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IN THIS ISSUE: EDITOR’S NOTE EDITOR’S CHOICE NATIONAL NEWS STATE NEWS WETLAND SCIENCE Dear Wetlanders, NEWS Last week the Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) held its annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination meeting at the National Conservation Training Center outside of Shepherdstown, W.V. It was a RESOURCES & really great meeting this year and a much needed opportunity for wetland managers, scientists, regulators, PUBLICATIONS policy makers and others to congregate, share knowledge, and offer emotional support in a challenging political climate. POTPOURRI It’s always a small meeting with only about 100 +/- folks who attend each year and it’s designed to provide for CALENDAR OF open and honest discussions about ways to improve wetland science, policy and permitting activities. You can imagine our surprise on the morning of Day 2 to see a news story with direct quotes from some of the meeting EVENTS presentations in E&E News. Those of us who work in the field of wetland science and policy often perceive that wetlands don’t get nearly enough attention for all the wonderful benefits that they provide. Perhaps we INDEX were wrong…. Regardless, the meeting was very inspirational due to all the presentations showing incredibly innovative approaches to wetland science, policy and management. With all the negative news out there, I’d like to keep To view the April the happy buzz going and highlight some inspiring news from around the nation. For example, in State News, issue of Wetland there is a story about how ospreys are making a comeback in Delaware. In Clermont, Florida, the $9.5M Breaking News as Victory Pointe Wetland Park has just received the green light for funding from the City Council and it sounds well as past issues like a really innovative integrated project that provides solutions for stormwater, recreation, education and on our website, economic development. please click here. In Iowa, a recent poll showed that numerous soil and water conservation best management practices are being widely used by Iowa farmers and more are being considered. That’s good news for Midwestern Visit ASWM online ecosystems, not to mention the Gulf of Mexico. Also in the Midwest, the Michigan Municipal Wetland Alliance to read weekly news (MMWA) is developing a wetlands mitigation bank system using Department of Natural Resources (DNR) updates between property as bank sites. The goal for this state and local government partnership is to make wetlands mitigation issues. cheaper for local governments. In fact you’ll find a few stories in the State News section which highlight a variety of stormwater projects that are using constructed wetlands to reach their TMDL goals. Although there Please send is a healthy debate regarding the efficacy of constructed wetlands, these efforts are promising for urban areas. comments and news In Wetland Science News, you’ll find a story about a recent study performed by the University of Exeter which stories to found that phytoplankton can rapidly adapt to global warming. That’s good news for aquatic life. And in the [email protected]. Resources & Publications section you’ll find out about the Delaware Department of Natural Resources’ new outreach effort which includes an online tool that residents can use to locate wetlands on their property. Thank you for your continued interest. There truly is an amazing amount of good work being done around the country. Please feel free to share your successes with ASWM so that we can share them with our members and friends. All photos by Happy Spring! Jeanne Christie, ASWM Marla J. Stelk, Editor, Wetland Breaking News EPA to use 2 rulemakings to repeal and replace WOTUS By Ariel Wittenberg – E&E News – April 12, 2017 U.S. EPA plans to repeal and replace the Clean Water Rule with two separate rulemaking processes, an EPA official told the Association of State Wetland Managers yesterday. In a talk to the association's annual winter meeting, Mindy Eisenberg, acting director of the EPA wetlands division, said that the agency plans to first rescind the Obama administration's contentious regulation and then work on a new definition for "waters of the United States," according to multiple people who attended the meeting. "This is an attempt to repeal and replace, but in this case the EPA has decided that it can repeal the regulation now and replace it later," said Stephen Samuels, a former Department of Justice attorney who spoke to the association's meeting right before Eisenberg did. For full story, click here. Tens of thousands marched for science. Now what? By Sarah Kaplan – The Washington Post – April 23, 2017 Just hours after the Washington March for Science dispersed, organizers sent an email to demonstrators with the subject line, “What's next?” “Our movement is just starting,” the message read. It went on to urge marchers to take part in a “week of action,” a set of coordinated activities that range from signing an environmental voting pledge to participating in a citizen science project. They will provide postcards for participants to send to their political leaders and a calendar of events recommended by the march's partner groups. The march website was also overhauled Saturday night to include a new page on the organization's vision for the future. For full story, click here. Defying Trump, Supreme Court will continue with WOTUS case By Robert Walton – Utility DIVE – April 5, 2017 As the fight over President Trump's Supreme Court nominee heads for a Senate showdown later this week, the high court delivered a setback to the administration's environmental plans. On Tuesday, the court denied a motion to hold the briefing schedule in abeyance. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to take the WOTUS case last year, but the National Association of Manufacturers has argued it belongs in District court. The WOTUS rule was an attempt to clarify which smaller waterways and wetlands should be regulated under the Clean Water Act because they feed into larger bodies already covered by the law. Previously, the definition had been left to state authorities to determine. For full story, click here. Trump Administration Proposes Additional Budget Cuts at U.S. EPA By Andrea Wortzel and Kevin G. Desharnais – Environmental Law & Policy Monitor – March 30, 2017 Continuing its call for reduced spending at U.S. EPA, the Trump administration proposed additional budget cuts at the agency for the remaining 6 months of fiscal year 2017. The administration proposal calls for reductions in spending at EPA totaling $247 million. For full story, click here. Battle over landmark law already raging out of public eye By Corbin Hiar – E&E News – April 17, 2017 With most of Washington focused on fights over government funding, Obamacare and Russian meddling, a few congressional aides and outside advocates are quietly preparing for what could be an epic battle over the Endangered Species Act. The contentious conservation law was protected by President Obama's veto from Republican efforts to ease restrictions on farmers, energy companies and developers. But with Republicans now controlling Capitol Hill and the White House for the first time since 2004, the endangered species law — which hasn't been significantly updated since 1988 — appears vulnerable. For full story, click here. EPA emerges as major target after Trump solicits policy advice from industry By Juliet Eilperin – The Washington Post – April 16, 2017 Just days after taking office, President Trump invited American manufacturers to recommend ways the government could cut regulations and make it easier for companies to get their projects approved. Industry leaders responded with scores of suggestions that paint the clearest picture yet of the dramatic steps that Trump officials are likely to take in overhauling federal policies, especially those designed to advance environmental protection and safeguard worker rights. For full story, click here. Public is asked to help pick rules for chopping block By Arianna Skibell, E&E News – Governors’ Biofuels Coalition – April 13, 2017 U.S. EPA’s regulatory task force is looking for suggestions on what rules should be repealed, replaced or modified. A Federal Register notice posted yesterday asks the agency’s program offices to collect public comments on — among other things — rules that eliminate jobs, are outdated or ineffective, impose costs that outweigh benefits, or implement now-repealed executive orders. For full story, click here. Trump administration halts Obama-era rule aimed at curbing toxic wastewater from coal plants By Brady Dennis – The Washington Post – April 13, 2017 The Trump administration has hit the pause button on an Obama-era regulation aimed at limiting the dumping of toxic metals such as arsenic and mercury by the nation’s power plants into public waterways. “I have decided that it is appropriate and in the public interest to reconsider the rule,” Scott Pruitt, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, wrote this week in a letter to groups that had petitioned the agency to revisit the rule, which was finalized in 2015. For full story, click here. What state records reveal about potential sell-offs By Jennifer Yachnin – E&E News – April 11, 2017 When Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R) renewed his long-running effort to sell 3.3 million federal acres earlier this year, hunters and anglers launched an aggressive social media campaign to kill the bill, arguing that states in turn would auction off the lands. For full story, click here. West Coast senators lead bipartisan bid to save Sea Grant program from Trump By Joel Connelly – Seattle PI – April 11, 2017 A key senior Republican senator has joined Democrats in seeking to save the National Sea Grant Program, used as a tool by the University of Washington and schools in 31 states to keep oceans healthy and fisheries sustainable.