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Editor's
Notes:
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It's that time of year again...the birds and the bees are doing what
they do best!
Above photo credit:
Luke Hoagland on
Flickr.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lukehoagland/3379577758/
Don't Forget to
Celebrate
Earth Day
on April 22, 2010!
It's
the 40th Year Anniversary of Earth Day. For more information
and to learn how to participate, visit
http://www.earthday.net/earthday2010
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Pennsylvania Falcon Cam Page
The
Pennsylvania Falcon Cam Page provides live footage of a pair of
peregrine falcons raising their young on the Rachel Carson
Building. As of March 30, 2010, there were five eggs spotted in the
nest. The eggs are expected to hatch around the end of April. The eyases are
expected to fledge in the middle of June. To view the live webcam,
learn more information, and to see footage from last year, visit
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/
Record-setting
Year for Peregrine Falcons – NY DEC
The New York
Department of Environmental Conservation (NY DEC) recently released
a report showing improvements in productivity categories for the
state endangered peregrine falcon. DEC surveys found 73 territorial
pairs in 2009, an increase from the 67 pairs in 2008. During 2009,
61 pairs bred and produced 132 young. New York state has the
largest population of peregrine falcons in the eastern U.S.
For more
information, visit
http://www.dec.ny.gov/environmentdec/63607.html
To visit the NY
DEC Peregrin Falcon Webpage, go to
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7059.html
Wilmington, DE Falcon Cam
The red-banded
coded female falcon that fledged from the Rachel Carson State Office
Building two years ago is suspected of killing the resident female.
She can be viewed by visiting
http://www.dosbirds.org/wilmfalcons
NJ DEP Peregrine Falcon Webcam
The female
falcon has laid four eggs in her nestbox located on a building in
Jersey City. She can be viewed by visiting
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/peregrinecam/index.html
Bald Eagle Live Cam – The National
Park Service
This Bald
Eagle couple, K-10 and K-26 have hatched two eaglets after a long
month of incubation. Watch them grow and fledge on this live web
cam.
http://www.nps.gov/chis/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm
~ Lisen Cummings, Sustainable Environments Editor/Designer
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News Clips:
Funding Stormwater Projects: How federal
Stimulus Act Money is Being Used Across the Country
The Stimulus Act (The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) has provided funds to
improve infrastructure, which includes stormwater management projects.
More...
Saving U.S. Water and Sewer Systems Would Be
Costly
State and federal
studies show that thousands of water and sewer systems are breaking down
across the nation, and are too old to function properly. Every two minutes,
a significant water line bursts somewhere in the U.S.
More...
Forested Buffers Get a Hearing in the House
The House Majority
Policy Committee hosted a meeting at the Pennsylvania State Capital about
the importance of tree buffers and whether they should be required along
waterways.
More...
Groundwater Vulnerability
Fresh water accounts
for 2.5% of the earth’s water. About two thirds of this water is frozen in
glaciers and the poles, leaving only 1% of the earth’s water for human,
animal and plant use.
More...
Pennsylvania Vernal Pools
Vernal or
Seasonal Pools are unique wetlands that occur in depressions filled with
rainwater, snowmelt, and/or groundwater. More...
Oddball Winter Weather:
Global Warming's Wake-Up Call for the Northern United States
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has
released a report entitled “Oddball Winter Weather: Global Warming’s Wake-Up
Call for the Northern United States.”
More...
Chile Earthquake May Have Shifted Earth’s
Axis, Shortened Days
Scientists at
NASA have calculated that the recent earthquake in Chile may have
shifted the Earth’s axis, thus shortening our days. Every day since
the earthquake is calculated to be 1.26 microseconds shorter. This
happened because the earthquake caused a change in the distribution
of mass on Earth, which alters the rate of the planets rotation.
By
Yuka Yoneda, Inhabitat.com, March 3, 2010
http://inhabitat.com/2010/03/03/chile-earthquake-may-have-shifted-earths-axis-shortened-days/
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Policy
Updates:
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EPA Announces Superfund Cleanup Progress
For FY 2009
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released an annual summary of
the Superfund program’s progress in the fiscal year 2009. It shows
progress in cleaning up hazardous waste sites and protecting nearby
communities. In FY 2009, the EPA completed its construction projects at
20 sites, for a total of 1,080 sites with construction completed. The
EPA was involved with over 368 emergency response and removal actions in
FY 2009.
Pollution Online, March 5, 2010
http://www.pollutiononline.com/article.mvc/EPA-Announces-Superfund-Cleanup-Progress-For-0001?user=2361275&source=nl:26981
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Interim Version of NC/NE Regional
Supplement to ’87 ACOE Wetland Delineation Manual
The Philadelphia District of the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has published the
Northcentral and Northeast Interim Regional Supplement (supplement) to
the
1987 Wetland Delineation
Manual (1987 Manual). This interim document will be tested for one
year before being finalized. The supplement data forms and indicators
must be used for any future wetland delineations. Field data collected
prior to the ACOE notice on February 1, 2010 will be grandfathered. For
more information, visit
http://www.usace.army.mil/CECW/Pages/reg_supp.aspx
http://www.nap.usace.army.mil/cenap-op/regulatory/spn/spn10-01.pdf
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Some See Clean Water Act Settlement
Opening New Path to GHG Curbs
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) settled a lawsuit with the nonprofit Center for Biological
Diversity by agreeing to use the Clean Water Act to address ocean
acidification. The settlement requires the EPA to develop guidance for
states in identifying and addressing acidic coastal waters. This could
lead to restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions. Scientists estimate
that our oceans are 30% more acidic than before factories, cars and
planes became widely used. The increase in acidity is detrimental to
marine life.
By
Allison Winter, The New York Times, March 12, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/12/12greenwire-some-see-clean-water-act-settlement-opening-new-4393.html
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EPA Initiates Hydraulic Fracturing Study: Agency
seeks input from Science Advisory Board
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will conduct a
comprehensive research study on the potential adverse impact that
hydraulic fracturing may have on surface water and groundwater quality
and public health. Hydraulic fracturing consists of drilling vertical
and horizontal cracks underground and using water to access natural gas
or oil. They are in the first stages of creating a hydraulic fracturing
research program. They are requesting comments from the EPA Science
Advisory Board (SAB).
For more information on Hydraulic Fracturing, visit
http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/uic/wells_hydrofrac.html
For more information on SAB, visit
http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabpeople.nsf/WebCommittees/BOARD
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Above photos taken by Lisen Cummings
in Bucks County, PA (Trillium
grandiflorum)
Beach
Water Quality Where You Live
The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains this website to
provide information to the public on the water quality of our
beaches. States and local governments are responsible for
determining whether a beach should be closed, and they report this
information to the EPA. The latest information can be found on the
BEACON (EPA Beach Advisory and Closing On-line Notification)
system.
http://iaspub.epa.gov/waters10/beacon_national_page.main
You can also
find contact information for each state by visiting
http://www.epa.gov/beaches/plan/whereyoulive_state.html
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Great American Cleanup of PA — March 1 to May 31, 2010
Pick It Up PA Days — April 17 to May 1, 2010
Join in these
important efforts to pick up litter and trash from Pennsylvania’s
roads, parks, forests, rivers, communities, and open spaces. For
more information, visit
http://www.gacofpa.org/
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Link of the Month:
Life-Cycle
Studies
The Worldwatch Institute evaluates
every-day products from chopsticks to beer to determine the
environmental and social impacts. To view articles and studies, visit
http://www.worldwatch.org/node. They
post a new study every Friday. Here are a few recent examples:
Life-cycle Studies: Palm Oil
By
Ben Block, April 2, 2010
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6392
Life-Cycle Studies: Post-it Notes
By
Ben Block and Jane Zhou, March 19, 2010
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6387
Life-Cycle Studies: Beer
By
Jane Zhou and Ben Gonin, March 12, 2010
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6383
Life-Cycle Studies: Dry Cleaning
By
Ben Block, March 3, 2010
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6380
Life-Cycle Studies: Antibiotics
By
Tom Prugh, February 26, 2010
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6379
BMP of the Month:
Infiltration Trench
An Infiltration
Trench is a Best Management Practice (BMP) that consists of a pipe
with holes in it located in a flat stone filled trench. Water
enters through the pipe, leaks out through the stone bed, and
infiltrates into the soil. Infiltration trenches should be
designed on soils with good infiltration rates and should have an
overflow system to handle large storms. This BMP reduces
stormwater volumes and peaks, increases groundwater recharge, and
improves water quality.
To view the
Pennsylvania Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual, visit
http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/View/Collection-8305
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Tools and
Publications:
EPA - Stage 2
Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule Consecutive Systems Guidance
Manual
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
released this manual to assist public drinking water systems that receive part
or all of their finished water from other public water systems in complying with
the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (Stage 2 DBPR). This
guidance manual explains the specific requirements in the Stage 2 DBPR as they
apply to consecutive systems. To view the guidance manual, visit
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/disinfection/stage2/compliance.html.
Farming on the Edge –
American Farmland Trust
The American Farmland Trust conducted this
national study showing the relationship between high-quality farmland and land
development in America. It details the importance of high-quality farmland and
how its being lost to development. It shows sprawling development and the
threat to farmland state by state. To view the study, visit
http://www.farmland.org/resources/fote/default.asp
Smart, Green & Growing Planning Guide -
Maryland Department of
Planning
This guide
provides the history and an introduction to land use planning in Maryland, which
includes protecting the state’s valuable resources and implementing smart,
sustainable growth. It gives an overview on the State’s legislation and laws
governing planning. To view the guide, visit
http://www.mdp.state.md.us/PDF/OurProducts/Publications/otherPublications/SGG_Guide_09_Web.pdf
Landowner Guide to Buffer Success
This guide
provides necessary information for any landowner to restore a forested buffer,
which has multiple benefits and is important for a healthy ecosystem and
stream. It gives insights from conservation professions with real-world
experience. The guide is written especially for those participating in the
USDA’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), but can be used by
anyone wishing to improve their property.
http://www.creppa.org/pdf/landowner%20guide%20revised%2030oct07.pdf
Pennsylvania Fresh Water
The Nature Conservancy has provided a map of priority rivers, streams and
watersheds in Pennsylvania. They represent great examples of freshwater
habitats that are critical to the state and were selected through regional
freshwater assessments. To view the map and learn more about these rivers,
visit
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/pennsylvania/howwework/art24468.html
Chesapeake Stormwater
Network (CSN) Workshop Materials
The CSN held a workshop in March entitled
“Rooftop to the Bay.” The materials from this workshop address current
technologies relating to stormwater management in the Chesapeake Bay region.
You can access these materials by visiting
http://www.cwp.org/cbstp/cbstpresources_rtb.html
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Google Maps Adds Bicycle Routes
Google has added
bicycle directions to its Google Maps service for 150 cities in the U.S.
This service provides routes for cyclists to avoid high-traffic areas, and
to select easier routes around hills. Google developed an algorithm that
uses bike lanes/trails, topography and traffic signals to determine the best
route. If you don’t like what it comes up with, you can click and drag it
as you wish.
To give it a try,
visit
Maps.google.com/biking
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Newsletter Editor/Design and Layout:
Lisen Cummings
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