance, are recognized as authentic and relentless obstacles to peace, wealth, and health, according to the World Economic Forum’s global risk report, an annual survey of business, academic, and political leaders. The report analyzes the strength and likelihood of 30 risks and 13 trends that shape global society. Four of the five environmental risks in the report, all related to climate change and extreme weather, are judged to be large impact and high likelihood threats. For full story, click here.
Tillerson Hedges on Climate Science but Supports Paris Agreement
By Neela Banerjee, John H. Cushman, Jr. & Marianne Lavelle – InsideClimate News – January 12, 2017 Rex Tillerson told the Senate panel considering his nomination for secretary of state that he supported the United States remaining in the Paris climate agreement and that he has made his views known to Donald Trump. The position, repeated several times during a day-long hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, puts him at odds with the president-elect's campaign vow to "cancel" the landmark global accord. But Tillerson acknowledged that this advice would have to be squared with Trump's own promises to put "America first" in the new administration's energy policy, which heavily favors the unrestricted use of fossil fuels. For full story, click here.
Conservationists look to Donald Trump Jr. as their champion in new White House
By Matea Gold and Juliet Eilperin – The Washington Post – January 11, 2017 Soon after House conservatives kicked off a new effort last week to reduce the amount of wilderness and other lands protected by the federal government, a leading conservationist quickly dashed off an email to an ally with especially close ties to the incoming Republican administration. The note went to Donald Trump Jr., eldest son of President-elect Donald Trump and a member of several hunting and fishing groups, who promised fellow hunters during the campaign that he would press his father to protect federal lands that are popular for outdoors activities. For full story, click here.
EPA Issues Final Construction General Permit to Reduce Stormwater Pollution
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – January 11, 2017 On January 11, 2017, EPA's 2017 Construction General Permit (CGP) was issued. It will take effect on February 16, 2017. The 2012 CGP will expire at midnight on February 16, 2017. During this time, web content for each permit will be online. Web content for the 2017 CGP will include the new permit and factsheet initially with supporting documents added soon. Web content for the 2012 CGP will remain posted online until the 2012 permit expires. For more information, click here.
EPA Releases Informative Document on Dam Removal
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – January 9, 2017 EPA has released a document to assist non-government organizations, state and local officials, and private landowners in making decisions regarding the removal of obsolete dams. The document describes the impacts of obsolete dams on water quality and public safety, the permitting requirements for removal of these dams, and potential sources of funding that may be available to support dam removal. The document does not change existing policy on dam removal. Learn More.
EPA head's top regret: failing to connect with rural America
By Valerie Volcovici – Reuters – January 6, 2017 Among the millions of rural Americans who voted for incoming president Donald Trump, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's legacy of hard-nosed regulation earned it a reputation as a jobs killer - a fact that outgoing EPA Director Gina McCarthy says could prove to be one of her biggest regrets. For full story, click here.
NOAA plans to open federal waters in Pacific to fish farming
By Caleb Jones – Associated Press – January 6, 2017 As traditional commercial fishing is threatening fish populations worldwide, U.S. officials are working on a plan to expand fish farming into federal waters around the Pacific Ocean. The government sees the move toward aquaculture as a promising solution to feeding a hungry planet. But some environmentalists say the industrial-scale farms could do more harm than good to overall fish stocks and ocean health. For full story, click here.
EPA Launches Online Water Quality Standards Tools for Tribes
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – January 6, 2017 EPA has published a set of online tools to assist tribes in establishing Clean Water Act-effective water quality standards (WQS). These tools are designed to help simplify the application process for tribes to be treated in a similar manner as states (TAS) and streamline the development of tribal WQS. The tools are another step toward achieving EPA’s goal of closing a longstanding gap in Clean Water Act protections. Currently, fewer than 50 of over 300 tribes with reservation lands have WQS effective under the Clean Water Act. While the tools are not required for successful completion of TAS and WQS submissions, tribes may use the tools as a starting point and are encouraged to coordinate with EPA Regional Offices throughout the TAS application and WQS development process. Learn More.
Importance of Resilient Coastal Wetlands to Conservation, Recreation Economy and Coastal Communities Recognized by $17 Million in Grants to States
Contact: Vanessa Kauffman – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – January 5, 2017 Coastal wetlands are under siege from both increased development and sea-level rise. Coastal wetland habitat conservation is critical to ensure that wildlife and coastal communities continue to thrive for future generations. Over $17 million will be awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to 20 projects in 10 coastal states to protect, restore or enhance more than 13,000 acres of coastal wetlands and adjacent upland habitats under the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program. For full press release, click here.
Report finds improvements in Chesapeake Bay's overall health
By Sarah Rankin - Associated Press – The Big Story – January 5, 2017 Water clarity in the Chesapeake Bay is the best it's been in decades, and native rockfish, oyster and blue crab populations are rebounding as the overall health of the nation's largest estuary improves, a report released Thursday found. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's biennial State of the Bay report gave the estuary a C-minus grade, an improvement from a D-plus two years ago and the highest score issued since the inception of the report in 1998. For full story, click here.
Please, no more calls to ‘drain the swamp.’ It’s an insult to swamps.
By Adam Rosenblatt – The Washington Post – December 29, 2016 Recent political discourse in the United States has been, shall we say, lacking in civility. Then again, we’re talking about politics, a human endeavor that thrives on conflict between competing groups. But recently I’ve been dismayed, as an ecologist, by politicians using “swamp” as a derogatory term for our nation’s capital and what goes on there. During his campaign and now as president-elect, Donald Trump turned the phrase “drain the swamp” into a rallying cry, pledging to restore “honesty, accountability, and change to Washington.” Though his dedication to this principle has been called into question (see recent remarks, and recent disavowal of those remarks, by Newt Gingrich), Trump joins an illustrious list of politicians from both sides of the aisle who have invoked the swamp metaphor, including Ronald Reagan and Nancy Pelosi. For full story, click here.
House Republicans want to ‘repeal and replace’ the ESA
By Joshua Zaffos – High Country News – December 28, 2016 The delta smelt, a tiny, silvery-blue fish hanging on for survival in California’s San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin estuary, is notorious among opponents of the Endangered Species Act. Efforts to help the smelt have contributed to farm closures, and water reductions for households and businesses, letting more water flow towards the smelt’s habitat. And yet since 1993, when the fish was listed as threatened, the smelt has only slid further toward extinction, making it an oft-cited example of how the ESA doesn’t work for people or fish, wildlife and plants. For full story, click here.
Obama declares Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah
By Brian Maffly and Thomas Burr – The Salt Lake Tribune – December 28, 2016 President Barack Obama on Wednesday protected a sprawling landscape in southeastern Utah that many had either hoped or dreaded would join the outgoing president's long list of national monuments. The 1.35 million acres of public lands surrounding San Juan County's Cedar Mesa will be known as Bears Ears National Monument, named after the pair of buttes protruding from a ridge joining the mesa and the Abajo Mountains to the north. Obama made the designation at the behest of five Indian tribes with ancestral and spiritual ties to Cedar Mesa, the highlands west of Blanding where ancient cultural sites abound. For full story, click here.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Issues Final Policy on Mitigating Impacts of Development to Further Conservation of Nation’s Wildlife and their Habitats
Contact: Vanessa Kauffman – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – November 18, 2016 In November, 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published the final revisions to its Mitigation Policy in the Federal Register. The Mitigation Policy, first published in 1981, guides the Service’s recommendations and requirements for mitigating adverse impacts of projects on fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. The revised Mitigation Policy was issued in response to the Presidential Memorandum: Mitigating Impacts on Natural Resources from Development and Encouraging Related Private Investment which directed the Service to finalize a mitigation policy to establish principles to guide the Service in its planning and permitting practices and other activities. For full press release, click here.
WETPOL Symposium
The 7th International Symposium for Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control (WETPOL) will be held August 22 - 26, 2017, at the Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Montana, USA. WETPOL is the preeminent global conference that brings together scientists, engineers and practitioners, working on the use of wetlands for water quality improvement. For the first time in the U.S., this conference will create unique opportunities for collaborative exchange, so new participants are encouraged to attend. Learn more here. The WETPOL Planning Committee is now accepting abstracts. The deadline to submit an abstract is quickly approaching on Tuesday, January 31, 2017.
View a list of ASWM Recorded Past Webinars here.
AZ: Havasupai Tribe files two lawsuits fighting for water rights
By Erin Ford – Navajo-Hopi – January 3, 2017 In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution mandating safe water a fundamental human right. In the United States, the world’s richest country, less than one percent of non- indigenous households lack access to clean, safe water (0.6 percent), according to the report made by the UN’s independent expert. That number skyrockets to 13 percent among Native American households. It is in part this disparity that compelled the Havasupai Tribe to file two lawsuits in federal court aimed at protecting their water supply from the contamination resulting from uranium mining near the Grand Canyon. For full story, click here.
DE: DNREC's "Wetlands 101" video series – Freshwater Wetlands – is now available
Cape Gazette – January 3, 2017 The seventh installment of DNREC's "Wetlands 101" video series – "Freshwater Wetlands" – is now available for viewing on DNREC's YouTube Channel. The series is produced by the Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program within DNREC's Division of Watershed Stewardship to educate Delawareans about wetlands, while promoting the idea that everyone can make a difference in the continuing challenge of wetland preservation. For full story, click here. To view Freshwater Wetlands and other DNREC YouTube Channel videos, click here.
FL: Pesticide DDT Found In Escambia River, Adjacent Wetlands
NorthEscambi.com – January 4, 2017 The pesticide DDT has been found in sediment samples from the Escambia River and its adjacent wetlands, a post-doctoral research associate at the University of West Florida has discovered. Dr. Geoffrey Marchal, who was hired in April to begin the research, is now testing those sediment samples to see how readily available the pollutant is to the many diverse species that inhabit the bay. “That’s the big concern,” Marchal said. “If the DDT in the sediment is bioavailable and can go through the food chain, then we have an issue.” For full story, click here.
FL: Martin County being asked to ease environmental protections on wetlands
By Lidia Dinkova – TC Palm – December 23, 2016 The county has been asked to loosen its environmental protections to allow developers to build on some smaller wetlands. Land-planner Don Cuozzo has asked the county to allow developers to build on wetlands that are a half-acre or smaller in unincorporated Martin County but within the urban-service district. The urban-service district is an area where more development is allowed and has the infrastructure, such as water and sewer, to support it. This would be a significant change to current Martin regulations, which protect wetlands regardless of size or type, although there are some exceptions, said Irene Szedlmayer, Martin growth-management department senior planner. For full story, click here.
IL: High participation bolsters watershed effort
By Tom C. Doran – ARGI News – January 1, 2017 The success of the Indian Creek Watershed Project goes beyond improving water quality through nutrient management. It also serves as a social model for future projects. The project which began in 2010 and held the final field day this past summer was conducted under the leadership of the Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District, local farmers, agriculture businesses, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois EPA, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service and others and facilitated by the Conservation Technology Information Center. When the initiative began, 7 percent of the watershed’s 51,243 acres were participating. Since that time, new conservation practices to keep nitrates in the fields were adopted on more than 50 percent of the farmland. For full story, click here.
IA: Nutrient Reduction Strategy Working, Slowly
W HOTV.com – January 10, 2017– Video The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (IRNS) was passed in 2013 to help stop nitrogen and phosphorus from getting into the water. Every year, it has an annual report for the governor to see if there has been progress. Last year, there was a small amount of progress. Nutrient reduction was about 1.5 percent for nitrogen and 2.2 percent for phosphorus. The biggest change for conservation practices right now is cover crops. In 2011, there were fewer than 40,000 acres, now there are nearly 400,000. For full story and to view video, click here.
LA: No more pipelines, Louisiana environmental group says, citing 144 accidents
By JR Ball – NOAL.com-The Times-Picayune – January 10, 2017 Citing "catastrophic" problems in Louisiana's oil and gas infrastructure, the head of a New Orleans-based environmental health and justice organization said Tuesday (Jan. 10) that the state should not approve any more pipelines, including the proposed $670 million Bayou Bridge pipeline. The comments from Anne Rolfes, founding director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, came in conjunction with a new report showing 144 pipeline accidents in the state in 2016. For full story, click here.
MD: Hogan unveils $65 million environmental agenda
By Erin Cox and Michael Dresser – The Baltimore Sun – January 3, 2017 – Video Gov. Larry Hogan announced his environmental agenda for the coming legislative session Tuesday, proposing Maryland spend nearly $65 million over the next three years on tax incentives, job training and a "Green Energy Institute" at the University of Maryland. The bulk of the money, $41 million, comes from a 2012 settlement with energy giant Exelon. The money must be spent on programs that promote renewable sources of electricity, such as solar and wind. For full story and to view video, click here.
MD: At Blackwater refuge, rising sea levels drown habitat
By Scott Dance – The Baltimore Sun – December 31, 2016 – Video The view from the observation deck over a meadow of brown marsh grasses would make a nice postcard. Eagles roost on tall pines, muskrats burrow in mounds of mud and straw, and black ducks splash in a pond. But on a cold and drizzly day, Matt Whitbeck surveys the landscape with concern. Beyond the marsh is what the Fish and Wildlife Service biologist calls "Lake Blackwater." "It's this beautiful body of open water," he says. "When you really start to think about why this is here, it's disturbing." For full story and to view video, click here.
MI: Company stands by plan to bury nuke waste near Lake Huron
By John Flesher – Federal News Radio – January 3, 2017 A Canadian company that wants to bury waste from nuclear power plants near Lake Huron said Tuesday a study of alternative sites had found none better than a location already targeted, which has drawn strong opposition on both sides of the border. For full story, click here.
MI: Michigan mine gains two state permits; tribe vows to continue fight.
By Brian Bienkowski – Environmental Health News – December 29, 2016 The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality this week approved a general mining permit and an air use permit for the Back Forty mine in the western Upper Peninsula despite tribal opposition over its location on sacred ground. The open pit gold, zinc and copper mine would be near tribal burial sites and centuries old raised garden beds along the Menominee River, the center of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin's creation story. “I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, but it makes what we’re trying to do much harder,” said Menominee Guy Reiter, who was reached while en route to the Menominee River to demonstrate and hold ceremony to raise awareness about the recent permits. Reiter, other Menominee members and tribal allies have spent the past year trying to stop the mine from polluting their culture, and the ancestral land and water that birthed it. The tribe has cited 24 sites of historical and cultural relevance within the mine’s potential footprint. For full story, click here.
MT: Thirty years later, Blackfoot tribes see environmental win on sacred grounds
By Matthew Brown- Associated Press – The Christian Science Monitor – January 10, 2017 U.S. officials on Tuesday announced the cancellation of the final two oil and gas leases in a wilderness area bordering Glacier National Park that's sacred to the Blackfoot tribes of Montana and Canada, more than three decades after the tribes said the leases were illegally sold. Lease owners in Nebraska and Texas were notified of the cancellations in a letter from Deputy Interior Secretary Michael Conner and offered refunds of about $30,000 each. For full story, click here.
NC: Cooper's environmental pick a contrast from last 4 years
By Gary D. Robertson – The News & Observer – January 3, 2017 North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's choice of an environmental advocate to lead the state environmental agency represents a break in department leadership from the previous Republican administration, which critics alleged was too cozy with business and utilities. Cooper named Michael Regan on Tuesday as his top environmental regulator in a move praised by environmental advocacy groups. For full story, click here.
NC: More coal ash concerns uncovered at Belmont Duke plant
By Eric Wildstein – Gaston Gazette – December 27, 2016 Environmentalists say Duke Energy failed to inspect a potentially dangerous 50-year-old pipe at its Allen Steam Station in Belmont. According to Catawba Riverkeeper Sam Perkins, Duke Energy failed to inspect the aging 2-foot-wide corrugated metal pipe, which protrudes from an inactive coal ash pond, discharging water pollution into Lake Wylie. For full story, click here.
PA: NRCS Announces New Chesapeake Bay Watershed Partnership Project
Contact: Molly Hippensteel – USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service – December 22, 2016 Today officials with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that a new project in Pennsylvania, led by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, has been selected for funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). “We’re excited to work with our partners to expand our mission of conservation through strategic investment,” said NRCS State Conservationist Denise Coleman. “These partnerships will lead to cleaner, more abundant water for the Chesapeake Bay watershed, improved soil health, enhanced wildlife habitat and endangered species recovery, and stronger rural economies.” For full news release, click here.
VA: Long-awaited draft environmental statement on Dominion's Atlantic Coast Pipeline released
By Robert Zullo – Richmond Times-Dispatch – December 30, 2016 A long-awaited federal draft environmental impact statement issued Friday says Dominion’s proposed 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline would have “some adverse and significant environmental impacts,” though most would be reduced to “less-than-significant levels” with mitigating measures proposed by the partners building the pipeline and recommendations by federal regulators. Environmental groups, who have fought the $5.1 billion project tooth and nail, have a different take. For full story, click here.
WA: NRCS Announces Funding Opportunity for Olympia Oyster Restoration Efforts
Contact: John Kendig – USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service – January 12, 2017 USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service announced today a funding opportunity through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to assist producers with restoration of the Olympia oyster in western Washington. Financial and technical assistance will be provided by EQIP to help pay for shell substrate essential for the Olympia oysters to grow upon as well as seeded cultch bags. Although EQIP applications are accepted on a year-round basis, eligible producers and entities interested will have two cut-off dates to submit their applications for consideration for funding in fiscal year 2017. The cut-off dates are as follows: February 17, 2017, and April 21, 2017. For full news release, click here.
WA: New Life Along Washington State’s Elwha River
By E. Tammy Kim – The New Yorker – December 26, 2016 One morning in late August, at the peak of an unusually hot summer, I joined a group of scientists on the northern coast of Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula to perform a fish census. We trudged over a dike to a pristine beach just west of the mouth of the Elwha River. Chris Byrnes, a state biologist, and Sheri Washington, an intern with the nonprofit Coastal Watershed Institute (C.W.I.), rowed a small skiff into a shallow pond. Byrnes manned the oars while Washington let out the seine, a net embroidered with buoys along its top edge and lead weights along its bottom, which unfurled into the water like layers of meringue. Once the seine was in place, forming an underwater screen, four of us waded in bellybutton- deep, grabbed hold of its ends, and dragged it toward the shore. For full story, click here.
WA: Washington’s white pelicans, long listed as endangered, make a comeback
By Annette Cary – The Seattle Times – December 25, 2016 The population of American white pelicans in Washington State has rebounded enough to change its status from “endangered” to “threatened.” The birds are a familiar sight in the Mid-Columbia, foraging under dams such as the Wanawish on the Yakima River in the Horn Rapids area. The state has only one breeding colony; the pelicans nest at Badger Island in the Columbia River upstream from McNary Dam near Wallula in the McNary National Wildlife Refuge. Listed as endangered in 1981, the white pelican was one of several species addressed recently by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. The birds are not listed under the federal Endangered Species Act but are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. For full story, click here.
WV: Clean Water Act Settlement with Pikewood National Golf Club Protects Wetlands in Morgantown, WV
Contact: David Sternberg – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – January 10, 2017 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice announced today that the owners and operators of the Pikewood National Golf Club in Morgantown, WV, have settled alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act related to the unpermitted filling of wetlands and waterways. Under a proposed consent decree filed in federal court in Wheeling, WV, the club owners and operators -- Pikewood, Inc., Deckers Creek Limestone Co., and Greer Industries, Inc. -- have agreed to restore approximately 6,400 linear feet of stream at the golf course. The defendants have also agreed to complete substantial additional wetlands mitigation work on property at or near the golf course. For full news release, click here.
WV: 3 years after MCHM spill, concern about WV drinking water remains
By Ken Ward, Jr. – Charleston Gazette-Mail – January 9, 2017 Three years after the Freedom Industries chemical spill and the Kanawha Valley water crisis that followed, citizen groups and environmental advocates on Monday said the state has made much progress but that continued work to protect West Virginia’s drinking water needs to remain a priority. For full story, click here.
WI: Wisconsin Tribe Votes to Evict Oil Pipeline From Its Reservation
By Phil McKenna – InsideClimate News – January 16, 2017 The Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians in northern Wisconsin voted not to renew an easement for a major oil and gas pipeline that passes through its reservation. In the wake of the successful protest against the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota, this decision is the latest example of Native American tribes using sovereignty rights to oppose fossil fuel projects. For full story, click here.
WI: USDA Announces $252 Million Available for Regional Conservation Partnership Program
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service – January 12, 2017 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today invited potential conservation partners, including private industry, non-government organizations, Indian tribes, state and local governments, water districts, and universities to submit project applications for federal funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Through this fourth RCPP Announcement for Program Funding (APF), USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will award up to $252 million dollars to locally driven, public- private partnerships that improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat, and protect agricultural viability. Applicants must match or exceed the federal award with private or local funds. For full news release, click here. Pre-proposals are due April 21, 2017.
Development has affected 7 percent of virgin forests since 2000: Study
By Ellen Powell – The Christian Science Monitor – January 14, 2017 On the surface, it’s just a vast expanse of land. But look closer and the untouched areas of Canada’s boreal forest are a teeming mass of life – one that may hold some life-sustaining answers. Yet in Canada and worldwide, untouched wilderness is coming under increased pressure, according to research published Friday in the journal Science Advances. The study’s authors, who have been using satellite data to track changes in the world’s intact landscapes for more than a decade, report that 7.2 percent of these areas have been compromised since 2000. For full story, click here.
A Bumblebee Gets New Protection on Obama’s Way Out
By Tatiana Schlossberg and John Schwartz – The New York Times – January 10, 2017 The Obama administration, rushing to secure its environmental legacy, has increased protection for a humble bumblebee. The rusty-patched bumblebee, once common across the continental United States, has been designated an endangered species by the Fish and Wildlife Service: the country’s first bumblebee, and the first bee from the lower 48 states, to be added to the register. Seven bees were previously listed as endangered, but they are found only in Hawaii. For full story, click here.
New analysis: global sea ice suffered major losses in 2016
By Tom Yulsman – Discover Magazine Blog – January 7, 2017 The extent of sea ice globally took major hits during 2016, according to an analysis released yesterday by the National Snow and Ice Data Center. At both poles, “a wave of new record lows were set for both daily and monthly extent,” according to the analysis. In recent years, Arctic sea ice has been hit particularly hard. For full blog post, click here.
Study: Tons of plastic getting into Great Lakes
By Veronica Volk – Country Public Radio – January 5, 2017 A new study from Rochester Institute of Technology in New York tracks how much plastic is getting into the Great Lakes, and where it's going. Spoiler alert: There’s lots of it - in all five lakes. Matthew Hoffman, an assistant professor who is part of the research team, says about 10,000 metric tons are getting into the lakes every year. In Lake Ontario alone, he says, "It's the equivalent of 28 Olympic-sized swimming pools filled with empty plastic bottles." For full story, click here.
New Look at Rivers Reveals the Toll of Human Activity
By Jim Robbins – Environment360 – January 4, 2017 The Yellowstone River has its headwaters in the mountain streams and snowy peaks of the famous U.S. national park with the same name, and makes an unfettered downhill run all the way to the Missouri River, nearly 700 miles away. It is the longest undammed river in the Lower 48 states. Last August, the Yellowstone made national headlines when a parasite killed thousands of fish, mostly whitefish. Fear of spreading the parasite to other waterways forced Montana officials to close the river to fishermen, rafters, and boaters. At the height of summer, the stunningly scenic, trout-rich river was eerily deserted. Fishing re-opened in the fall, but the parasite has been found in other Montana waterways. For full story, click here.
2017: Agriculture Begins to Tackle Its Role in Climate Change
By Georgina Gustin – InsideClimate News – January 4, 2017 By allowing countries to decide how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the landmark Paris climate agreement opened the door to new solutions. And over the past year, many countries, particularly in the developing world, decided that an especially effective way to reach those targets is through their farms. Nearly 80 percent of the countries said they would use agricultural practices to curb climate change, and more than 90 percent said they would use those practices in addition to changes in forestry and land use linked to farming. For full story, click here.
Already Debunked Global Warming 'Hiatus' Gets Another Dunking
By Bob Berwyn – InsideClimate News – January 4, 2017 Because every tenth of a degree of global warming matters not just to the planet but also in the highly charged political debate over climate change, researchers once again have analyzed ocean temperature readings over the past 75 years. Their findings refute the already debunked contention that warming paused from 1998-2012. Using a global network of buoys, robotic floats and satellites to trace the rise of sea surface temperatures, the study, published Jan. 4 in Science Advances, shows there was no slowdown in the pace of global warming. The scientists concluded that oceans have warmed consistently over the previous 50 years, at about 0.12 degrees Celsius per decade, nearly twice as fast as previous estimates of 0.07 degrees Celsius. For full story, click here.
A new map of Earth’s ecology-scrambling climate patterns
By Brandon Keim – Anthropocene – January 4, 2017 Want to know where climate fluctuations may already be producing new ecologies? Take a look at these maps. Published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the maps are part of a study that analyzed terrestrial climate conditions between 1901 and 2013, identifying areas of climate novelty—combinations of temperature and precipitation different from any that previously existed—as well as tracking the speed and direction of those shifts. For full story, click here.
Science-Based Conservation Under Attack in 2017
By Candice Gaukel Andrews – Good Nature Travel – January 3, 2017 We’ve closed the books on 2016. It’s natural to want to assess the past year, now that we’ve made it through to the end. In the past 12 months, there has been some significant, positive progress: according to World Wildlife Fund, the giant panda is no longer endangered; for the first time in years, tiger numbers grew; the Arctic’s federal waters were spared from U.S. drilling plans; and newly developed, antipoaching technology led to dozens of arrests in Africa. What do all of these gains have in common? They were made possible because of science. For full story, click here.
EPA Updates the State Water Agency Practices for Climate Adaptation Webpage
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – January 3, 2017 EPA, in collaboration with The Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA), The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA), and The Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM), recently updated a webpage showcasing innovative practices that state water agencies are currently performing to reduce their vulnerability and build resilience to climate change. The webpage was recently supplemented with new descriptions of select climate adaptation related practices in diverse programmatic areas and geographic locations across the country. The information presented on these state practices can be a useful resource for other state agencies, as well as local and tribal governments, seeking to engage in climate adaptation efforts within their own water programs. Providing greater access to information on recent state agency practices can directly help planners and decision makers across the country continue to conduct their work effectively in the context of a variable climate. After identifying a second set of practices, the four project collaborators plan to advance this work through various outreach activities intended to share the information more broadly. They also expect to identify additional practices over time to help sustain the collaboration and sharing of information across state water agencies. Learn More.
Greenland Ice Melt Could Push Atlantic Circulation to Collapse
By Rebecca Boyle – Hakai Magazine – January 3, 2017 In the North Atlantic, east of North America and south of Greenland, the ocean’s upper layers are much warmer than one might presume given the extreme latitude. This unexpected warmth is a product of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a vitally important system of ocean currents that moves warm salty water northward from the tropics and cold fresher water south. The AMOC looms large in the Earth’s climate: it is responsible for redistributing nutrients throughout the Atlantic Ocean and is a major driving force controlling the climate on both sides of the pond. For full article, click here.
Restoring seagrass under siege
By Elizabeth Devitt – Mongabay – January 2, 2017 You need a boogie board and a wetsuit to garden with Katharyn Boyer, a biology professor at San Francisco State University in California. They come in handy along the shorelines of the San Francisco Bay where Boyer and her colleagues are replanting eelgrass. For more than a decade, she’s experimented with methods to replenish these underwater plants that create key habitats and buffer zones for coastal ecosystems. Figuring out reliable ways to grow more eelgrass could revitalize these critical areas and help other scientists reverse seagrass losses around the world. For full story, click here.
4 reasons not to completely despair about climate change in 2017
By Neil Bhatiya – The Week – January 2, 2017 The end of 2016 has not been a sunny time for climate activists. As the Trump administration takes shape, it has become crystal clear that the president-elect's climate change denialism will soon become de facto U.S. policy. And Trump will not only have many options for rolling back the progress President Obama made to curb carbon emissions, he already is putting in place the personnel to do it. Trump's proposed picks include: for head of the EPA, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who is currently suing the agency; for secretary of the interior, Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), who despite his support for protecting public lands, is lukewarm on climate issues; and, for state department secretary — the face of the United States in international climate negotiations — Rex Tillerson, the CEO of ExxonMobil who is locked in a battle with the descendants of the oil company's founder over its role in distorting the evidence of climate change. For full story, click here.
Some driveway sealants create toxic muck in streams
By Don Behm – USA Today – December 26, 2016 Coal-tar sealants applied to blacktop parking lots and driveways are the primary source of toxic chemicals found in the muck at the bottom of area waterways, according to a study from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. Tests of muck samples collected at 40 locations along 19 creeks and rivers in the metropolitan area and dust from six parking lots found that coal-tar sealants contributed up to 94% of all polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, in streambed sediment, according to the study, published Thursday in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. For full story, click here.
Is Wetlands Restoration Worsening Flooding?
By Catherine Kozak – Coastal Review Online – December 6, 2016 Pocosin land is supposed to be boggy. Nature designed it to be spongy and moist, creating a bulwark against wildfires and a haven for wild animals and plants. It is also a great carbon sink, one of its newly appreciated attributes. When Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1991, the peat bogs had been drained and were dried out like crusty soil in a neglected potted plant. Instead of a firewall, it was fire fuel. Instead of holding carbon harmlessly in its swampy depths, it released it into the air. But lately, the boggiest thing at the refuge seems to be a squabble over whether the refuge’s Pocosin re- wetting project or Mother Nature is responsible for persistent flooding of surrounding farmland, with politicians in the farmers’ corner. For full story, click here.
The Best Science Books of 2016
Ira Flatow – Science Friday – December 2, 2016 Time travel, microbes, black holes, and polar bears. There’s something for everyone on this year’s list of best science books. Maria Popova, founder of Brain Pickings, and Scientific American editor Lee Billings join Ira to weigh in with their top picks. For full story and to listen to radio broadcast, click here.
In an Unprecedented Lawsuit, Kids Take On Climate Change
By Candice Gaukel Andrews – Good Nature Travel – November 29, 2016 In the environmental-action and wildlife-conservation world—the two go hand in hand, as we need healthy environments for the animal kingdom to prosper—there’s a lot of talk about preserving our planet and its biodiversity for “future generations.” A lot of what we do, we say, is in their name. In truth, however, we haven’t done a very good job of watching over the natural world for them. Species continue to disappear, and our atmosphere proceeds to degrade. But a recent news item gives me a great deal of hope for the young people of today and those who will come after them. For full story, click here.
Challenges & Solutions in Coastal Wetlands: Findings, Gaps & Priorities
By Marla J. Stelk and Jeanne Christie – Association of State Wetland Managers – October 2016 This white paper, Challenges & Solutions in Coastal Wetlands: Findings, Gaps & Priorities, is divided into three topic areas addressing major threats to coastal wildlife. The three subject matter areas include: (1) wetland protection and management; (2) wetland restoration; and (3) natural coastal defenses. This effort is intended to identify gaps and priorities that can be addressed in future years by ASWM and other organizations. Our goal for this project is to identify specific actions likely to reduce coastal wetland losses, improve wetland health, and increase coastal wetland acreage to support vital habitat and ecosystem services for coastal wildlife. To download this white paper, click here.
EPA Office of Research and Development Announces the Rapid Benefit Indicators Approach (RBI) Website
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – January 25, 2017 The U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development is pleased to announce the availability of the Rapid Benefit Indicators (RBI) Approach website here. The RBI approach is an easy-to-use process for assessing restoration sites using non-monetary benefit indicators. It uses readily-available data to estimate and quantify benefits to people around an ecological restoration site. The site also contains links to several related resources: Benefit Indicators for Flood Regulation Services of Wetlands: A Modeling Approach; Barriers, Opportunities, and Strategies for Urban Ecosystem Restoration: Lessons Learned from Restoration Managers in Rhode Island; and Manager Perspectives on Communication and Public Engagement in Ecological Restoration Project Success. An informative webinar about the RBI Approach will be provided on Wednesday, January 25th from 2:00pm – 3:00pm EST. For more information, click here.
EPA and U.S. Geological Survey Release Report on Protecting Aquatic Life from Effects of Hydrologic Alteration
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – 2016 EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey released a report providing scientific and technical information related to protection of aquatic life from the effects of hydrologic alteration. Exacerbated through climate change, hydrologic alteration can affect aquatic species' ability to spawn, gather nutrients from the stream system, access high-quality habitat and other survival practices. The report presents a literature review of natural flow and a description of the potential effects of flow alteration on aquatic life, as well as examples of water quality criteria that some states have developed to support natural flow and maintain healthy aquatic life. Learn More.
Field Indicators of Hydric Soils, version 8
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service – 2016 The National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils has updated the Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States to version 8.0. Hardcopies are available from the NRCS distribution center and in electronic format. The updated version of the Field Indicators includes all changes made in the errata for version 7.0. There are also two general format changes that were made to some indicators to provide better consistency and clarity that have no effect on the requirements of the indicator. The first change is that the word within was removed and replaced with at a depth ≤. For example F3. Depleted Matrix used to read “… starting within 25 cm…” and now reads “…starting at a depth ≤25 cm…” The other general format change that was made is in indicators that used to give thickness requirement entirely within a bottom depth. These indicators now state the thickness requirement and the top depth. For example F6. Redox Dark Surface used to read “…10 cm thick entirely within 30 cm…” and now reads “…10 cm thick starting at a depth ≤20 cm…” These wording changes do not change the requirements of any indicator, therefore soils that met the indicator the way it was previously worded should still meet the indicator and a soil that did not meet the indicator will continue to not meet that indicator. The changes were made due to many questions brought about by confusion caused by the original wording and many recommendations to make these changes to provide better clarity and consistency with wording of other indicators.
Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The Sixth Biennial Review
The National Academies Press – 2016 The sixth biennial review finds that, although measurable progress is being made, there is insufficient attention on radically changing system and planning constraints. New knowledge about the Everglades' pre-drainage hydrology, climate change and sea level rise, and the feasibility of originally-envisioned storage alternatives will have substantial impacts on the expected outcomes of restoration efforts. The report concludes that forward-looking analysis, in conjunction with program-level adaptive management, is needed to ensure that the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan is based on the latest scientific and engineering knowledge and is robust to changing conditions. Read the Full Report.
US Water Alliance Publishes One Water Roadmap
US Water Alliance – 2016 This month, the US Water Alliance published the One Water Roadmap: The Sustainable Management of Life's Most Essential Resource, a guide for how we can tackle our nation's most pressing water challenges. This report makes a compelling case for the One Water approach--we highlight successful strategies and powerful real-world examples of One Water management in practice. The roadmap highlights the bold approaches that water utilities, businesses, agricultural groups, and municipalities, are implementing to build a secure water future for all. The roadmap is organized around six arenas for action where we are making progress: Reliable and Resilient Utilities, Thriving Cities, Competitive Business and Industry, Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Social and Economic Inclusion, and Healthy Waterways. Read More.
Call of the wild: can America’s national parks survive?
By Lucy Rock – The Guardian – January 14, 2017 Autumn in the North Cascades National Park and soggy clouds cling to the peaks of the mountains that inspired the musings of Beat poets such as Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg 60 years ago. Sitting on a carpet of pine needles in the forest below, protected from the rain by a canopy of vine maple leaves, is a group of 10-year-olds listening to a naturalist hoping to spark a similar love of the outdoors in a new generation. For full story, click here.
Wyoming Bill Would All But Outlaw Clean Energy by Preventing Utilities From Using It
By Zahra Hirji – InsideClimate News – January 13, 2017 Coal supporters are pushing a bill that would bar utilities from using the state's abundant wind power to provide electricity within the state. While many U.S. states have mandates and incentives to get more of their electricity from renewable energy, Republican legislators in Wyoming are proposing to cut the state off from its most abundant, clean resource—wind—and ensuring its continued dependence on coal. For full story, click here.
Can Green Infrastructure Really Solve Pittsburgh’s Stormwater Problems?
By Ashley Murray – The Allegheny Front – January 13, 2017 All over the country, cities with old, often crumbling, sewer systems are turning to “green infrastructure” to help manage stormwater, reduce flooding and sewage overflows, and handle the impacts of climate change. But how well these systems will work is still unknown. In Philadelphia, they’re spending more than a billion dollars on green infrastructure, including planting more than 700 trees to soak up stormwater. In Cincinnati, they’re bio-engineering a stream to stop pollution from getting into the Ohio River. And in the next year, Pittsburgh is planning a dozen projects on the East End, including installing special pavement that soaks in water so it doesn’t rush into the sewer system. The cost? Ten million dollars. For full story, click here.
EPA agrees to review regulations on oil and gas waste
By Jonathan Romeo – The Durango Herald – January 11, 2017 The Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to review its regulations on how companies should dispose of oil and gas waste, a result of a lawsuit brought on by several environmental groups in May. “Safeguards to protect our scarce water resources in the San Juan Basin, home to 40,000 wells, have been ignored for far too long,” said Dan Olson, executive director of San Juan Citizens Alliance. “Updating rules for oil and gas waste, deemed inadequate 30 years ago, is critical for this region.” For full story, click here.
The Peak Oil President?
By Richard Heinberg – Post Carbon Institute – January 11, 2017 The frequency of Internet searches for the term “peak oil” has waned dramatically in recent years; now even the number of articles announcing the “death” of peak oil has dwindled, so universal is the assumption that the concept is completely debunked. Why bother beating a dead horse? With supreme irony, it could be within the next few years when the maximum-ever rate of world oil production is actually achieved, to be followed by terminal decline. It’s too early to make a definitive claim, but the evidence is starting to stack up. And the implications are mind-boggling. For full story, click here.
The Futile War between Conservationists and Farmers: Conservation and Production Biodiversity
By Andrew Beattie – Millennium Alliance for Humanity and Biosphere (MAHB) – January 3, 2017 Recent high profile conservation articles blame the loss of biodiversity on agriculture (e.g.: Biodiversity: The ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers, Maxwell et al. Nature 2016) but agriculture depends on biodiversity so something in the conservationist strategy has gone seriously wrong. The answer lies in what the conservation community has come to understand by the term ‘biodiversity’. To the majority of conservationists, the word refers to a relatively small number of the more charismatic species or groups, principally belonging to the vertebrates and higher plants. I call this ‘conservation biodiversity’. For full blog post, click here.
Public Land Giveaway Would be Disastrous for Rivers
By Davide Moryc – American Rivers – January 9, 2017 On the first day of the new Congress the new Republican led U.S. House voted to ease the transfer of public lands signaling that the threat of our public lands being given or sold to state and private interests is real and imminent. This is a part of an outrageous broader scheme by some in Congress and state legislatures to transfer or sell our public lands and rivers and must be vehemently opposed by all Americans regardless of political party. By adopting new rules to avoid costs to the federal treasury they came up with an accounting trick—decreeing that public lands have no value. Of course in so many ways this couldn’t be further from the truth. For full story, click here.
Ancient Wetland Garden Found in the Pacific Northwest
Archaeology – December 27, 2016 Live Science reports that a prehistoric garden has been found on Katzie First Nation territory, located to the east of Vancouver. Archaeologist Tanja Hoffmann of the Katzie Development Limited Partnership and Simon Fraser University led the excavation of the 3,800-year-old waterlogged site. For full story, click here.
Chesapeake Restoration Gets Hi-Res Land Cover Data
Eco Magazine – December 12, 2016 There’s no question that technology has changed every facet of modern life. The corporate world and the health care industry are examples of fields that were quick to capitalize on the power of technology, becoming more efficient. However, until relatively recently the conservation movement lagged far behind in harnessing the power of technology and innovation. This summer, the Chesapeake Conservancy spearheaded and partnered with the University of Vermont, and WorldView Solutions, Inc. to complete the Chesapeake High-Resolution Land Cover Project, one of the largest, high-resolution land cover datasets for the nation. For full article, click here.
What on Earth is ‘conservation finance’?
By Bruno Vander Velde –Human Nature – December 2, 2016 What is ‘conservation finance’? “Conservation finance” refers generally to a range of financial mechanisms that can help fund the conservation of nature. Ok. But why do we need to pay for conservation in the first place? The short answer is that conservation is often just one choice among many that countries and communities make. For example, if you own an acre of tropical forest, leaving the forest in place likely won’t generate the income and livelihoods that you are seeking. So, you may sell the trees for timber and put a farm there — which will make you money in the short term but may not be sustainable over the long term. For full blog post, click here.
From Scientists to Policymakers: Communicating on Climate, Scientific Integrity, and More
By Peter Gleick – Science Blogs – December 1, 2016 Among the different professional categories, scientists and engineers remain very highly respected by the public, at least compared to politicians, business leaders, the media, and even religious authorities. Part of this is due to the fact that success in the scientific enterprise depends on impartial analysis and independence from political ideology. And yet there are strong connections between science and policy: good policy without good science is difficult; good policy with bad science is impossible. Sure, there is plenty of bad policy made even in the face of contradictory scientific evidence, but that is the result of political failures, or, at times, poor scientific communication. For full blog post, click here.
They Released 14 Wolves In A Park. But No One Was Prepared For THIS
By We Love Animals – June 11, 2016 – Video In 1995, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, along with Canadian biologists, captured 14 wolves in Canada and placed them in Yellowstone National Park, where they had been extinct since 1926. Over the next few years, the number of wolves rose, but that was the least of the changes that took place in Yellowstone. For full story and to view video, click here.
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The Compleat Wetlander
The Compleat Wetlander: Final The Wetland Wanderer: For Peat’s Sake: Managing a Nationwide Rule Published in the Engaging Youth in Wetlands Moving Target – Invasive Species Federal Register – Up Next is through Learning, Action and Management in a Changing §401 Certification, Coastal Ownership Climate Consistency Review and Corps District Regional Condition
WEBINARS, MEETINGS, TRAINING, SPECIAL EVENTS
WEBINARS
JANUARY 2017
January 19, 2017 Association of State Wetland Managers Hot Topics Webinar: 3:00 p.m. EST Overview of the Final Rule on Issuance and Reissuance of the §404 Nationwide Permits
January 19, 2017 Webinar: Low Cost Water Quality Monitoring Survey. To 3:00 p.m. EST register, go here.
January 24, 2017 Land Trust Alliance Webinar: Land Conservation in a 2:00 p.m. EST Changing Climate
January 24, 2017 Association of State Floodplain Managers: Key 3:00 p.m. EST Fundamentals of Flood Insurance for Agents Part 1. Part 2 will be held on January 25, 2017 from 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. EST.
January 25, 2017 CILER/GLERL Great Lakes Seminar Series: Spatial 10:30 a.m. EST variability and potential long-term trends in Great Lakes Carbon
January 25, 2017 Webinar co-sponsored by the EBM Tools Network (co- 1:00 p.m. EST coordinated by NatureServe and OpenChannels.org) and MEAM: Crowdsourcing small-scale fisheries data: A global initiative
January 25, 2017 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Webinar: Soak Up the 1:00 p.m. EST Rain New England Webinar Series: The Perfect Storm
January 25, 2017 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Webinar: The Rapid 2:00 p.m. EST Benefit Indicators (RBI) Approach: A Process for Assessing the Social Benefits of Ecological Restoration
January 30, 2017 US Water Alliance Webinar: One Water Implementation: A 2:30 p.m. EST Path to Reliability and Resiliency for Water Utilities. Register here.
January 31, 2017 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tribal Science 3:00 p.m. EST Webinar Series: Arctic Research, One Health and The Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network: Ongoing Activities and Expansion to Lower 48
FEBRUARY 2017
February 8, 2017 Pennsylvania DCNR Webinar: NEW Riparian Forest Buffer 10:00 a.m. EST Program Grant Program
February 15, 2017 AWRA Webinar: Climate change and Water Management in 11:00 a.m. EST Eastern States: Overcoming Barriers to Innovation in Regulated Riparianism
February 16, 2017 The Swamp School: Stream Classification Principles Webinar 1:00 p.m. EST
MARCH 2017
March 9, 2017 Webinar co-sponsored by the NOAA National MPA Center, 1:00 p.m. EST MPA News, and the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by NatureServe and OpenChannels.org): Implications of spatial connectivity and climate change for the design and application of MPAs
March 22, 2017 AWRA Webinar: Innovations in Sediment Monitoring 1:00 p.m. EST
APRIL 2017
April 13, 2017 Webinar co-sponsored by the NOAA National MPA Center, 1:00 p.m. EST MPA News, and the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by NatureServe and OpenChannels.org): Microplastics: What we know and discussion of research needs
April 19, 2017 AWRA Webinar: High and Dry: Meeting the Challenges of the 1:00 p.m. EST World's Growing Dependence on Groundwater
JUNE 2017
June 14, 2017 Creating an 'American Nile': Policy, Engineering, and 1:00 p.m. EST Recreation in the Colorado River Basin & Abroad
MEETINGS
JANUARY 2017
January 27, 2017 New Hampshire Association of Natural Resource Scientists Concord, NH (NHANRS): 2017 Annual Conference
January 27-28, 2017 Yale 2017 International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF) New Haven, CT Conference: Tropical Forests in a Connected World: Collaborative Solutions for a Sustainable Future
FEBRUARY 2017
February 2-5, 2017 Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education Towson, MD (MAEOE) Conference: Investigate & Create: The Science & Art of Environmental Education
February 5-8, 2017 77th Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference Lincoln, NE
February 6-9, 2017 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference New Orleans, LA
February 6-9, 2017 Coastal GeoTools 2017 North Charleston, SC
February 6-10, 2017 The Western Section of the Wildlife Society: 2017 Annual Reno, NV Meeting. North American Pika Consortium (NACP):4th meeting will be held on February 6-7, 2017.
February 7-9, 2017 14th Annual Tamarisk Coalition Conference: The Future is Fort Collins, CO Now: Forward-Thinking Restoration, Planning, and Adaptation
February 9-10, 2017 Gathering Waters: Wisconsin Land Trust Retreat Madison, WI
February 13-15, 2017 17th Annual International LiDAR Mapping Forum (ILMF) Denver, CO
February 13-16, 2017 Native Seed Network: 2017 National Native Seed Washington, D.C. Conference
February 16-19, 2017 2017 Annual SEPARC Meeting: Aligning Conservation Goals Little Rock, AR
February 25-March 1, 2017 National Association of Counties 2017 Legislative Washington, DC Conference
February 26-March 3, 2017 Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Honolulu, HI Oceanography (ASLO) 2017 Conference: From the Mountains to the Sea
February 28-March 1, 2017 Virginia Turfgrass Council: 2017 Come to the Bay Virginia Beach, VA
February 28–March 2, 2017 Wisconsin Wetlands Association's 22nd Annual Wetland Stevens Point, WI Science Conference
February 28-March 3, 2017 30th Annual Michigan Stormwater Floodplain Association Lansing, MI (MSFA) Conference
MARCH 2017
March 1-2, 2017 EUCI 2107 Plant Retirement: Mitigation of Risk, Project Atlanta, GA Execution, and Redevelopment
March 1-2, 2017 50th International Conference: Water Management Modeling Toronto, Canada
March 1-3, 2017 Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Chicago, IL Climate Registry: Climate Leadership Conference: Connect- ing People, Innovation, and Opportunity
March 3, 2017 Michigan Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation East Lansing, MI Society: A Matter of Balance: Feeding Our Crops, Protecting the Waters of the Great Lakes
March 4-11, 2017 Wildlife Management Institute 82nd North American Wildlife Spokane, WA and Natural Resources Conference
March 5-7, 2017 The Virginia Lakes & Watersheds Association: Virginia Water Richmond, VA Conference
March 6-7, 2017 Oregon State University: 7th Annual Pacific Northwest Water Corvallis, OR Research Symposium
March 6-9, 2017 18th Annual Association of Montana Floodplain Managers Missoula, MT (AMFM) Conference
March 7-9, 2017 Florida Gulf Coast University Conference: Conserving Fort Myers, FL Biodiversity Challenges for Florida in the Anthropocene
March 7-9, 2017 RES/CON New Orleans, LA
March 8-9, 2017 Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Springfield, IL Management (IAFSM) Conference
March 10-12, 2017 Science Atlantic Student Conference: Biology, Aquaculture & St Francis Xavier University Fisheries Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
March 14-16, 2017 Great Lakes Commission Semiannual Meeting and Great Washington, DC Lakes Day
March 15-16, 2017 Land Trust Alliance: 2017 New York Land Trust Symposium Saratoga Springs, NY
March 16-17, 2017 Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute at the University of Denver, CO Denver Sturm College of Law: 26th Annual Western Places/Western Spaces Conference. Additional workshops will be held on March 15, 2017.
March 20-23, 2017 Georgia Association of Floodplain Managers (GAFM) Buford, GA Conference: Mountains to Shore - Managing a Multitude of Risks
March 22-24, 2017 Local Climate Solutions for Africa Congress: Water & Climate Bartlett, Boksburg, Africa 2017
March 24-26, 2017 Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter of the Society for Ecological Grand Rapids, MI Restoration: Annual Meeting: Assembling the Restoration
March 26-28, 2017 National Flood Determination Association: 20th Annual NFDA Scottsdale, AZ Conference
March 29-30, 2017 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Grand Rapids, MI Department of Environmental Quality: 2017 Great Lakes Areas of Concern Conference
March 29-April 1, 2017 Association of Southeastern Biologist: 2017 Annual Meeting Montgomery, AL
APRIL 2017
April 3-7, 2017 CUAHSI - NASA Remote Sensing Hydrology Workshop. Boston, MA Application Deadline: February 15, 2017.
April 4, 2017 Center for Watershed Protection Association: 2017 National Online and remote hub locations Watershed & Stormwater Conference
April 4-6, 2017 EcoAgriculture Partners: Landscape Leadership 3-Day Front Royal, VA Intensive Workshop
April 4-7, 2017 International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) Montréal, Canada Conference: Impact Assessment’s Contribution to the Global Efforts in Addressing Climate Change
April 5-9, 2017 American Association of Geographers meeting: Decolonizing Boston, MA Water: Indigenous water politics, resource extraction, and settler colonialism
April 7, 2017 AWRA: National Capital Region Water Resources Washington, DC Symposium
April 9-11, 2017 Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies: 73rd Norfolk, VA Annual Northeast Fish & Wildlife Conference
April 9-13, 2017 NatureServe Canada: Biodiversity Without Boundaries 2017 Ottawa, Ontario Canada
April 9-13, 2017 US-International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE): Baltimore, MD 2017 Annual Meeting, People, Places, Patterns: Linking Landscape Heterogeneity and Socio-Environmental Systems
April 15, 2017 12th Annual Center for Tropical Ecology and Conservation Keene, NH Symposium: New Approaches to Conservation Conflicts
April 17-21, 2017 Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER 2017) Coral Springs, FL Conference
April 20-22, 2017 Sponsored by USA National Science Foundation: Agent- San Diego, CA Based Modeling (ABM) 17: A Symposium That Advance the Science of ABM
April 21-23, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute: 2017 Northeast Natural History Cromwell, CT Conference
April 25-26, 2017 New York State Wetlands Forum, Inc. & Society of Wetland Suffern, NY Scientists-Mid-Atlantic Chapter 2017 Joint Annual Conference and Meeting: Our Wetland Future: Resiliency in Uncertain Times. To submit an abstract by January 20, 2017, go here.
April 26-27, 2017 Green Technology: Green California Summit Sacramento, CA
April 30-May 3, 2017 2017 AWRA Spring Specialty Conference: Connecting the Snowbird, UT Dots: The Emerging Science of Aquatic System Connectivity
April 30-May 5, 2017 2017 ASFPM Conference: "Flood Risk Management in the Kansas City, MO Heartland"
MAY 2017
May 4-6, 2017 2017 Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference: Where Lancaster, PA Land Meets Water: Protecting Our Farmland, Natural Lands, and Waterways
May 9-11, 2017 National Adaptation Forum Saint Paul, MN
May 9-12, 2017 National Mitigation & Ecosystem Banking Conference: Invest Sacramento, CA in the Environment
May 15-19, 2017 IAGLR's 60th Annual Conference: From Cities to Farms: Detroit, MI Shaping Great Lakes Ecosystems
May 17-20, 2017 Citizen Science Association: CitSci2017 Saint Paul, MN
May 20-25, 2017 Japan Geoscience Union-American Geophysical Union Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan (JpGU-AGU) Joint Meeting
May 23-24, 2017 Stockholm Environment Institute Workshop: Emerging Stockholm, Sweden Complexity of Climate Adaptation Governance in a Globalizing World
May 29-June 2, 2017 International Water Resources Association: World Water Cancun, Mexico Congresses: Bridging Science and Policy
May 31–June 1, 2017 The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), a division Champaign, IL of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois, and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant: Emerging Contaminants in the Aquatic Environment Conference. Oral Presentation: Abstract by January 31, 2017. Poster Presentation: Abstract by February 28, 2017.
May 31-June 2, 2017 Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Green Infrastructure Detroit, MI Conference: Integrated Stormwater Management from Duluth to Quebec
May 31-June 3, 2017 4th Symposium on Urbanization and Stream Ecology: Browns Summit, NC Making urban stream rehabilitation a co-evolutionary process
JUNE 2017
June 4-9, 2017 Society for Freshwater Science Annual Meeting: Designing Raleigh, NC Our Freshwater Futures
June 5-8, 2017 National Hydrologic Warning Council 2017 Conference Olympic Valley, CA
June 5-8, 2017 Society of Wetland Scientists’ 2017 Annual Meeting: San Juan, Puerto Rico Celebrating Wetland Diversity Across the Landscape: Mountains to Mangroves
June 12-14, 2017 New York State Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Binghamton, NY Association 2017 Annual Meeting. Abstract deadline is February 10, 2017.
June 15-16, 2017 Land Trust Alliance: Sixth Symposium on Advanced Legal San Antonio, TX Topics in Land Conservation
June 18-21, 2017 9th International Charr Symposium Duluth, MN
June 19-21, 2017 International Conference: Engineering and Ecohydraulics for Corvallis, Oregon Fish Passage
June 19-22, 2017 University of Alberta: 11th North American Forest Ecology Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Workshop
June 25-28, 2017 2017 AWRA Summer Specialty Conference: Climate Change Tysons, VA Solutions: Collaborative Science, Policy and Planning for Sustainable Water Management. Abstracts due by February 6, 2017.
June 27-29, 2017 US Water Alliance: One Water Summit 2017 New Orleans LA
JULY 2017
July 21-24, 2017 National Association of Counties: 2017 Annual Conference Franklin County, OH
July 25-27, 2017 Michigan Technological University workshop: Science and Duluth, MN Management of Ash Forests after Emerald Ash Borer. Abstract deadline is February 28, 2017.
AUGUST 2017
August 6-11, 2017 2017 ESA Annual Meeting: Linking biodiversity, material Portland, OR cycling and ecosystem services in a changing world
August 14-17, 2017 Association of State Floodplain Managers: The National Iselin, NJ Flood Mitigation & FloodProofing Workshop
August 21-25, 2017 12th International Congress of Ecology (INTECOL 2017 Beijing, China Beijing): Ecology and Civilization in a Changing World
August 22-26, 2017 7th International Symposium: Wetland Systems for Water Big Sky, MT Pollution Control (WETPOL). Submit an abstract by January 31, 2017.
August 24-26, 2017 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Scenarios Network (ScenNet): Corum, Montpellier, France Scenarios and Models of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Support of Decision Making
August 27-September 1, 2017 SIWI World Water Week: Water and Waste: Reduce and Stockholm, Sweden Reuse’. Abstract deadline is January 22, 2017.
SEPTEMBER 2017
September 5-7, 2017 7th International Conference on Flood Management (ICFM7). University of Leeds, UK Submit abstract by January 31, 2017.
September 20-22, 2017 Rhode Island Resource Institute: 8th Mid-Atlantic Stream Baltimore, MD Restoration Conference. Abstracts due by January 31, 2017.
OCTOBER 2017
October 19-21, 2017 4th Life Discovery – Doing Science Biology Education University of Oklahoma Conference
October 24-26, 2017 2017 NJAFM Annual Conference Atlantic City, NJ
October 26-28, 2017 Land Trust Alliance: Rally 2017 National Land Conservation Denver, CO Conference
NOVEMBER 2017
November 5-9, 2017 2017 AWRA Annual Conference Portland, OR
TRAINING
JANUARY 2017
January 23-26, 2017 The Swamp School: Wetland Delineation Training Raleigh, NC
January 27, 2017 UC Davis Extension Online Course: CEQA Update, Issues Sacramento, CA and Trends
January 30-February 2, 2017 FEMA's Emergency Management Institute Course: E194 Emmitsburg, MD Advanced Floodplain Management Concepts
FEBRUARY 2017
February 1-March 29, 2017 Forester University Online: Water Communications Master Online Class Series
February 6-10, 2017 Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Basic Wetland San Diego, CA Delineation. For other dates and locations, go here.
February 6-April 30, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Certified Wetland Online Hydrologist
February 6-April 30, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Wetland Basic Online Delineation Training
February 7-8, 2017 Northwest Environmental Training Center Course: Wetlands: Austin, TX Science and Regulatory Management. This course will also be held in April, June, and September
February 8, 2017 UC Davis Extension Online Course: Environmental Justice Online and NEPA: Overview and Update on Recent Developments
February 10, 2017 UC Davis Extension Online Course: Endangered Species Sacramento, CA Regulation and Protection
February 13-14, 2017 Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Wetland Delineation San Diego, CA Refresher. For other dates and locations, go here.
February 13-March 19, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Basic Botany for Wetland Online Assessment
February 13-March 19, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Phase I Environmental Online Site Assessment
February 14-16, 2017 Environmental Concern Course: Winter Woody Plant ID. St. Michaels, MD Instructor: William S. Sipple
February 14-17, 2017 Stream Mechanics: Stream Functions Pyramid Workshop Vicksburg, MS
February 20-23, 2017 The Swamp School: Wetland Delineation Training Dallas, TX
February 20-24, 2017 Penn State College of Agricultural Science online training: Online Multivariate Data Analysis Using PC-ORD
February 27-March 10, 2017 Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation Course: Front Royal, VA Statistics for Ecology and Conservation Biology
MARCH 2017
March 6, 2017 The Swamp School Workshop: Data Collection for eLearning Environmental Professionals
March 6-May 28, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Certified Wetland Online Botanist
March 6-May 28, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Wetland Basic Online Delineation Training
March 13-April 9, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Habitat Conservation Online Plans
March 15-16, 2017 UC Davis Extension Course: Successful CEQA Compliance: Sacramento, CA An Intensive Two-Day Seminar
March 18, 2017 Audubon Naturalist Society Class: Urban Watershed MD & Washington, DC Restoration Challenges - the Foundry Branch
March 24, 2017 UC Davis Extension Course: Clean Water Act Section 404: Sacramento, CA Nationwide and Other Specialized Permits
March 28, 2017 Audubon Naturalist Society Class: How to Read Your Stream Chevy Chase, MD
APRIL 2017
April 3-6, 2017 The Swamp School: Wetland Delineation Training Pittsburgh, PA
April 3-7, 2017 CUAHSI: NASA Remote Sensing Hydrology Workshop. Boston, MA Application Deadline: February 15, 2017.
April 3-June 25, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Certified Wetland Online Delineator
April 3-June 25, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Principles of Wetland Online Design
April 3-June 25, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Wetland Basic Online Delineation Training
April 4-5, 2017 Northwest Environmental Training Center Course: Wetlands: St. Louis Park, MN Science and Regulatory Management. This course will also be held in February, June, and September
April 4-5, 2017 MBI (Midwest Biodiversity Institute Course: Ohio Rapid Hilliard, OH Assessment Method (ORAM) for Wetlands
April 10-May 14, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Conducting Effective Online Ecological Risk Assessments
April 10-May 14, 2017 The Swamp School Online Course: Basic Botany for Wetland Online Assessment
April 17-20, 2017 MBI (Midwest Biodiversity Institute Course: Wetland Hilliard, OH Delineation
April 24-28, 2017 Environmental Concern Course: Basic Wetland Delineation. St. Michaels, MD Instructor: William S. Sipple
April 26-27, 2017 MBI (Midwest Biodiversity Institute Course: Primary Hilliard, OH Headwater Habitat (PHWH) Training
MAY 2017
May 2-4, 2017 CUAHSI Training Workshop: The Community WRF-Hydro Boulder, CO Modeling System
May 8-11, 2017 Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Identifying Grasses, Spartanburg, SC Sedges, and Rushes
May 16-17, 2017 MBI (Midwest Biodiversity Institute Course: Amphibian Index Hilliard, OH of Biotic Integrity (AmphIBI)
May 21-27, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Crustose Lichens of the Acadian Steuben, ME Forest
May 21-27, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Undergraduate Field Studies: Steuben, ME Marine Intertidal Community Ecology
May 23-26, 2017 Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Graminoid Hays, KS Identification for Wetlands and Wetland Delineators
May 28-June 3, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Microlepidoptera: Collection, Steuben, ME Preparation, Dissection, Identification, and Natural History
May 28-June 3, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Drawing and Painting Birds in Steuben, ME Watercolor and Colored Pencil
May 28-June 3, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: A-B-C's of Birding: Introduction Steuben, ME to Coastal Maine Bird Identification
JUNE 2017
June 4-10, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Undergraduate Field Studies: Steuben, ME Introduction to Bryophytes and Lichens
June 4-10, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Undergraduate Field Studies – Steuben, ME Natural History of Freshwater Fishes
June 5-10, 2017 Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Wetland Delineation Poolesville, MD with Emphasis on Soils and Hydrology
June 7, 2017 UC Davis Extension Online Course: NEPA Case Law and Online Policy Update
June 7-9, 2017 Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Plant Identification for San Diego, CA Coastal Southern California
June 11-17, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Mosses: Structure, Ecology, and Steuben, ME Identification
June 11-17, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Systematics, Biology, and Steuben, ME Ecology of Important Lotic and Lentic Aquatic Insects: Mayflies, Stoneflies, Caddisflies, Odonata, and Coleoptera, and Identification
June 18-24, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Bogs and Fens: Maine Steuben, ME Peatlands
June 18-24, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Exploring Medicinal Plants of Steuben, ME Maine (and Beyond)
June 20-21, 2017 Northwest Environmental Training Center Course: Wetlands: Sacramento, CA Science and Regulatory Management. This course will also be held in February, April, and September.
June 20-23, 2017 Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Planning Hydrology, State College, PA Vegetation, and Soils for Constructed Wetlands
June 25-July 1, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Liverworts and Liverwort Ecology Steuben, ME
June 25-July 1, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Moths and Butterflies: Steuben, ME Identification, Specimen Preparation, and Taxonomy
June 26-July 7, 2017 Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Polson, MT Course: Conservation Ecology
June 26-July 20, 2017 Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Polson, MT Course: Field Ecology
June 26-July 21, 2017 Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Polson, MT Course: Seminars in Ecology and Resource Management
JULY 2017
July 2-8, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Lichens and Lichen Ecology Steuben, ME
July 2-8, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Sedges and Rushes: Steuben, ME Identification and Ecology
July 2-8, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Dragonflies and Damselflies: Steuben, ME Field Techniques and Identification
July 9-15, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Native Bees as Pollinators: Steuben, ME Diversity, Ecology, Conservation, and Habitat Enhancement
July 9-15, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Finding Words in Nature: Steuben, ME Creative Writing for Aspiring Authors ... Study Retreat
July 9-15, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Nature Journaling: Black and Steuben, ME White Illustration Techniques
July 10-21, 2017 Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Polson, MT Course: Landscape Ecology
July 12-14, 2017 Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Problematic Portage, WI Delineation Seminar
July 16-22, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Boletes and Other Fungi of New Steuben, ME England
July 16-22, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Survey of Grasses: Their Steuben, ME Structure, Identification, and Ecology
July 23-29, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Wetlands Identification, Steuben, ME Delineation, and Ecology
July 23-29, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Spiders: Identification, Biology, Steuben, ME and Ecology
July 23-29, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Lichens, Biofilms, and Stone Steuben, ME
July 24-August 4, 2017 Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Polson, MT Course: Stream Ecology
July 24-August 4, 2017 Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Polson, MT Course: Alpine Ecology
July 25-28, 2017 Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Plant Identification for Portage, WI Wetland Delineators
July 30-August 5, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Mushroom Identification for New Steuben, ME Mycophiles: Foraging for Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms
July 30-August 5, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Art and Science of Steuben, ME Photographing Insects and their Kin
AUGUST 2017
August 6-12, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Submersed and Floating Aquatic Steuben, ME Plants
August 6-12, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Independent Studies: Interesting Steuben, ME and Challenging Saxicolous Lichens of North America
August 7-18, 2017 Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Polson, MT Course: Ecology of Forests and Grasslands
August 7-18, 2017 Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Polson, MT Course: Drone Remote Sensing of Freshwater Ecosystems
August 13-19, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Field Botany and Plant Ecology Steuben, ME of the Eastern Maine Coast
August 14-17, 2017 Environmental Concern Course: Grasses, Sedges and St. Michaels, MD Rushes. Instructor: William S. Sipple. Early Bird Registration $700 before 7/14/2017. After deadline $725/
August 14-20, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Tidal Marsh Restoration: A Steuben, ME Traveling Course from Rhode Island to Maine
August 15-18, 2017 Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Plant Identification for Hays, KS Wetlands and Wetland Delineators
August 20-26, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Identification, Biology, and Steuben, ME Natural History of Ferns and Lycophytes
August 20-26, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Banding/research Techniques for Steuben, ME Studying Songbirds and Raptors
August 21-22, 2017 Environmental Concern Course: Evaluating Hydric Soils in St. Michaels, MD the Field
August 27-September 2, 2017 Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Better Birding: Passerines and Steuben, ME. Seabirds for Advancing Birders
SEPTEMBER 2017
September 11-15, 2017 Environmental Concern Course: Basic Wetland Delineation. St. Michaels, MD Instructor: William S. Sipple. Early Bird Registration $950 before 3/24/2017. After deadline $975
September 14-15, 2017 Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Riparian Habitat San Diego, CA Restoration for the Arid Southwest
September 19-20, 2017 Northwest Environmental Training Center Course: Wetlands: Arlington, VA Science and Regulatory Management. This course will also be held in February, April, and June.
September 20-21, 2017 Northwest Environmental Training Center Course: Habitat Sacramento, CA Site Restoration. This course will also be held in January. OCTOBER 2017
October 2-5, 2017 MBI (Midwest Biodiversity Institute Course: Wetland Hilliard, OH Delineation. This course will also be held on April 17-20, 2017.
SPECIAL EVENTS
January 28, 2017 Shiver in the River Richmond, VA
February 2, 2017 World Wetlands Day
April 22, 2017 Earth Day
For more wetland events, meetings, conferences, and courses nationwide, visit the ASWM calendar.
INDEX
EDITOR'S NOTE
EDITOR'S CHOICE
• Justices take up WOTUS jurisdiction dispute • U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear S.D. farmer’s wetlands case • EPA Launches WIFIA Program With $1 Billion in Loans Available for Water Infrastructure Projects • Army Corps of Engineers Revises and Renews Nationwide Permits • President Obama Updates Executive Order on Invasive Species • ASWM’S Hot Topics Webinar: Overview of the Final Rule on Issuance and Reissuance of the §404 Nationwide Permits – January 19, 2017
NATIONAL NEWS
• The Great Lakes Fishery Trust is Accepting Habitat Protection and Restoration Proposals • Interior Secretary Jewell, Deputy Secretary Connor Celebrate Indian Water Rights Settlements • EPA won't pay claims in mine spill that released 3M of gallons of toxic water • Water and Climate Dominate World Economic Forum Risk Report • Tillerson Hedges on Climate Science but Supports Paris Agreement • Conservationists look to Donald Trump Jr. as their champion in new White House • EPA Issues Final Construction General Permit to Reduce Stormwater Pollution • EPA Releases Informative Document on Dam Removal • EPA head's top regret: failing to connect with rural America • NOAA plans to open federal waters in Pacific to fish farming • EPA Launches Online Water Quality Standards Tools for Tribes • Importance of Resilient Coastal Wetlands to Conservation, Recreation Economy and Coastal Communities Recognized by $17 Million in Grants to States • Report finds improvements in Chesapeake Bay's overall health • Please, no more calls to ‘drain the swamp.’ It’s an insult to swamps. • House Republicans want to ‘repeal and replace’ the ESA • Obama declares Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Issues Final Policy on Mitigating Impacts of Development to Further Conservation of Nation’s Wildlife and their Habitats • WETPOL Symposium
STATES NEWS
• AZ: Havasupai Tribe files two lawsuits fighting for water rights • DE: DNREC's "Wetlands 101" video series – Freshwater Wetlands – is now available • FL: Pesticide DDT Found In Escambia River, Adjacent Wetlands • FL: Martin County being asked to ease environmental protections on wetlands • IL: High participation bolsters watershed effort • IA: Nutrient Reduction Strategy Working, Slowly • LA: No more pipelines, Louisiana environmental group says, citing 144 accidents • MD: Hogan unveils $65 million environmental agenda • MD: At Blackwater refuge, rising sea levels drown habitat • MI: Company stands by plan to bury nuke waste near Lake Huron • MI: Michigan mine gains two state permits; tribe vows to continue fight. • MT: Thirty years later, Blackfoot tribes see environmental win on sacred grounds • NC: Cooper's environmental pick a contrast from last 4 years • NC: More coal ash concerns uncovered at Belmont Duke plant • PA: NRCS Announces New Chesapeake Bay Watershed Partnership Project • VA: Long-awaited draft environmental statement on Dominion's Atlantic Coast Pipeline released • WA: NRCS Announces Funding Opportunity for Olympia Oyster Restoration Efforts • WA: New Life Along Washington State’s Elwha River • WA: Washington’s white pelicans, long listed as endangered, make a comeback • WV: Clean Water Act Settlement with Pikewood National Golf Club Protects Wetlands in Morgantown, WV • WV: 3 years after MCHM spill, concern about WV drinking water remains • WI: Wisconsin Tribe Votes to Evict Oil Pipeline From Its Reservation • WI: USDA Announces $252 Million Available for Regional Conservation Partnership Program
WETLAND SCIENCE
• Development has affected 7 percent of virgin forests since 2000: Study • A Bumblebee Gets New Protection on Obama’s Way Out • New analysis: global sea ice suffered major losses in 2016 • Study: Tons of plastic getting into Great Lakes • New Look at Rivers Reveals the Toll of Human Activity • 2017: Agriculture Begins to Tackle Its Role in Climate Change • Already Debunked Global Warming 'Hiatus' Gets Another Dunking • A new map of Earth’s ecology-scrambling climate patterns • Science-Based Conservation Under Attack in 2017 • EPA Updates the State Water Agency Practices for Climate Adaptation Webpage • Greenland Ice Melt Could Push Atlantic Circulation to Collapse • Restoring seagrass under siege • 4 reasons not to completely despair about climate change in 2017 • Some driveway sealants create toxic muck in streams • Is Wetlands Restoration Worsening Flooding? • The Best Science Books of 2016 • In an Unprecedented Lawsuit, Kids Take On Climate Change
RESOURCES & PUBLICATIONS
• Challenges & Solutions in Coastal Wetlands: Findings, Gaps & Priorities • EPA Office of Research and Development Announces the Rapid Benefit Indicators Approach (RBI) Website • EPA and U.S. Geological Survey Release Report on Protecting Aquatic Life from Effects of Hydrologic Alteration • Field Indicators of Hydric Soils, version 8 • Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The Sixth Biennial Review • US Water Alliance Publishes One Water Roadmap
POTPOURRI
• Call of the wild: can America’s national parks survive? • Wyoming Bill Would All But Outlaw Clean Energy by Preventing Utilities From Using It • Can Green Infrastructure Really Solve Pittsburgh’s Stormwater Problems? • EPA agrees to review regulations on oil and gas waste • The Peak Oil President? • The Futile War between Conservationists and Farmers: Conservation and Production Biodiversity • Public Land Giveaway Would be Disastrous for Rivers • Ancient Wetland Garden Found in the Pacific Northwest • Chesapeake Restoration Gets Hi-Res Land Cover Data • What on Earth is ‘conservation finance’? • From Scientists to Policymakers: Communicating on Climate, Scientific Integrity, and More • They Released 14 Wolves In A Park. But No One Was Prepared For THIS
WEBINARS, MEETINGS, TRAINING, SPECIAL EVENTS
Webinars
• Association of State Wetland Managers Hot Topics Webinar: Overview of the Final Rule on Issuance and Reissuance of the §404 Nationwide Permits • Webinar: Low Cost Water Quality Monitoring Survey • Land Trust Alliance Webinar: Land Conservation in a Changing Climate • Association of State Floodplain Managers: Key Fundamentals of Flood Insurance for Agents Part 1. CILER/GLERL Great Lakes Seminar Series: Spatial variability and potential long-term trends in Great Lakes Carbon • Webinar: Crowdsourcing small-scale fisheries data: A global initiative • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Webinar: Soak Up the Rain New England Webinar Series: The Perfect Storm • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Webinar: The Rapid Benefit Indicators (RBI) Approach: A Process for Assessing the Social Benefits of Ecological Restoration • US Water Alliance Webinar: One Water Implementation: A Path to Reliability and Resiliency for Water Utilities • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tribal Science Webinar Series: Arctic Research, One Health and The Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network: Ongoing Activities and Expansion to Lower 48 • Pennsylvania DCNR Webinar: NEW Riparian Forest Buffer Program Grant Program • AWRA Webinar: Climate change and Water Management in Eastern States: Overcoming Barriers to Innovation in Regulated Riparianism • The Swamp School: Stream Classification Principles Webinar • Webinar: Implications of spatial connectivity and climate change for the design and application of MPAs • AWRA Webinar: Innovations in Sediment Monitoring • Webinar: Microplastics: What we know and discussion of research needs • AWRA Webinar: High and Dry: Meeting the Challenges of the World's Growing Dependence on Groundwater • Creating an 'American Nile': Policy, Engineering, and Recreation in the Colorado River Basin & Abroad
Meetings
• New Hampshire Association of Natural Resource Scientists (NHANRS): 2017 Annual Conference • Yale 2017 International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF) Conference: Tropical Forests in a Connected World: Collaborative Solutions for a Sustainable Future • Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education (MAEOE) Conference: Investigate & Create: The Science & Art of Environmental Education • 77th Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference • Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference • Coastal GeoTools 2017 • The Western Section of the Wildlife Society: 2017 Annual Meeting • 14th Annual Tamarisk Coalition Conference: The Future is Now: Forward-Thinking Restoration, Planning, and Adaptation • Gathering Waters: Wisconsin Land Trust Retreat • 17th Annual International LiDAR Mapping Forum (ILMF) • Native Seed Network: 2017 National Native Seed Conference • 2017 Annual SEPARC Meeting: Aligning Conservation Goals • National Association of Counties 2017 Legislative Conference • Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) 2017 Conference: From the Mountains to the Sea • Virginia Turfgrass Council: 2017 Come to the Bay • Wisconsin Wetlands Association's 22nd Annual Wetland Science Conference • 30th Annual Michigan Stormwater Floodplain Association (MSFA) Conference • EUCI 2107 Plant Retirement: Mitigation of Risk, Project Execution, and Redevelopment • 50th International Conference: Water Management Modeling • Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry: Climate Leadership Conference: Connecting People, Innovation, and Opportunity • Michigan Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society: A Matter of Balance: Feeding Our Crops, Protecting the Waters of the Great Lakes • Wildlife Management Institute 82nd North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference • The Virginia Lakes & Watersheds Association: Virginia Water Conference • Oregon State University: 7th Annual Pacific Northwest Water Research Symposium • 18th Annual Association of Montana Floodplain Managers (AMFM) Conference • Florida Gulf Coast University Conference: Conserving Biodiversity Challenges for Florida in the Anthropocene • RES/CON • Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management (IAFSM) Conference • Science Atlantic Student Conference: Biology, Aquaculture & Fisheries • Great Lakes Commission Semiannual Meeting and Great Lakes Day • Land Trust Alliance: 2017 New York Land Trust Symposium • Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law: 26th Annual Western Places/Western Spaces Conference • Georgia Association of Floodplain Managers (GAFM) Conference, Mountains to Shore - Managing a Multitude of Risks • Local Climate Solutions for Africa Congress: Water & Climate 2017 • Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration: Annual Meeting: Assembling the Restoration • National Flood Determination Association: 20th Annual NFDA Conference • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality: 2017 Great Lakes Areas of Concern Conference • Association of Southeastern Biologist: 2017 Annual Meeting • CUAHSI - NASA Remote Sensing Hydrology Workshop • Center for Watershed Protection Association: 2017 National Watershed & Stormwater Conference EcoAgriculture Partners: Landscape Leadership 3-Day Intensive Workshop • International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) Conference: Impact Assessment’s Contribution to the Global Efforts in Addressing Climate Change • American Association of Geographers meeting: Decolonizing Water: Indigenous water politics, resource extraction, and settler colonialism • AWRA: National Capital Region Water Resources Symposium • Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies: 73rd Annual Northeast Fish & Wildlife Conference • NatureServe Canada: Biodiversity Without Boundaries 2017 • US-International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE): 2017 Annual Meeting, People, Places, Patterns: Linking Landscape Heterogeneity and Socio-Environmental Systems • 12th Annual Center for Tropical Ecology and Conservation Symposium: New Approaches to Conservation Conflicts • Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER 2017) Conference • Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) 17: A Symposium That Advance the Science of ABM • Eagle Hill Institute: 2017 Northeast Natural History Conference • New York State Wetlands Forum, Inc. & Society of Wetland Scientists-Mid-Atlantic Chapter 2017 Joint Annual Conference and Meeting: Our Wetland Future: Resiliency in Uncertain Times • Green Technology: Green California Summit • 2017 AWRA Spring Specialty Conference: Connecting the Dots: The Emerging Science of Aquatic System Connectivity • 2017 ASFPM Conference: "Flood Risk Management in the Heartland" • 2017 Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference: Where Land Meets Water: Protecting Our Farmland, Natural Lands, and Waterways • National Adaptation Forum • National Mitigation & Ecosystem Banking Conference: Invest in the Environment • IAGLR's 60th Annual Conference: From Cities to Farms: Shaping Great Lakes Ecosystems • Citizen Science Association: CitSci2017 • Japan Geoscience Union-American Geophysical Union (JpGU-AGU) Joint Meeting • Stockholm Environment Institute Workshop: Emerging Complexity of Climate Adaptation Governance in a Globalizing World • International Water Resources Association: World Water Congresses: Bridging Science and Policy • The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center: Emerging Contaminants in the Aquatic Environment Conference • Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Green Infrastructure Conference: Integrated Stormwater Management from Duluth to Quebec • 4th Symposium on Urbanization and Stream Ecology: • Making urban stream rehabilitation a co-evolutionary process • Society for Freshwater Science Annual Meeting: Designing Our Freshwater Futures • National Hydrologic Warning Council 2017 Conference • Society of Wetland Scientists’ 2017 Annual Meeting: Celebrating Wetland Diversity Across the Landscape: Mountains to Mangroves • New York State Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Association 2017 Annual Meeting • Land Trust Alliance: Sixth Symposium on Advanced Legal Topics in Land Conservation • 9th International Charr Symposium • International Conference: Engineering and Ecohydraulics for Fish Passage • University of Alberta: 11th North American Forest Ecology Workshop • 2017 AWRA Summer Specialty Conference: Climate Change Solutions: Collaborative Science, Policy and Planning for Sustainable Water Management • US Water Alliance: One Water Summit 2017 • National Association of Counties: 2017 Annual Conference • Michigan Technological University workshop: Science and Management of Ash Forests after Emerald Ash Borer • 2017 ESA Annual Meeting: Linking biodiversity, material cycling and ecosystem services in a changing world • Association of State Floodplain Managers: The National Flood Mitigation & FloodProofing Workshop • 12th International Congress of Ecology (INTECOL 2017 Beijing): Ecology and Civilization in a Changing World • 7th International Symposium for Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control (WETPOL) • Biodiversity and Ecosystem Scenarios Network (ScenNet): Scenarios and Models of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Support of Decision Making • SIWI World Water Week: Water and Waste: Reduce and Reuse • 7th International Conference on Flood Management (ICFM7) • Rhode Island Resource Institute: 8th Mid-Atlantic Stream Restoration Conference • 4th Life Discovery – Doing Science Biology Education Conference • 2017 NJAFM Annual Conference • Land Trust Alliance: Rally 2017 National Land Conservation Conference • 2017 AWRA Annual Conference
Training
• The Swamp School: Wetland Delineation Training • UC Davis Extension Online Course: CEQA Update, Issues and Trends • FEMA's Emergency Management Institute Course: E194 Advanced Floodplain Management Concepts • Forester University Online: Water Communications Master Class Series • Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Basic Wetland Delineation • The Swamp School Online Course: Certified Wetland Hydrologist • The Swamp School Online Course: Wetland Basic Delineation Training • Northwest Environmental Training Center Course: Wetlands: Science and Regulatory Management • UC Davis Extension Online Course: Environmental Justice and NEPA: Overview and Update on Recent Developments • UC Davis Extension Online Course: Endangered Species Regulation and Protection • Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Wetland Delineation Refresher • The Swamp School Online Course: Basic Botany for Wetland Assessment • The Swamp School Online Course: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment • Environmental Concern Course: Winter Woody Plant ID • Stream Mechanics: Stream Functions Pyramid Workshop • The Swamp School: Wetland Delineation Training • Penn State College of Agricultural Science online training: Multivariate Data Analysis Using PC-ORD • Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation Course: Statistics for Ecology and Conservation Biology • The Swamp School Workshop: Data Collection for Environmental Professionals • The Swamp School Online Course: Certified Wetland Botanist • The Swamp School Online Course: Wetland Basic Delineation Training • The Swamp School Online Course: Habitat Conservation Plans • UC Davis Extension Course: Successful CEQA Compliance: An Intensive Two-Day Seminar • Audubon Naturalist Society Class Urban Watershed Restoration Challenges - the Foundry Branch • UC Davis Extension Course: Clean Water Act Section 404: Nationwide and Other Specialized Permits • Audubon Naturalist Society Class: How to Read Your Stream • The Swamp School: Wetland Delineation Training • CUAHSI - NASA Remote Sensing Hydrology Workshop • The Swamp School Online Course: Certified Wetland Delineator • The Swamp School Online Course: Principles of Wetland Design • The Swamp School Online Course: Wetland Basic Delineation Training • Northwest Environmental Training Center Course: Wetlands: Science and Regulatory Management • MBI (Midwest Biodiversity Institute Course: Ohio Rapid Assessment Method (ORAM) for Wetlands • The Swamp School Online Course: Conducting Effective Ecological Risk Assessments • The Swamp School Online Course: Basic Botany for Wetland Assessment • MBI (Midwest Biodiversity Institute Course: Wetland Delineation • Environmental Concern Course: Basic Wetland Delineation • MBI (Midwest Biodiversity Institute Course: Primary Headwater Habitat (PHWH) Training • CUAHSI Training Workshop: The Community WRF-Hydro Modeling System • Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Identifying Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes • MBI (Midwest Biodiversity Institute Course: Amphibian Index of Biotic Integrity (AmphIBI) • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Crustose Lichens of the Acadian Forest • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Undergraduate Field Studies: Marine Intertidal Community Ecology • Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Graminoid Identification for Wetlands and Wetland Delineators • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Microlepidoptera: Collection, Preparation, Dissection, Identification, and Natural History • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Drawing and Painting Birds in Watercolor and Colored Pencil • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: A-B-C's of Birding: Introduction to Coastal Maine Bird Identification • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Undergraduate Field Studies: Introduction to Bryophytes and Lichens • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Undergraduate Field Studies – Natural History of Freshwater Fishes • Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Wetland Delineation with Emphasis on Soils and Hydrology • UC Davis Extension Online Course: NEPA Case Law and Policy Update • Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Plant Identification for Coastal Southern California • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Mosses: Structure, Ecology, and Identification • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Systematics, Biology, and Ecology of Important Lotic and Lentic Aquatic Insects: Mayflies, Stoneflies, Caddisflies, Odonata, and Coleoptera, and Identification • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Bogs and Fens: Maine Peatlands • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Exploring Medicinal Plants of Maine (and Beyond) • Northwest Environmental Training Center Course: Wetlands: Science and Regulatory Management • Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Planning Hydrology, Vegetation, and Soils for Constructed Wetlands • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Liverworts and Liverwort Ecology
• Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Moths and Butterflies: Identification, Specimen Preparation, and Taxonomy • Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Course: Conservation Ecology • Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Course: Field Ecology • Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Course: Seminars in Ecology and Resource Management • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Lichens and Lichen Ecology • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Sedges and Rushes: Identification and Ecology • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Dragonflies and Damselflies: Field Techniques and Identification • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Native Bees as Pollinators: Diversity, Ecology, Conservation, and Habitat Enhancement • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Finding Words in Nature: Creative Writing for Aspiring Authors ... Study Retreat • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Nature Journaling: Black and White Illustration Techniques • Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Course: Landscape Ecology • Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Problematic Delineation Seminar • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Boletes and Other Fungi of New England • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Survey of Grasses: Their Structure, Identification, and Ecology • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Wetlands Identification, Delineation, and Ecology • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Spiders: Identification, Biology, and Ecology • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Lichens, Biofilms, and Stone • Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Course: Stream Ecology • Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Course: Alpine Ecology • Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Plant Identification for Wetland Delineators • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Mushroom Identification for New Mycophiles: Foraging for Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Art and Science of Photographing Insects and their Kin • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Submersed and Floating Aquatic Plants • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Independent Studies: Interesting and Challenging Saxicolous Lichens of North America • Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Course: Ecology of Forests and Grasslands • Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana Course: Drone Remote Sensing of Freshwater Ecosystems • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Field Botany and Plant Ecology of the Eastern Maine Coast • Environmental Concern Course: Grasses, Sedges and Rushes • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Tidal Marsh Restoration: A Traveling Course from Rhode Island to Maine • Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Plant Identification for Wetlands and Wetland Delineators • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Identification, Biology, and Natural History of Ferns and Lycophytes • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Banding/research Techniques for Studying Songbirds and Raptors • Environmental Concern Course: Evaluating Hydric Soils in the Field • Eagle Hill Institute Seminar: Better Birding: Passerines and Seabirds for Advancing Birders • Environmental Concern Course: Basic Wetland Delineation • Wetland Training Institute, Inc. Course: Riparian Habitat Restoration for the Arid Southwest • Northwest Environmental Training Center Course: Wetlands: Science and Regulatory Management • Northwest Environmental Training Center Course: Habitat Site Restoration. • MBI (Midwest Biodiversity Institute Course: Wetland Delineation
SPECIAL EVENTS
• Shiver in the River • World Wetlands Day • Earth Day
The Association of State Wetland Managers' Wetland Breaking News is a monthly e-newsletter. Wetland Breaking News is an edited compilation of wetland-related stories and announcements submitted by readers and gleaned from listservs, press releases and news sources from throughout the United States. WBN chronicles the legislative, national and state news relevant to wetland science and policy, wetland regulations and legal analysis of Supreme court cases from the past month; it also links to new publications and resources available to wetland professionals as well as events and training opportunities for those working in water resources and related fields. Wetland Breaking News has been published for over fifteen years and ASWM has been a think-tank and source for wetland science and policy news and discussion for over 30 years.
The items presented in Wetland Breaking News do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or of the Association of State Wetland Managers. Send your news items, comments, corrections, or suggestions to [email protected].
"WETLAND BREAKING NEWS" Compiled and Edited by Marla Stelk, Editor; Laura Burchill and Sharon Weaver, Assistant Editors. Executive Director: Jeanne Christie. Association of State Wetland Managers, 32 Tandberg Trail, Ste. 2A, Windham, ME 04062. Telephone: 207-892-3399; Fax: 207-892-3089
All photos by Jeanne Christie, ASWM